Recently a life long dream was granted. I had to continually pinch myself that it actually happened. I love those old-fashioned graceful sailing ships, especially when they are in full sail.

I visited my family in Chile in December 2008 when I was introduced to my neice’s boyfriend, Ricardo (Richard), who is a member of the Chilean navy.

In Chile the navy is looked upon with great esteem, probably due to their long coastline. Ricardo told me that to enter the navy school, an ordinary school with extra naval studies, is a great achievement. At the age of 15 he decided he would like to join the navy and so he applied – 5,000 applicants were received of which only 250 were accepted – he was lucky to be one of the chosen boys. (Now girls are also included).

After he matriculated he spent eight months training at sea – but the old fashioned difficult way – on the Esmeralda, a sailing ship built according to the design of the original Esmeralda which had been built in1820. The boys have to learn to do every possible task and by the time they return to the port of Valparaiso, from which they first set sail, they are hardened, experienced sailors.

The Esmeralda is a sister ship to the Spanish “Juan Sebastian El Kanu” which is also used as a training ship. Every time the Esmeralda sails on a training course it visits different parts of the world. Ricardo was lucky to have sailed to and seen the Far East and Australia. The sailors are specifically taken to different destinations for two reasons – to get to know the people and their different cultures and to be good and knowledgeable ambassadors for Chile, so others see that Chile is an advanced modern country.

There are six Esmeraldas:-

The 1^st Esmeralda       1820–1825      950 tons

The 2^nd Esmeralda      1856–1879      800 tons

The 3^rd Esmeralda      1884–1894      2,950 tons

The 4^th Esmeralda      1897–1930      7,000 tons

The 5^th Esmeralda      1944    (It was built in and originally belonged to Spain before being sold to Canada in1952. It was never called the Esmeralda.)

The 6^th Esmeralda, built in 1954 and weighing 3,673 tons, is the present day training ship of this article.

Now that Ricardo is a qualified sailor he is studying naval law and, like most of his group, will spend the rest of his working life in the navy, an institution which takes good care OF its members.

But to return to my wonderful experience: Ricardo arranged an invitation to visit this great ship. We spent several hours wandering down below deck where we entered the sitting rooms and the dining rooms of both the higher and lower ranks, the kitchen, the sailors’ bunked sleeping quarters and saw the doctor’s, dentist’s, shoemaker’s and barber’s quarters. The quarters, especially the sitting and dining rooms, are enhanced by old well polished carved wood – all rich and gleaming with polish and love.

Up on deck we ambled from one end of the ship to the other. We visited the captain’s control room on the bridge and laughed to see the old-fashioned wooden steering wheel alongside a modern computer. We saw the two enormous white painted anchors, many strong coils of thick ropes and the enormous broad chains. We were also shown a shiny brass pillar with eight holes near the top which is used to furl and hurl in the sails. Eight sailors, each laden with a strong wooden pole, insert their pole into one of the holes in the brass pillar and walk round and round it to do the job. We stood next to one of the lifeboats where we felt so safe. Then we were allowed to hold the rope of the shiny brass bell used to summon each watch.

Everything was spic and span, shiny, painted and in its right place. The only thing missing was the open sails – they were all tightly and neatly furled, but all the rigging could be seen. Evidently there are several different sail shapes, each of which has a different name and they have to be opened and raised in a set order.

I took an entire film just of this wonderful vessel, photos which I shall cherish all my life. Who would have imagined that such a dream would have been granted! I walked on air during that amazing experience and even today cannot quite believe that I have actually been on the Esmeralda.