Yacht given away to help the Calais migrant cause

Contango, the yacht that is being sold to raise money for building shelters in Calais

A yachtsman has donated his £25,000 boat to the cause of migrants and refugees who are facing a cold winter in Calais camps.

Boat owner Michael de Petrovsky from Jersey visited the camps with aid and construction workers and was so touched by the plight of people living there that the pensioner has now given his seven-berth racing cruiser Contango to volunteer aid worker Ghazi Najib to aid the cause.

Mr Najib says the boat is on sale and the money raised will be used to build emergency shelters in the French port town. He told PBO that more than 300 shelters are needed at a cost of $1,700 each; each shelter can accommodate 20 people and provide facilities for eating and lighting.

Mr de Petrovsky is also willing to continue paying the boat’s £350 a month mooring fees until it is sold.

The yacht is being sold privately by Mr Najib who said: ‘Every penny counts at the moment before the winter hit.’

Interested buyers can call Mr Najib on 07797 862492 or email ghazi2407@gmail.com