Road Town, Tortola - Close to 100 students, officials of the Virgin Islands Shipping Registry (VISR) and members of the media were yesterday afforded an opportunity to tour the Training Ship Kennedy which left the Territory early this morning.
The tours, conducted in two segments took persons to various parts of the ship including the bridge, navigation room, mess hall, library, computer and movie rooms.
Welcoming the first batch of visitors on board Monday, the ship’s commander, Captain Thomas L. Bushy explained that the experience aboard the ship supplements the academic training of cadets attending the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. “Our primary function is to take young men and women out to sea, to give them experience in applying the theoretical to their education, in other words taking what they have learnt in the classroom back on the campus in Massachusetts and turning it into work,” Captain Bushy explained.
He described it as a constant “beehive of activity” with the 595 cadets on board engaged in a range of duties including watch standing, class room training and deck and engine maintenance. The captain explained, “Our students fall into three basic groups, the upper class students who are studying marine engineering, the upper class students studying marine transportation and then the freshman cadets who are doing the common experience.”
Many of the students who participated in the tour of the training ship described it as a worthwhile experience.
Maya Harrigan, a fourth form student at St. George’s Secondary said, “The tour was very interesting. I would like to go to that school because you get a lot of experience and you can travel around the world.”
Fifth form student of the Seventh Day Adventist Secondary School Renata Rubaine described the experience as very educational. “It made me want to join this school or the navy because I want to go into that field,” she said.
Bregado Flax Educational Centre students Allan Boutin and Nicholas Cooper also enjoyed the experience. Mr. Boutin said “The tour was very helpful in teaching me about marine engineering, I would like to get into that career,” while Mr. Cooper added, “It was very good. I learnt a lot. I was interested in marine studies before and the tour made me more interested.”
The Training Ship Kennedy arrived in the BVI last Friday and the Virgin Islands Shipping Registry hosted a welcome party for the officers, cadets and crew that evening at the Noel Lloyd/ Positive Action Movement Park.
On that occasion, Permanent Secretary in the Premier’s Office, Mrs. Rosalie Adams welcomed the guests to the BVI and underscored the importance of training in building good character and creating future leaders. “I applaud those who manage young people. I ask that you continue to be diligent, be vigilant and ensure that these young people can go out, once they are trained and tell others about the things they ought to do to develop good character; because in developing good character, in the long run, they become good leaders.”
In his remarks at the welcome party, VISR Director, Captain Baboucar Sallah expressed his delight that the Territory was included on the ship’s itinerary. Captain Sallah highlighted the importance of qualification for those in the marine industry. “Those of us who have actually gone through the same route that you are taking now, understand the benefits that you are likely to reap with this kind of training,” he stated.
Cadets enrolled at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy can pursue six areas of study, namely marine engineering and transportation, international maritime business, emergency management, marine safety and environmental protection and facilities engineering. The promotion of maritime safety is one of the primary goals of the Virgin Islands Shipping Registry, which was instrumental in arranging the visit of the Training Ship Kennedy.
British Virgin Islands News