rescue operation of Jewish people from the war-torn republic of Moldova in the former Soviet Union.

And they are now back in Bermuda to muster local support for the plight of Jews living in the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States).

Mr. and Mrs. Bobby Doe, owners of the 57-foot ship Christian Venturer are hoping to find a bigger boat and more hands to sail back to the CIS where they believe a mass exodus of Jews is imminent.

Christian Venturer was built 16-years ago at Boaz Island and is Bermuda's only sail-training ship. She also won an international tall ships race in 1980.

Having spent the last two and a half years calling at CIS ports on the Black Sea and meeting with numerous Christian organisations, the couple firmly believe anti-Semitism is very much alive following the collapse of Communism.

They -- and Christian and Jewish organisations -- believe Soviet Jews will soon be forced to flee for their lives.

Mr. Doe and his wife Fiona sailed into St. George's Harbour on Wednesday morning, exhausted from a non-stop Atlantic crossing, but happy to be home for the Christmas holidays.

They spoke to The Royal Gazette about their voyage and tjeir unusual mission to aid Jews living in the former Soviet Union.

It all started some 20 years ago with a "visit'' from God, said Mr. Doe, who is of no particular denomination.

He had a spiritual encounter during which, he believes, he was summoned to build a boat in order to one day help Jews get out of Russia.

"My first reaction was what does a Bermudian know about Jews,'' he said.

Nevertheless, he set out to build the boat, which in itself was a miraculous feat, he said.

He sold his own boat and with an $11,000 loan from a wealthy Bermudian whom he had never met -- and the support of the local Christian community (no bank Bermudians help Jews to flee CIS him money) he began building the fibre-glass hulled Christian Venturer , designed by Bill Nash.

She went on to win a 1980 tall ships race, compete in several others and train many young Bermudians to master the seas. She was also chartered by wildlife and other organisations as well as individuals.

But about 15 years later, having been personally invited to the CIS by crew off a Russian racing yacht which called at Bermuda, Mr. Doe felt it was time to carry out his "mission''.

On July 23, 1990, the couple and a pair of ginger cats set out to cross the Atlantic Ocean for the Black Sea port of Odessa.

After meeting with Christian organisations they were given the assignment of fact-finding and talking to as many Jews as possible to persuade them to leave the country while they were still alive.

"We told them that despite the fall of communism, now is the most dangerous time for Russian Jews -- they should leave while they are able and alive,'' he said.

They managed to persuade upwards of 50 Jews to flee to Israel aboard Jewish Agency special flights.

"The mission was 100 percent successful. We did what we set out to do. And we broke the ground for boats to take part in the effort.'' A second role the couple played was standing by in Odessa to bring Jewish people from war-torn Moldova to Israel via boat.

Jews living in the republic had been caught in the crossfire of racial strife which had erupted into open war between the people of Moldova, with their Romanian roots, and the Russian/Ukraine people of the Trans-Dniester region, which aspires to be a republic.

In mid-June, the Jewish Agency and other support organisations decided to go ahead with an evacuation effort following the deaths of dozens of Jews.

However, the Christian Venturer never had to take on any Jews as special buses and airplanes were able to accommodate all of the refugees.

Over a three week period an "Exobus'' coach carried to safety some 400 predominantly Jewish refugees from the republic of Moldova.

A photograph of the Christian Venturer alongside a wharf in Odessa appeared in the September International Christian Embassy newsletter, which welcomed those coming from "far islands of the seas to help''.

Mr. Doe, who has no Jewish connections, does not know why he was chosen by God to help the Jews.

He ventures that maybe he was the thousandth person God had asked -- and the only one to say "yes''. Or, it may be that God thought a boat from tiny Bermuda would fail to raise the suspicions of the Russians, because it flies flying a US nor British flag.

But one thing Mr. Doe knows for sure is that he will return to Odessa to complete his dangerous mission.

He urges anyone interested in helping the effort to contact him.

BACK HOME -- Mr. Bobby Doe, his wife Fiona and pet cat Samson, rest aboard their tall ship Christian Venturer in St. George's Harbour after returning to Bermuda on Wednesday. They have spent the last two-and-a-half years in the former Soviet Union aiding Jewish refugees.