Help us start life again and find a home

Hi all our names are Ashley & Jamie , we are starting this fund to desperately and raise some money to get ourselves and new home and begin our lives again before winter really sets in. I am 35 and work for the London ambulance service helping others in their times of need and never thought I would be the one asking for help. Jamie works hard as a labourer, and helping others to salvage their boats along the canals.

After spending time living on our princess on the canals In Feb this year myself and Jamie purchased our Elysian 34 to create more space for our children.

Our Elysian had a seized engine and we spent all our hard earned money and the next six months working on getting the Elysian on the move and back to London. We sold our princess and used money on rentals going backwards and forwards to Hullbridge doing many repairs on the Elysian, including a brand new BMC 1.5 being installed.

On Sunday 29th of September with my brother his girlfriend and Jamie we set sail to get the boat back to London. Leaving on high tide all was well until a storm set in Sunday night. Out in the sea the engine failed and the anchor snapped on our vessel, leaving us all adrift and exposed to the elements.

After what seemed like and eternity a dramatic rescue took place- thank god for the RNLI and all 4 of us taken to hospital , all of us discharged and we are lucky to be alive. Due to the storm our boat was unable to be towed in safely and was left adrift at sea.

The Mersea locals set about helping us find our home and looking after us for 4 days whilst we awaited a sighting.

Sadly our boat was located on the Wednesday on coopers beach and she had succumb to the sea and is completely destroyed. We have been unable to salvage anything and we have the items of clothing left on our backs. Everything we owned was inside of that boat. We are desperate to get back onto the water and start living again as currently using hotels and friends to get by.

We are asking for any little help in getting a new boat so we can have somewhere by Christmas to have our children.

We would like to give mention to the Mersea locals and express our gratitude to all those that have helped us so far.

Please share this far and wide and get us a home by Christmas

Thankyou everyone, Jamie and Ashley x