Esmeralda wins hearts

Yachts

Esmeralda wins hearts in Port Moresby

The magnificent four-masted brigan tine Esmeralda surely the pride of the Chilean Navy recently visited

Port Moresby.

This 113 m training ship was de signed for the instruction of cadets and apprentices, who spend a year sailing in her learning new aspects of life at sea. Esmeralda joined Chile’s naval fleet on September 1, 1954, when she arrived in Valparaiso.

Commander Carlos Percy, on his fourth passage onboard, served his time in Esmeralda as a midshipman, as most Chilean naval officers have done. I met one young midshipman whose father had sailed onboard 26 years before, holding the same posi tion as his son now does.

The ship is traditionally rigged and

uses all natural-fibre ropes. Sails are hoisted on wooden mast hoops. It requires eight men to sheet in each mainsail, and two steersmen to oper ate the huge wheel at the stem. There are three wheels for steerage, the one aft, another on the main bridge, and a third in the Bad Weather bridge.

Every day the crew climb her 48.5 m masts to set the 2870 square metres of flax sails. The sails are replaced every two years with a new suit.

Under the huge bowsprit is an impressive figurehead of a condor, the large South American vulture and the national bird of Chile. What a sight it must be when Esmeralda is under sail, at speeds exceeding 17 knots! The ship also has a 1119 kW (1500 hp) diesel engine, with a max imum speed of 12 knots.

At present Esmeralda has 334 men aboard, and safety for the crew is vital. While in port all spars are thoroughly checked for signs of stress and wear. The ratlines, used for climbing up the mast, are under close scrutiny. Before nightfall all topsails are lowered to avoid un necessary accidents aloft in the dark.

The crew are kept busy at sea with normal duties and studies, but do find time to enjoy themselves with vari ous competitions. Midshipmen ver sus sailors is one such test. It in volves each team lowering a lifeboat.

Where you need "a head for heights”: looking down on the deck of Esmeralda from the top of one of her masts. - Kay Bason picture.

Esmeralda - ink sketch by Kay Bason, Port Moresby.

casting off, rowing to catch up with the ship, and then raising the lifeboat back onboard. Not an easy task when Esmeralda is under sail. The sailors say they are the better rowers, but the midshipmen claim to be stronger haulers.

Esmeralda arrived in Port Mores by from Japan, where she attended the Osaka tall ships rally. She was the largest ship in the fleet. It was in one of the nautical displays as sociated with the rally that the crew set their nine-minute record for hoist ing the sails. Esmeralda’s men were very impressed with the female crew

representing Hongkong.

Before returning to Chile Esmeral da planned to visit Auckland. Two midshipmen from the New Zealand Navy joined the crew for this passage.

The Chilean Navy trains its men well. The crew are perfect gentle men, very polite and courteous. All told, ship and crew present an im maculate picture.

Esmeralda put on a fine show leaving Port Moresby with her sails set at Paga Point. She sailed along the coast giving locals a chance to admire her.

However, for safety reasons, the pilot would not allow her to sail through Basilisk Passage the crew were kept busy stowing the sails.

Once clear of this reef she re-set her sails, giving spectators a final look at a wonderful sailing ship. Kay Bason.

The huge main wheel of Es meralda - it takes two men to operate it.

Modern aids for this sailing ship: radar above the main bridge of Esmeralda - Kay Bason picture.

• CARINA. Rick and Connie Flewelling set “Walter”, their self steering, on the stem of this 7 m cutter, proving once and for all that they really are going. They will be missed in Port Moresby after a three year stay.

This interesting Canadian couple have been cruising for the past 13 years. Connie said that she spent her first cruise crawling on her knees, unable to find her sealegs. They have cruised extensively in the Pacific in Carina, and have delivered many other yachts.

Carina, a Bill Lapworth-designed yacht similar to the famous Dove, is heading across the Indian Ocean, and the Red Sea into the Mediterranean.

Connie and Rick are looking forward to exploring the French canals. • ALOHA. This 12 m workboat was used as a fishing vessel for 20 years, working from Geraldton, Western Australia. Buit in 1947, she has fine old traditional lines. The present owners, Graham Lee vers and Jackie Malvish, converted Aloha into a yacht.

Graham and Jackie appreciate how expensive it is for young people to travel, and usually take a crew along on their travels. They obviously en joy young company:- Aloha conduct ed after-school classes in Geraldton giving kids a chance to experience the sailing life.

They saild on the 1981 Bali Race, explored the south Java coast, and venture to Christmas and Cocos Is lands. It was such a good trip that they kept on sailing to Mauritius and returned via the Roaring Forties.

Their future plans are to cruise through Papua New Guinea waters to Solomon Islands. • NO NAME. To sail with Roger Shayne and Carol Leska must be a lot of fun. They charter their SCY 13 m

fibreglass cutter through Ocean Voy

ages which helps finance their cruis ing. No Name has just completed a six-week charter cruise from Samoa to Solomon Islands. Roger and Carol plan to cruise to Indonesia, the Mal dives, Red Sea, Meditteranean and,

they hope, the canals in Europe

although they’re concerned that the boat’s 2 m draught may present problems.

This has a large centre cockpit and excellent galley. Carol said there are equal opportunities in the cooking area any crew members can ex press themselves. Roger is contem

plating installing sat-nav although he

considers radar to be the best naviga tion aide. They refer to No Name as just a floating “Winnebago” an American term for a floating home.

It’s certainly ver comfortable.

At present Gene Duval is on board with an impressive array of diving gear. He said the diving was great in

Samoa, Tonga and Fiji but the top spot was Rossel island in PNG, at the far eastern end of the Louisiade Ar chipelago. Gene grew up in the Caribbean on the AIA philosophy of life. He’s a very active man, jogs eight kilometres, then hangs himself upside down on a medieval rack.

This contraption, complete with leg irons, is suspended above the aft cabin companionway. It helps strengthen the muscles and keep the spine in line. It looks weird.

Gene spent eight years in Alaska, land-surveying and climbing, and is now enjoying the cruising lifestyle.

• LA PARLAR. This 9 m fibreglass Peter Norlin yacht has been Stig Lingreen’s home since 1979 when she was launched in Swden.

Stig joined the Swedish Navy

when he was 16 and has spent pract ically all his life at sea. This circum navigation began two and a half years ago but an accident in England laid him up for almost a year. Bad luck hit him again in Panama; while he was in hospital. La Parlar was bro ken into and all his money, stores and navigation equipment were stolen.

He sailed non-stop from Samoa to PNG, but ran aground on a reef close to Port Moresby and was stuck there for four days. Not a pleasant experience.

The PNG Navy went to his rescue, and luckily there was no damage to

his boat. Stig is amazed at the good treatment extended to him here. Loc al businessmen have donated food and new batteries, and are overhaul

ing his engine.

La Parlar is a very fast yacht and Stig hopes to enter the single handed Trans-Atlantic Race in June 1984.

He considers that the could do well but will need sponsorship. He prefers to sail alone. His Sailomat self steering is his best crew, and he highly recommends it.

Stig wishes to offer his warm thanks to the Royal Papua Yacht Club: he is very grateful to the members for their help, and endless kindness; also the PNG Navy for all their help getting La Parlar off the reef.

Stig Lindgren aboard La Parlar ... bad luck, friendly reception.

Connie Flewelling aboard Carina. Port Moresby is missing her. - Kay Bason pictures.

Roger Shayne and Carol Leska aboard No Name.