JDF sub lieutenant to join crew on Chilean navy ship

Saturday, November 21, 2009 9:41 PM

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BY ANIKA RICHARDS, Observer writer editorial@jamaicaobserver.com

Saturday, July 04, 2009

TWENTY-FIVE-YEAR-OLD sub lieutenant Leonard Wynter will on Tuesday join the crew of the Esmeralda - a Chilean truing ship - for a six-week voyage that will take him to Colombia and Ecuador on the way back to Chile.

Chilean Ambassador to Jamaica Alfredo Garcia (centre) and captain of the Chilean navy ship Esmeralda, Pablo Lubascher (left), have a discussion with sub- lieutenant of the Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard, Leonard Wynter, following a press briefing on board the vessel yesterday. The naval vessel, which docked at the Kingston Wharves yesterday, will depart for Colombia on Tuesday. Wynter will be joining the ship's crew. (Photos: Joseph Wellington)

Wynter, a member of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) Coast Guard, is a recent graduate of the Britannia Royal Naval College.

The former St Catherine High School student, the last of seven children for his parents, was selected by his commanding officer after the Chilean Embassy requested that a young officer from the JDF Coast Guard's last batch of graduates join the Esmeralda crew.

"Everybody is happy that I am actually joining the ship... for the people who can speak English, they were very welcoming and warm so I am looking forward to working with them some more," said Wynter, who participated in a press briefing on board the vessel, which was docked at the Kingston Wharves yesterday.

"I hope this opportunity provides a chance for me to learn as much from the Chileans and teach them as much as I can from my experience that I have had so far. It will also be a cultural (experience) for me because it's going to be something new, culturally, and seeing that they speak Spanish and Jamaica is an English-speaking country, it should be rather interesting," said Wynter.

Chilean navy ship, the Esmeralda, docked at the Kingston Wharves yesterday.

The Esmeralda doubles as both a training vessel and a floating embassy. She has taken part in several midshipman courses training seamen, cabin boys and cadets.

This is her first trip to Jamaica, but over her 54 years of training cruises she has called on more than 300 ports around the world.

Today, the commander on board will host an official reception and tomorrow morning the crew will participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the National Heroes Park. The vessel will be opened to the public at 6:00 pm tomorrow. On Monday, the crew will play against JDF soldiers in a friendly football match at Up Park Camp. The ship will depart on Tuesday.

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