Stirring experiences lie behind us

Dear supporters, the first deployment crew has now arrived back in our home port on Licata. Behind the six activists lie two stirring experiences that underline the fact that we are needed in the Mediterranean. On March 12, we received our first distress call and immediately set out to search for the ship in distress. The following day, the crew of the TROTAMAR III were able to stabilize around 100 people on an unseaworthy, completely overloaded boat by handing out life jackets. After a few hours, the civilian rescue ship OCEAN VIKING from the NGO SOS Méditerranée reached the scene and took the people on board.

Just one day later, the crew of the TROTAMAR III found another boat in distress, drifting in the Mediterranean with many people on board and unable to maneuver. Life jackets were immediately issued to stabilize the situation. It was a rubber dinghy with more than 50 people, including 4 small children, on board. For hours, we made emergency calls to the relevant authorities and demanded their rescue – without any helpful response. It got dark and the situation remained unclear. Late in the evening, an Italian coastguard vessel suddenly appeared and took the people on board.

This first mission of a total of nine planned this year is now coming to an end. The crew was able to help numerous refugees on two boats in distress despite our limited resources. We are very grateful for all the support we have received over the last few weeks.

In just under two weeks, the TROTAMAR III will set sail again to support civilian sea rescue operations in the Mediterranean. We are sailing for freedom of movement for all, against Fortress Europe. Our missions are financed by donations. Each mission costs us around 12,000 euros.
Can you help make the next mission possible?

TROTAMAR III – DISEMBARKATION ON LAMPEDUSA

8. November 2024

The crew of the Trotamar III has disembarked all rescued people safely on Lampedusa.Our sailing ship was underway to Lampedusa for almost a day – with 62 people on board, rescued from an unseaworthy rubber boat on Tuesday evening. During the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, the Sea Eye 5 from @seaeye_org was able to…

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TROTAMAR III – 60 PEOPLE ON BOARD

6. November 2024

Yesterday the crew of the Trotamar III received a distress call for a boat in the Tunisian Search & Rescue zone and set off in search of the overcrowded rubber boat. At 7pm, the crew found the boat with over 90 people on board. At this point, it was already dark. Water had gotten into…

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TROTAMAR III – TRAINING ON LINOSA

31. October 2024

The Trotamar III is anchored off Linosa, where the crew continues to prepare the upcoming deployment. With the dinghy, crew members practise making contact with a migrant vessel, distributing life jackets and rescuing unconscious people.On board the Trotamar III is an extensive range of rescue equipment with which the crew can come to the aid…

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TROTAMAR III SAILING TO LINOSA

29. October 2024

The Trotamar III left Licata yesterday to sail towards Linosa, a small island in the north-east of Lampedusa. During the crossing, the crew familiarized themselves with the sailing manoeuvres on board – no easy task in waves up to 1.5 metres high.Yesterday afternoon, the crew arrived in Linosa and anchored in a bay on the…

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TROTAMAR III – CREW DEPLOYMENT

27. October 2024

Say hello to our new crew: Ella, Julia, Janik, Laura and Kenneth will join skipper Matthias on our 8th deployment in 2024 in order to support civilian sea rescue in the Mediterranean Sea.The crew has now begun preparations in our home port of Licata on Sicily. First of all, there was a detailed briefing on…

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TROTAMAR III – 41 PEOPLE ON BOARD

3. October 2024

Yesterday morning at around 10 a.m., the Trotamar III found an overcrowded boat in distress. The crew distributed life jackets to the 41 people, including three children. The wooden boat’s engine had failed, causing it to drift in the increasingly high waves.Due to the dangerous situation, the crew decided to take the people on board.…

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Trotamar III – 35 people rescued

29. September 2024

Yesterday, the Trotamar III took 35 people on board and brought them safely to Lampedusa.Since the morning hours, our sailing ship had been accompanying the fiberglass boat, whose engine had failed. Because wind and waves were getting stronger, the crew decided to take the people on board in the afternoon. The Trotamar III then set…

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TROTAMAR III – 35 PEOPLE IN DISTRESS

28. September 2024

Late yesterday evening, the Trotamar III left Lampedusa and sailed out towards the Search and Rescue zones in the central Mediterranean Sea. During the night, the crew received the first distress call via @alarmphone and set course for the last known position of the migrant vessel.This morning, the Trotamar III reached the boat with 35…

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TROTAMAR III – ARRIVING TO LAMPEDUSA

26. September 2024

Yesterday the Trotamar III arrived on Lampedusa. The crew is now preparing to sail out to the central Mediterranean Sea. The life jackets have to be sorted and stowed away and the food supplies on board have to be replenished. The crew members have also inflated the centifloats and attached them to the rail guard.…

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TROTAMAR III – CREW DEPLOYMENT 7/24

23. September 2024

Our new crew has arrived in Licata and is already preparing intensively for the upcoming deployment. Together with Matthias from the CompassCollective Clara, Helena, Johannes, Rosy and Till will be supporting the civilian sea rescue in the central Mediterranean Sea over the next few weeks.The crew has already completed a dinghy training in the harbor…

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