29 August 2025
Royal Australian Navy (RAN) officer Lieutenant Harrison Planck has enjoyed the rare and prestigious opportunity of sailing aboard the Chilean Training Ship Esmeralda as a part of her 69th Training Cruise.
RAN personnel, family and friends welcomed Esmeralda, also known as La Dama Blanca (The White Lady), to HMAS Kuttabul in mid-August.
Esmeralda is one of the largest and oldest tall-ships in the world, pulling into Sydney as the seventh port on her voyage, having previously visited Jakarta, Indonesia.
She has now departed Sydney for Papeete, a French-Polynesian island in the Pacific Ocean.
Navy weapons electrical engineering officer Lieutenant Planck joined the vessel in Japan with representatives of other navies for her journey to Australia.
He said he loved the experience, even if it took time to adjust.
“I didn’t speak any Spanish when I joined. I picked up a little bit, but thankfully, they spoke a lot of English. It made life easier,” Lieutenant Planck said.
“It was nothing like I’d ever done before. It was so special to be able to get involved with so many other countries.”
The Australian and Chilean navies have a strong relationship dating back 80 years, with the RAN having sold two former Adelaide-class frigates, HMA Ships Melbourne and Newcastle, to the Armada de Chile (ACH) within the past decade.
The ACH has also participated with the RAN on a number of exercises, such as Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC).
In Sydney, the crew hosted a number of ship tours and engagements from their berth in Woolloomooloo.
Commander of the Australian Fleet Rear Admiral Christopher Smith met ACH Chief of the General Staff of the Navy Vice Admiral Raúl Zamorano Goñi.
This was Vice Admiral Zamorano’s first navy-to-navy talk with the RAN since assuming the role in 2023.
'It was so special to be able to get involved with so many other countries.'
Esmeralda remains a beacon for international relations for Chile and a cornerstone of their training capability.
For Lieutenant Planck, the journey followed in the footsteps of his close colleague and fellow New Entry Officers Course (NEOC) graduate, Lieutenant Jacqui Dendle, who completed a similar voyage on the same vessel six years earlier.
In 2019, then-midshipman Dendle was selected from the NEOC 60 cohort of 162 graduates for her outstanding performance throughout the course. Shortly after graduation, she deployed for five months in Esmeralda from July 9 to December 7, 2019.
Lieutenant Dendle’s voyage was a sweeping trans-Pacific and Asian tour, taking in China, Hawaii, Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, French Polynesia and New Zealand. Her experience provided a unique perspective on the global role of navies in fostering international partnerships.
“My time in Esmeralda is a very special memory that will last a lifetime and to now share that bond with Harry (Lieutenant Planck) means the world to me,” Lieutenant Dendle said.
“I am very thankful for the opportunity and the enduring friendships made.”
In 2024, Lieutenant Planck was awarded the Kings Gold Medallist, presented for exemplary conduct, performance of duty and achievement during officer training up to the award of Primary Qualification. First awarded in 1916, it is one of the Navy’s oldest and most prestigious awards.
As a result, Lieutenant Planck was selected to represent the RAN on board Esmeralda.
He joined the ship on June 14 in Japan, and the four-masted barquentine has taken him through key international ports, including Osaka, Shanghai and Jakarta, before returning him to Sydney on August 12.
“This has been one of the most enriching experiences of my naval career,” Lieutenant Planck said.
“Sailing on Esmeralda is more than just a deployment. It is a chance to establish lifelong friendships with guests from many other navies, and knowing that Jacqui stood on these decks years ago makes it even more meaningful.”
