In recent months, dozens of Haitians have died in ocean crossings as trip organizers prey on their desire to escape the desperately poor country. That has created an opportunity for unscrupulous boat captains to once again turn La Tortue -- and Haiti's poorly patrolled northwest coastline -- into a popular jumping-off point for clandestine migrant-smuggling operations into the Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos, and Florida. "Life here isn't easy," said Wilson Alexis, 57, taking a break from constructing a wooden sailboat. "There are no visas being given, no commerce, and Jeanne and Hanna (hurricanes in 2004 and 2008) destroyed a lot of boats. Until now, no one has been able to help us recover the loss from those hurricanes."
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