Media are invited to board T.S ESMERALDA, the Chilean Navy’s Training Ship, for her entry to Queen’s Wharf on Tuesday 5 June, New Zealand Royal Navy announced on June 1.
Prior to her entry to Queen’s Wharf, the ESMERALDA will be at anchor behind Somes Island from 3-5 June.
The ESMERALDA is visiting Wellington as part of a journey that will take 260 days to complete, during which she will sail more than 30,000 nautical miles. ESMERALDA departed Valparaiso, Chile on 22 April 2012 and will visit ten countries before returning to Valparaiso on 6 January 2013.
While the ship is in Wellington, her company will take part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the National War Memorial on Wednesday 6 June 2012.
The ESMERALDA is a steel-hulled, four-masted barquentine tall ship. She is the second tallest, and the longest sailing ship in the world.
The ship’s company has 321 permanent and 16 temporary members, of several nationalities. Royal New Zealand Navy Midshipman Samuel Mason will join the ESMERALDA’s crew in Wellington, and will disembark in Brisbane.
The ESMERALDA has a long and proud history of training Chilean sailors, and is a right of passage for Chilean Navy personnel. She has visited more than 300 ports worldwide.
The ESMERALDA will be open to the public in Wellington on 7 and 8 June 2012 from 2.00pm – 5.00pm.
She will depart from Queen’s Wharf at noon on 9 June 2012.
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Naval Today Staff, June 4, 2012