An Old Man struggling to salvage his life.

Hi Everyone!

It’s me again, who posted a few weeks ago about the Old Man, who’s boat sank in Amsterdam with nearly everything he owned, including all his valuables. He was distraught without any idea of who to turn to for help and what to do next. For someone who was already on the fringes of society, this kind of incident has pushed him to the brink of homelessness.

You can read the original post and updates in the comments, on r/Netherlands here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Netherlands/comments/14chg6m/old_mans_boat_which_he_has_been_living_on_sank/

I helped him with what I could spare and I am storing most of his possessions he was able to salvage from the boat before it was too dangerous to go back in. I managed to make a report with Gemeente Amsterdam (3 weeks ago!) and they said they would send a team to help him, but I do not think anyone has come to help yet. Police have visited on several occasions, not to help really, but to keep on telling him that he needs to have his old boat removed.

With no money, his only option is to sell it as salvage and I think he believes it can be fixed, so he is resisting this option. But at the same time, he is not necessarily 100% mentally healthy, and is simply an Old Man who needs some help. He is also caring for a cat that came to visit him by his boat and he tries to not be too far away from it for too long.

Thankfully, u/r0cksteady the legend that they are (!!!), offered to donate a boat that they were planning on selling! And I can confirm that this is real and the Old Man has actually been partially using the boat to sleep on recently! This is obviously amazing news, however there are still expenses that need to be covered…

We need to pay for:

1. Having the new boat towed to a different location.

2. Removal (and salvage?) of the old boat that sank.

3. Some funds to help give the Old Man a safety net and get him on his feet again.

Our best guess is that 2k/3k Euro should be sufficient. So if Reddit can come together and get this man a new boat, then surely we can put some cash together and show the power of internet strangers

Any kind of donation would be greatly appreciated and even if we don’t hit any goals, I’m sure any amount collected will make a big difference in this man’s life! And thank you to everyone for their kind words and support for those who need help in our community.

Please share this fundraiser far and wide <3