Free LORD JIM !!! help safe 1936 schooner

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the cleaner Germany. Jul 31 2012 18:42. Posts 3014

Hey guys, please help me sign this petition http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Free_LORD_JIM/?launch

Even though I haven't seen him for many years, he's my Godfather and I have spend many great moments with him on board the Lord Jim. He's over 70 years old, and this old schooner is basically his life and he has circumnavigated the world many times.

I copied and pasted this from Latitude 38

some links
http://www.latitude38.com/lectronic/l...ay.lasso?date=2012-07-06#.UBhaw6OQjuo
http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?63378-Lord-Jim-on-the-rocks
http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/07/lordjim/lord_jim.pdf

Yearning for Freedom in Brazil

July 6, 2012 – Mangaratiba, Brazil

"Don't give up the ship!" That famous quote from the War of 1812 is the credo Holger and Tracy have lived during more then five years of 'captivity'. © 2012 Holger Kreuzhage

For well over a year now, an American flag has been flying upside-down from the rigging of the 72-ft gaff tops’l schooner Lord Jim, as she sits high and dry in a remote Brazilian boatyard at the edge of the jungle. As old salts know, in naval tradition an inverted national flag or ensign is a sign that the vessel is in distress.

The nature of Lord Jim's distress is unusual, however. After striking an unmarked rock and sinking five years ago, she was successfully raised and repaired. But that turned out to be the easy part of her Brazilian ordeal. A dispute with the boatyard owner forced the schooner's longtime owners Holger Kreuzhage and Tracy Brown into a protracted courtroom battle, which they ultimately won. In defiance of a court order, the owner, who Holger characterizes as thoroughly corrupt, literally removed the marine railway so Lord Jim could not relaunch. Subsequent court proceedings, all won by Kreuzhage and Brown, have still brought no resolution.

Who would have guessed that repairing deadwood and replanking the entire hull would be the easy part.
© 2012 Holger Kreuzhage

With that as background, Holger and Tracy recognized America's Independence Day in a unusual manner: "Our boat is still hostage, and so are we. But today we will rise above these local conditions, which were actually resolved by the justice system completely in our favor. A country where a final decision by the appellate court can be ignored by individuals who believe they are above the law only accentuates the difference in the values we treasure as Americans, and which we honor on this special day.

"Needless to say we miss our home country, our families and our far-away friends. In their honor and in the honor of our own country, we are flying our flag in its correct position, right-side-up."

Before trouble started with the boatyard's owner, the historic schooner's hull had been repaired to like-new condition.
© 2012 Holger Kreuzhage

The 44-ton schooner was formerly based at Sausalito, and was previously the queen of Antigua's crewed charter fleet. As far as we know, she has circumnavigated more times than any other San Francisco-based vessel. We sincerely hope the current deadlock ends soon, freeing her to sail the world's oceans yet again.

TLDR cliffs: My godfather and good friend, ran a ground in Brazil a couple of years ago. They managed to re float the sailing yacht (old 1936 Alden schooner) and repairs where being made in a Brazilian boatyard. The owner of the boatyard got into a legal dispute with them and after a couple of years the court ruled in their favor, demanding the boatyard owner pay damaged and relaunch the schooner. Not happy with that decision the boatyard owner destroyed the rails to launch the vessel and they haven't been able to do anything about it so far. This is an old man, over 70, has lead a very adventurous life and now seems to be unable to end his days doing what he loves to do, which is sailing the globe.

http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Free_LORD_JIM/?launch