St. Ignatius Secondary and Brickdam Secondary Students win competition for naming new tugboats for G-Boats Guyana

Wednesday G-Boats Guyana christened two new tugboats that will bear the names A’rinra and Madame Kalina. The names were submitted by a Grade 11 student of St. Ignatius Secondary School, Raymond De Cambra, and a Grade 11 student of the Brickdam Secondary School, Kaylan Duncan respectively who entered into a competition to name the boats that was launched in March 2022.

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand said at the Christening Ceremony she is pleased the schools were involved in the naming process that allowed Raymond and Kaylan to represent Guyana and leave a mark on the new vessels. She said that it is also significant to recognize that Raymond attends school in one of Guyana’s hinterland regions while Kaylan attends school in Georgetown.

She was also named ‘God Mother’ of the two new vessels.

Meanwhile, Ross Chouest of G-Boats Guyana said that today’s ceremony celebrates the remarkable achievement of two exceptional individuals who have made their schools and communities proud.

He said that Raymond and Kaylan used their ability to think beyond the ordinary and envisaged names that embody the essence of Guyana. He said that it was through their imaginative minds and creative spirits that the perfect names will forever grace the vessels.

He said, “A ship’s name reflects its character, purpose, and values it represents.”

President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge, said that the new boats will be operating 100 miles offshore of Guyana to support the essential work that takes place to deliver the development of Guyana’s natural resources.

He said that Exxon Mobil is honoured to be in Guyana to develop the oil and gas resources. Mr. Routledge added that the new tugboats symbolize the development of the oil and gas industry and its necessary partnerships.

The name A’rinra is a Macushi word for an electric eel. It is believed that the eel can withstand any storm or weather to get to its destination while the second name Madam Kalina was derived from the Carib tribe. The name was chosen to name one of the tugboats as it brings awareness to the tribe’s existence and contributions to the nation.

The winning schools were rewarded with a donation of US$1000 for the winning submissions. The prizes were handed over at the Brickdam Secondary School on June 28, 2022, and at the St. Ignatius Secondary School on June 29, 2022.