Capt. Lou Back-to-the-Islands Fund

Captain "Lou" Patterson is an expatriate who has lived on Tortola in the British Virgin Islands for 25 years.  He has a large network of friends world-wide that he has met during boat briefings, charters, day sails and check-out sails over the last 25 years with companies including The Moorings, BVI Yacht Charters, Island Time Powerboats and Sunsail.  Lou briefed us on our charter boat during most of our visits there and we have looked forward to seeing him each time.  He truly cares about the people he is helping and works hard to ensure a fun and safe vacation for all.  AND, he has fun doing it!!!

Unfortunately, Hurricane Irma made a direct hit on Tortola and all of the islanders are suffering.  Capt. Lou lost his boat, apartment, and car.  He was almost killed by flying debris and managed to salvage all of two gym bags worth of clothes, possessions and minimal funds.

Here are a few lines of Capt. Lou's first email to me after I had asked how he was doing... "I lived rough for the first few days after Irma hit, then managed to make it to THE MOORINGS BASE which was severely damaged and most boats totaled or lost.  Finally after days , helped evacuate a group of stranded tourists on a boat to PUERTO RICO.    Nothing on TORTOLA was functioning when I left and it looked like a bad sci-fi war movie.   CARS, BUILDINGS AND BOATS littered the denuded landscape."

Lou is temporarily living in New Jersey with a former client that flew him there from Puerto Rico.  

This GoFundMe account has been set up by Garland and Leslie Hanson of Richmond, Virginia and we are also former clients.  We want to help Lou get back on his feet as soon as possible so that he can return to the BVI and resume his life!  The GoFundMe funds are to be spent by Lou in any way he deems necessary to return to the islands he loves.  I hope you can help!