by Alfredo Kiel, Aqua Mania, Island Water World and Pelican Resort
Several years ago Alfredo Kiel and his wife purchased a nice sailboat. After a few years of pleasant sailing their priorities changed and they didn’t go out sailing anymore.
In the recent bad weather the boat got stock on the rocks of French Cul de Sac and Mr. Kiel contacted Rien Korteknie, coordinator of the SBO Maritime Assistant Course, to find out if he was interested to use the boat for his students. Korteknie grabbed this enormous opportunity and contacted Gart Stein of Aqua Mania. Aqua Mania immediately stepped up the plate: Mr. Stein dragged the boat to Pelican, repaired a big hole in the boat hull, replaced the rudder and made up for some deferred maintenance. Jamal Wolford, the best student/now graduate of The Maritime Assistant Course 2009-2010, assisted with the repairs. All costs were covered by Aqua Mania, Island Water World and Pelican Resort. The boat will be managed and maintained by Aqua Mania, but the students of the SBO Maritime Assistant level 1 course will be able to make use of it free of charge.
This is truly a good example of the generosity of a citizen of St Maarten aswell as the fruitful cooperation between educators and the maritime industry. The present 14 students of the Maritime Assistant Course, the teachers of the SBO course at Milton Peters College, their board SVOBE and SBO Service Center are all very grateful for this wonderful gesture.