Woman Fundraises To Secure New Sails For 'Little Dutch', Rescued Vessel

EAST HAMPTON, NY — On the East End, where sky meets water and family histories are stitched together with seafaring sagas, one woman's love of an abandoned sailboat has touched hearts.

United States Coast Guard Captain Missy Mellor set sail on a personal voyage to save the "life of an abandoned 1985 Whitby 42 double headsail ketch sailboat" and is now continuing her journey.

She's kicked off a GoFundMe page, "New Sails For Little Dutch," that has raised $230 of its $4,500 goal so far.

Mellor said she'd love to offer a bonus gift discount of 30 to 50 percent off a Little Dutch Sailing Charters excursion to the "salty angels" that donate.

Capt. Missy said she found the sailboat "basically abandoned in a boatyard in Greenport and spent almost two years restoring and renovating the vessel.

One of only 243 of these ketches built, Capt. Missy decided to save a life instead of investing in a 'ready-to-go' boat to begin her new charter business. As an eco-friendly business, Little Dutch Sailing Charters inspires us to become better stewards to our waterways, marshes and coastlines forgotten about in our daily 'land lives'. Recycling a boat contributes positively to that idea," she wrote.

So far, she said, Little Dutch Sailing Charters has completed three successful charter seasons on the East End.

"That being said, we must prepare to sail south in the winter months to St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands to continue our chartering so as to meet our bills, not to mention accommodate our Long Island guests that want to fly down to the Caribbean and charter with us there," she wrote.

"We have been using the same sails as well as the old navigation equipment that came with the boat. To make it possible to head south next winter and in the interest of safety as well as more efficient sailing, Little D. needs new stuff. To celebrate her fourth season chartering, Little Dutch has asked me to tell you, in no uncertain terms that she needs a new set of sails and new nav equipment ASAP."

A new set of good, used sails will cost about $2,000, with chart plotter/radar equipment costing $2,500.

Capt. Missy said she'll install the equipment herself to save on costs.

"Together we can all make this happen — one dollar at a time. Sailing makes the planet and her people happy. We thank you . . . boatloads."

To donate, click here.