Maggie S Myers needs your help to survive

My name is Brian and I am fundraising on behalf of my brother Captain Frank "Thumper" Eicherly and his historic oyster schooner the "Maggie S Myers". Maggie is the oldest surviving oyster schooner in the world having launched in 1893 and has been floating and working ever since. She is registered as a US historic landmark and Capt. Thumper has spent 20 years and almost $500,000 Restoring her. Putting the masts back on and returning her to sail power as she was originally made. In fact, part of that process was turned into a documentary movie titled "White Gold; Delaware's oystering history" by 302 Productions in 2012.

And if any soul deserves your help it is Capt. Thumper. He is a 2009 inductee into the Maritime Hall Of Fame who for decades has hosted weekly free meals for those who need them completely out of his own pocket. He was instrumental in developing fishing techniques that greatly reduced the demand for horseshoe crabs as bait (helping save this ancient and endangered species). Plus, he and Maggie are the ultimate good samaritan vessel having abandoned paying work to sail off and rescue other boats in distress countless dozens of times. So many owe their actual lives to this man and his boat as he was always there with pumps and other lifesaving equipment well before the rescue boats could arrive. And now he needs your help.

Our issue is Maggie has SUNK at her dock while tied up the other night. We do not yet know the cause but have arrangements underway to re-float her so this treasure is not lost. This will be expensive and may very well bankrupt us. But getting floating again is just a small part of it. So much equipment is lost and we see major damage to the wheelhouse at low tide. Due to holidays, tide schedules and only 9 hours of daylight to safely work She will likely be down at least a week which is not good for wooden sailboats. Then she must be made at least marginally seaworthy.....

I am starting at $100,000 for this as we are at $30,000 for the crane, dive teams and airbag lifting equipment. There will be environmental costs on top of this and at the least to get her back underway she will need a new Wheelhouse as well as a motor, transmission, new sails, cleaning mud from the bilge and ceiling planking not to mention all new electronics like radar and GPS..... the list just goes on. Even if this goal is met it may not cover all our expenses to save this great piece of history but it sure will go a long way toward seeing she doesn't wind up another sunken wreck.