Aussie’s six-month adventure on ‘the white lady’

When the Chilean Navy’s sail training ship Esmeralda disappeared over the horizon, Australian maritime warfare officer Sub Lieutenant Abby and 24 others were left alone at sea with a litre of water, a chocolate bar, a sextant and a set of coordinates.

CAPTION: Crewmembers of the BE Esmeralda are set adrift on lifeboats for a navigation exercise. Story by Sub Lieutenant Keigan Gunther. Photo supplied.

Part of an overnight survival at sea assessment designed to test the practical skills, resilience and teamwork of the vessel’s trainees, Sub Lieutenant Abby said it became one of the most memorable experiences of her career.

“As Esmeralda disappeared over the horizon, we realised we were on our own,” Sub Lieutenant Abby said.

“We had to erect the sail, work out our position and get ourselves underway, navigating through the night.”

The exercise began as a collision drill before escalating into a realistic abandon-ship scenario.

Fifty participants were divided between two traditional lifeboats and sent to spend the night at sea, navigating independently in rough conditions.

Using a sextant, trainees measured the angle between the horizon and the sun and stars to determine their position without modern electronic navigation aids.

It was a practical demonstration of techniques that have guided mariners across oceans for centuries.

Sub Lieutenant Abby said it was mentally and physically challenging.

“Our boat managed to get under sail, but the other boat’s mast snapped in half, so we ended up towing them through the night.

“Nobody could really sleep.

“Everyone was drenched, cold and exhausted, so we spent most of the night singing songs to keep morale up and pass the time.

“For some reason, a lot of Nicki Minaj made it into the rotation.

“Looking back, although it was really funny, exercises like that give you a genuine appreciation for survival at sea rather than just doing the drill.”

Esmeralda is a four-masted sail training ship that has prepared generations of Chilean naval officers for life at sea since entering service in 1954.

Originally built in Spain before being transferred to Chile during construction, the vessel is known as ‘La Dama Blanca’ (‘The White Lady’) and is used to train newly graduated naval officers before they move into specialist roles.

Sub Lieutenant Abby joined the ship in Valparaíso, Chile, after being selected through an international exchange program.

Alongside Chile’s 84 midshipmen were officers and trainees from several partner nations.

“We had participants from Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, USA, England, Turkey, Spain, Italy and Japan,” she said.

“One of the best parts was learning about each other’s cultures and how different navies operate.

“We spent hours talking about our countries, our training and our experiences at sea.”

Beyond training, Esmeralda conducted international engagements throughout the Americas.

In every port, trainees met ambassadors, foreign military personnel and local dignitaries.

Having spent a year as an exchange student in Spain, Sub Lieutenant Abby’s Spanish language skills quickly became one of her most valuable assets, regularly acting as a translator between international participants and during official engagements ashore.

“Most days I was using Spanish in some capacity, whether it was on the bridge, during international engagements or just talking with people,” she said.

“For a lot of people it may have been the first time they’d spoken to an Australian, so being able to have those conversations in Spanish helped build deeper connections and represent Australia in a really positive way.

“It was a unique opportunity to fly the flag for Australia in parts of the world where we don’t often operate.”

The cruise culminated with participation in Sail250, a major international gathering of tall ships and naval training vessels held as part of celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of United States’ independence.

Ships from more than 20 nations took part, with New York Harbor hosting a spectacular parade of sail that involved hundreds of vessels passing landmarks, including the Statue of Liberty.

Sub Lieutenant Abby said sailing into New York was one of many highlights of the six-month voyage.

“Sailing up the Hudson River on the Fourth of July with hundreds of other ships was incredible,” she said.

“The countries we visited and the international engagements were all amazing.

“But getting to share the experience with some of the best people I’ve ever met was probably the most special part.

“It was a once-in-a-career opportunity.”

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