Sea Cadets acquire vessel for training
(CNS): The Cayman Islands Cadet Corps’ (CICC) maritime detachment, known as the Sea Cadets, has acquired a motor vessel, purchased for CI$75,000, where the young sailors will now train. Named in honour of the late Gwendolyn Bush, a Caymanian seafaring matriarch, the MV Miss Gwen was commissioned at a formal ceremony at the Cayman Islands Coast Guard (CICG) base last Friday.
The boat was purchased by the Cadet Corps from a private seller on the local market in November using capital funds from the Ministry of Home Affairs budget, according to a government release.
Following a thorough assessment of the vessel and its capabilities by the coastguard, it was determined to be fit for purpose and represented value for money. Once purchased, it was adapted to meet the needs of the CICG, which will be doing much of the training for the Sea Cadets.
“MV Miss Gwen will be instrumental in the CICC’s training programme for its maritime detachment,” the release said. The Sea Cadets, who are all high school students between 11 and 18, will learn maritime communication and engineering skills such as seamanship, ropework, naval customs and practices, scuba diving, sailing and boat maintenance.
During the commissioning, Home Affairs Minister Sabrina Turner said the boat would help create career pathways for the cadets in public safety.
She said the partnership between the Cadet Corps and the CICG, which was recently formalised through a memorandum of understanding (MOU), would offer young Caymanians rewarding maritime experiences and increase their knowledge and technical skills as well as their passion for public service.
“The impact of Miss Gwen’s contribution to the maritime industry will surely stand the test of time, and her legacy serves as an inspiration to all. It is only fitting that this vessel bears her name,” Turner added.
As the CICG continues to set the standard for maritime training in the Cayman Islands, the MOU with the CICC, coupled with the acquisition of the vessel, will ensure that cadets receive the comprehensive, hands-on training necessary.
CICC Commandant Colonel Errol Brathwaite said the commissioning of the boat demonstrated the collaboration across various entities. “We have a mandate to ensure that we find activities to occupy our young people so that they can build and develop their skills for the future,” he said.
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Category: Local News
???? Couldn’t this be a role of the Coast Guard?
“No Mr. John Public, we need to waste more of your money!!”
This is a step in the right direction for our young people, but I do agree a large sailing vessel would go a long way in teaching some good seamanship. I would be happy to donate for such a cause. I learned to sail as a young boy and I soon learned that the sea and weather is to be respected!
$75,000??? Assuming a misprint.
CNS: It was the figure supplied in the press release. The actual wording was “valued at valued at CI$75,000”, but we’re assuming that if it had been purchased at less than its stated value, that would have been in the release.
Are you serious? $75,000? For that boat?
CNS, can you please look into the “ordinary” cost of that boat? Please use your highly developed and regarded investigative skills. Or if a reader with more knowldege than mine knows the model or the price, please post here.
Find the seller by looking for the one laughing all the way to the bank 🏦 💰 🚤 😆
Was there any tender?
Definitely not a misprint. That is how much boats like that cost. And that is on the low end
next step…rubber knives for everyone!
if only there was some way to teach young Caymanians the skills and resilience of sailing upon which these islands were built. If only there was a club for sailing in the Cayman Islands. We could call it something like the Cayman Islands Sailing Club. Imagine that, somewhere desperate to teach as many young Caymanians as possible their national heritage, if only government would throw them some crumbs from their budget and make it happen. Today.
It’s very hard to see how a 30’ powerboat with a 300 horsepower outboard will do anything to teach young people _anything_ about “ropework, sailing, and boat maintenance”.
I have a suitable sailboat that I would have happily donated to the cause if only they had asked – it offers plenty of opportunities for “ropework, sailing, and boat maintenance”.
The de-funding of government sailing lessons on a national level is multiplying the risk to an island nation when only a fraction of the numbers trained in basic seamanship and water safety will be able to benefit at the vastly inflated budget of this project.
Now if only they could train the space cadets in Parliament.
The Cayman Islands Coast Guard, with 200nm radar and FLIR, can’t find or intercept drug runners with an overturned panga, just yards off their clubhouse dock in North Sound. They can’t locate the illegal landers dropping anchor in their sailboat in the Brac. They can’t really make any meaningful dents in gun, ammo, and narco trades. Glad to hear our best and brightest will be training a whole new generation on how to properly squander both money, and trust.
Geez, dude, sorry about your cat.
Good news on the Cadets! Why are you being so grumpy ? Anon @5.38 pm? You applied and could’nt make the cut ?
Have you considered volunteering your time and expertise?
We are already contributing tens of millions for the RCIPS, Regiment, Coast Guard, and Sea Cadets. All well-equipped, supposedly trained, yet sparse documented results. We shouldn’t be in need of any more amateur volunteers. We need to expect the seasoned trained professionals we paid for.
The Coast Guard is getting a new fleet, including a glass-bottom boat so they can see the old fleet.
Whatever happened to that boat that landed at Brac without being cleared? How did the authorities not see it arrive?
The vast, *VAST* majority of that is on the incompetent JDF (FKA RCIPS). To lump them all together when discussing costs is disingenuous at best. You know that already, though.