Commander Jason Kelshall and his crew will officially start their task of protecting the country’s borders today, aboard T&T’s latest naval ship, the TTS Nelson II.
The ship will become operational in T&T waters for the first time since its arrival from China last month.
Kelshall, 43, is the son of retired rear admiral Richard Kelshall, who himself had captained T&T’s very first T&T Coast Guard (TTCG) ship, the “Trinity,” from the United Kingdom, crossing the Atlantic Ocean in 1967. In 1973, the senior Kelshall again captained yet another vessel, the “Chaguaramas,” also from the UK.
Speaking with the T&T Guardian yesterday, the senior Kelshall said he stood a proud father today because of his only son’s achievements.
“My achievements were completely overshadowed. Jason crossed three oceans—through the China Sea, the Indian Ocean and Atlantic. This surely would have covered more mileage than my two trips,” Kelshall said.
While his last of three children was out there working on bringing the vessel to T&T, Kelshall admitted he was worried because of the dangers that existed for his son and his crew.
“The whole thing took 35 days, which is a very long time for him and some of the guys who were part of the crew. Most of his men were accustomed patrolling with the sight of land and to be out there for them would have been an experience,” Kelshall said.
“They went through some dangerous waters that exist in the world where there are pirates, and on one occasion I was told that my son (Jason) had gotten a call about three o’clock one morning and it was a pirate who had called to ask what type of vessel they were in and when they were told a naval vessel they (the pirates) stayed away.
“So when it wasn’t pirates they had bad seas to pass through, which is another risk by itself, but thank God, Jason and his crew proved their worth and accomplished this tremendous achievement for the country.”
Asked if he got the opportunity to go aboard the vessel, the senior Kelshall replied: “Yes.”
He described the vessel as a very good ship. “There was a lot of talk about the ship and it coming from China, but the ship journeyed from China to T&T trouble free. It is a very good ship.”
Kelshall’s daughter, Tricia Lee Kelshall-Bynoe, also expressed pride in her brother’s achievement.
“I am beyond proud of the achievement of the entire crew inclusive of my brother. This was not a trip devoid of danger. They navigated through pirate-rich waters in the Malacca Strait, as well as encountered very turbulent stormy seas.
“These men and women left their families behind to do their duty and serve their country by bringing this protective vessel to Trinidad,” Kelshall-Bynoe said.
She added, “As a family member it was a month-and-a-half of nail-biting and worry, as the sea is its own master and obeys no laws. We are relieved, thrilled and filled with pride, not only proud of the successful trip but also proud of the level of skill, excellence and professionalism with which it was undertaken. I congratulate the entire team.”
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The TTS Nelson II cost approximately US$35 million and is expected to play a critical role in the fight against drug and human trafficking.
During his contribution at the ship’s arrival ceremony, T&T Coast Guard Commanding Officer Hayden Pritchard thanked the government of China for supplying the vessel to the T&T Government, noting it would make a significant contribution to the safety, security and stability of T&T.
Pritchard said the 79-foot sea vessel would be deployed in support of a number of operations the Coast Guard was currently engaged in.
“These include search and rescue, fishery protection, anti-drug smuggling, narcotics interdiction, human trafficking, anti-piracy operations, critical infrastructural protection, environmental protection and scientific research on training, just to name a few,” Pritchard said.
“This vessel has good sea-keeping qualities and will make an ideal platform for what we call Carefree Operations in the outermost limits of our exclusive economic zone.”