Esmeralda prepares to come alongside at Fleet Base 5. She is in Sydney, a frequent visitor, enroute to Bali, Pusan, Hong Kong and the Fleet in Review in Japan. Photo by SGT Bob O'Donohue.

When the bright red 'Bravo' flag - "Warning! Firing in progress" - was hoisted on the HMAS Watson mast's signal halyard on the morning of August 7, the 60 sailors and VIP guests lining the headland knew it was time to welcome a beautiful lady to Sydney Harbour.

Seconds later a battery of 1916 vintage Hotchkiss 'three-pounders' manned by white-hooded and overalled Watson ratings opened fire, sending clouds of white smoke billowing to the east.

Below on the sparkling waters of Sydney Harbour the 3240-tonne Chilean Navy's sail training ship Esmeralda had just done the same.

First she fired a 21-gun general salute in honour of Australia and then a 13-gun salute in respect for the presence in Sydney of a senior RAN officer, the Maritime Commander, RADM Raydon Gates.

The Watson battery, under the command of the base's Buffer, POBM Paul Hurst, replied.

The gun salute was just part of a very enthusiastic welcome to the white, green and varnished tops'l schooner, commissioned in 1954 and a regular visitor to Australia.

Outside Watson members of the Chilean community in NSW waved Chilean flags.

A large yacht carrying more Chilean flags and bunting escorted her up the harbour to Fleet Base Five.

More craft carrying enthusiasts joined her.

At FB5 nearly 100 Chileans now living in Australia, including diplomats and Chilean media waited.

Some had driven more than 400 kilometres to welcome her.

With flags, flowers and 'welcome' banners ready, the crowd watched with delight as the stately tall ship inched towards the wharf.

They were further thrilled as the ship's band struck up and the entire ship's company of 332 officers, sailors and trainees burst into national song.

To the trill of Bosun's Calls mooring lines were secured and then with brute force on two highly polished capstans the four-masted schooner was finally drawn to the wharf.

One of the first ashore was 24-year-old MIDN Gerardo Velasquez, Jnr., a trainee in the ship.

He was following in his father's footsteps. In 1970 his father, also Gerardo, did his training in Esmeralda.

He continued up through the ranks before retiring from the Navy in 1983.

Waiting on the wharf was aunt Veronica Gerda who had traveled 430 kilometres from Port Macquarie to welcome him. Her brother Dawes Gerda of Sydney joined her.

Commanding Officer CAPT Enrique Larranga said the ship was on a Pacific training deployment.

After six days in Sydney the ship would sail to Bali then on to Hong Kong and Pusan.

On October 8 Esmeralda was scheduled to take part in a large fleet review in Tokyo.

"We shall be one of 18 ships from 14 nations taking part," CAPT Larranga told Navy News.

One of those lining the decks of the sailing ship for the review will have 'Australia' on his uniform. MIDN David Kropp joined Esmeralda in Sydney and will train in her until November.

Fresh from seamanship training in Seahorse Mercator and instruction at HMAS Creswell, David will disembark in Hawaii when the ship prepares for the run south to her homeport of Valparaiso.

By Graham Davis