Chilean tallship visits Sydney
Four historic Australian ships and two contemporary Royal Australian Navy ships welcomed the Chilean Navy’s tallship Buque Escuela Esmeralda to Sydney today.
CAPTION: HMAS Melbourne leads STS Young Endeavour and Chilean Navy tallship, Buque Escuela Esmeralda into Sydney Harbour. Photo by Leading Seaman Jarrod Mulvihill.
STS Young Endeavour, tallships James Craig and Soren Larsen, and MV Martindale, accompanied by HMA Ships Melbourne and Diamantina met the 113-metre-long four-masted barquentine outside Sydney Heads and escorted her into the harbour.
As she passed Garden Island, Esmeralda fired a 21-gun salute and the Royal Australian Navy responded with a 3-inch saluting gun, a mark of respect between the two Navies.
Commander Australian Fleet Rear Admiral Jonathan Mead said he was pleased to welcome the Chilean Navy back to Australia.
“The Navies of Australia and Chile share a common interest in promoting maritime stability and security in the Pacific,” Rear Admiral Mead said.
“This engagement with our Chilean counterparts is a beneficial opportunity to build on shared traditional maritime skills.”
STS Young Endeavour’s Commanding Officer Lieutenant Commander Andrew Callander said seeing the four-masted barquentine again was a thrill.
“This is the first time Young Endeavour and Esmeralda have crossed paths since we rendezvoused in the Atlantic Ocean during our world voyage in 2015,” Lieutenant Commander Callander said.
“Young Endeavour was very pleased to be part of the fleet to welcome her to Sydney.”
While Esmeralda trains Chilean Naval personnel, Young Endeavour is one of a very few military tallships that deliver a structured youth program to civilian youth.
Esmeralda is visiting Sydney as part of her 64th Instructional Cruise.
The four-masted barquentine, with a crew of 278 Chilean Navy personnel, will remain in the harbour city until 5 August.
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