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DECEMBER 2012 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 6
AHOY, HAITI!
THE SISTER FLORA FLOTILLA
by Frank Virgintino
I have been visiting the small island of Ile-à-Vache, located at the southwest corner
of Haiti, for over 15 years and have always found it to be a delight. It has been a safe
and welcoming anchorage for sailing boats for as long as can be remembered. There
are no cars, no electricity and no telephones. The anchorage at Port Morgan is at the
northwest corner of the island. All approaches to this easy entrance bay must be from
the west as the northeast side of the island has considerable amount of reef. [See “A
Cruise Though the South Side of Hispaniola” in the May 2012 issue of Compass.]
Nearby is a community known as Madame Bernard. Just up the hill in Madame
Bernard is the orphanage of St. Francis (L’Oeuvre St. François d’Assise) run by a
Canadian nun, Sister Flora. She is all of five feet tall and probably weighs a hundred
pounds wet. Sister Flora is both humble and strong and to meet her, regardless of
one’s personal faith, is an experience that will leave you with a life-long memory.
For over 30 years Sister Flora has taken care of orphans in Haiti. Her clinic,
orphanage and school are institutions on the island. She is loved by everyone. When
asked what makes her sad, she replies, “When someone tells me that a child is too
far gone and not worth investing in.” She never asks for anything and simply believes
that those who will come to help and to give will come. She has a little smile that lets
you know that everything is going to be all right. Her school and orphanage is neat
and clean and she has built it over the years, brick by brick, through donations and
with the help of volunteers.
In 2013 Marina ZarPar in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic, will be sponsoring a
cruise in company — the “Flora Flotilla” — to visit Ile-à-Vache. The flotilla is scheduled
to depart Boca Chica on February 8th. Boats that want to join should arrive at
Marina ZarPar (www.marinazarpar.com) no later than February 4th. Meetings will be
held to discuss routing and stops along the way.
I will organize and lead the group. The overall trip is approximately 250 nautical
miles. The flotilla will take about four days to sail to Ile-à-Vache, stopping at lovely
Isla Beata en route.
There will be no charge for the cruise other than the US$100 registration fee,
which will be used to defray the cost of organizing the event. Any funds left over will
be donated to the Sister Flora orphanage. Marina ZarPar will provide a 20-percent
discount on slips and moorings for all flotilla vessels. Participants will be able to visit
PriceSmart in the DR should they wish to purchase supplies for the orphanage. Good
used clothing for children up to 15 years of age, books, pencils, crayons and any type
of school supplies are very welcome. Sister Flora has told me that powdered milk is
at the top of her list and is the item that the orphanage runs out of most often.
The cruise should prove to be exciting and interesting for those who want to visit
Ile-à-Vache. In addition, any support that is given to the school and orphanage will
be so very much appreciated.
Additional information on the orphanage can be found at the Free Cruising Guide
website (www.freecruisingguide.com). There is also additional information on the
island of Ile-à-Vache at www.friendsofileavachehaiti.com.
Frank Virgintino is the author of Free Cruising Guides (www.freecruisingguide.com).
FRANK VIRGINTINO
In February, a yacht flotilla bound for Ile-à-Vache will help Sister Flora
provide for Haitian orphans