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Advertisers Ski Portillo Chile
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Chile’s embassy at sea, cruising through the Americas
For Gonzalez, this vessel is “the best embassy that Chile can have because it attracts attention and people through its beauty… It represents all of Chile, given that we have ethnic representation of our people — one person from Easter Island, four pure Mapuches and the rest are the mixture of Arawaks, Spaniards and Europeans.”
This 29-sail craft was acquired from Spain in 1954. It was built for the purpose of replacing Spain’s tall ship Sebastian Elcano, but for various reasons — including a debt that Spain owed Chile — it became the sixth Esmeralda. The second Esmeralda was the one led by famous Chilean naval hero Arturo Prat during its last battle before sinking in 1879.
Currently, Esmeralda is on an expedition of 192 days during which it will visit eight countries and 15 ports. The itinerary includes Panama, Puerto Rico, the United States, Canada, Martinique, San Salvador, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina and back to Chile through Cabo de Hornos, if the weather permits.
According to Gonzalez, his goal is to arrive back at Chile next November with the same ship, unaltered, and with his entire crew. His dream is that these men return home as sailors.
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Table of Contents New president focuses on future while reconciling the past |
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Last April, Esmeralda, Chile’s training tall ship, raised its sails and glided out of Valparaiso’s port into the vast Pacific after receiving the traditional farewell from President of the Republic Ricardo Lagos and fellow Chileans. In addition to teaching men to be sailors, Esmeralda, under the command of Captain Edmundo Gonzalez, is considered to be a floating embassy. Hanging from an impeccably shiny wooden wall in Gonzalez’s office is a photograph from Lagos with the dedication: “To the training ship Esmeralda, an expression of Chile in the infinite sea.”