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GW, CVW-17 Sailors Visit Tiny Island in the Caribbean

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS060423-02
Release Date: 4/23/2006 7:57:00 PM

By Photographer’s Mate Airman Kenneth R. Hendrix, USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group Public Affairs

SABA, Netherlands Antilles (NNS) -- USS George Washington (CVN 73) and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17 Sailors explored the Caribbean island of Saba April 15 during a Morale, Welfare and Recreation-sponsored tour from St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles.

The island of Saba rises steeply from the sea and is known as a place for hiking, shopping and ecotourism. Saba has a population of 1,200 people descended from 17th century pioneers, in four small villages.

“It was the most interesting tour out of the selection,” said Intelligence Specialist 1st Class Mary Ann Dantes of CVW-17, “and it sounded very adventurous.”

To get to the island, Sailors took an hour-long trip on a high-speed ferry boat departing from Simpson Bay in St. Maarten to Saba.

“I loved it,” said Aviation Electronics Technician 2nd Class Dennis Martin of GW’s aircraft intermediate maintenance department (AIMD), “because of the bouncing and sailing with the waves.”

“The music was very comforting,” added Airman Shannon Quintall of GW’s weapons department, “because it is from my culture back home in Trinidad and Tobago.”

Once on the island, Sailors were greeted by their taxi driver in a van for their guided tour of the island. The tour was given by Vincent Simmons, a resident of Saba.

“The tour guide was very interesting, how he stopped and narrated everything throughout the island,” Martin said.

A good portion of the tour consisted of a hike up a 1,064-step concrete stairway to the top of Mt. Scenery. The trail begins in Windwardside at 1,300 ft. and the peak is near 3,000 ft. above sea level. The trail meanders through a secondary rain forest to the Elfin Forest with the lower slopes of the trail characterized by Cactus species, Sea grape trees and a wide variety of wild flowers.

The climb was strenuous for several of the Sailors, but the natural beauty along the way was rewarding for them.

“It was very tiring on the way up, but coming down the mountain was pretty easy,” said Aviation Electronics Technician Airman Apprentice Tim Thompson of GW’s AIMD. “It was very nice and beautiful once we reached the top of the mountain.”

Views of neighboring islands and Saba’s villages were the highlights seen from the top of the mountain.

“It was nice getting to the top and seeing the view, and well worth it, too,” said Electronics Technician 2nd Class Mark Bain of GW’s reactor department.

After the hike from the top of the island, the Sailors took a look into the local shops and interacted with some of the locals.

“I enjoyed going to the village and seeing the architecture of the villages and being able to talk with the local community,” Martin said.

Several of the Sailors said the nine-hour day trip to Saba was a an enjoyable tour they would do again if given the chance.

GW is operating in the Caribbean Sea for “Partnership of the Americas,” a maritime training and readiness deployment of U.S. naval forces with countries from the Caribbean and Latin America, in support of U.S. Southern Command objectives for enhanced maritime security.