Chilean Navy Esmeralda Training Ship - Special Edition 1:100 Billing Boats Wooden Kit

This superb kit from Billing Boats has not been in production for many years but is now available as a special edition from a small production run. It is guaranteed to be in high demand as stock is very limited.

The "Esmeralda" is a steel-hulled barquentine of the Chilean Navy, and is the second tallest and longest sailing ship in the world. Construction began in Cádiz, Spain, in 1946. She was originally destined to become Spain's national training ship. During her construction in 1947, the yard where she was being built was hit by violent explosions which damaged the ship and placed the yard on the verge of bankruptcy and construction was temporarily halted. In 1951 she was transferred to the ownership of Chile as part of the agreement to repay debts from the Spanish Civil War. Work on the ship then continued, and she was launched in 1953 as a four-masted topsail schooner and delivered to the Government of Chile on 15 June 1954.

In the 1970s Esmeralda's rigging was changed to a four-masted barquentine by replacing the fore gaffsail (course sail) by two main staysails. The third (top) main staysail is still in place. She has now five staysails, three topsails, six jibbs, three course gaff sails, four square sails, 21 all in all.

Since her commissioning, Esmeralda has been a training ship for the Chilean Navy. She has visited more than 300 ports worldwide acting as a floating embassy for Chile. She participated in Operation Sail at New York in 1964, 1976 and 1986, and the Osaka World Sail in 1983. She also participated in International Regattas of Sail in 1964, 1976, 1982 and 1990 winning the coveted Cutty Sark Trophy in the last two participations.

. Technical data:

Displacement: 3,673 tons

Length: 113 meters

Width: 13.11 meters

Mast Height: 48.5 meters

Armament: 4 pcs. 57 mm ceremonial cannon

Crew: 300 sailors

The Billing Boats Esmeralda special edition wooden kit is part of the Expert Series requiring good modelling experience and skills and represents some excellent challenges to the builder with it's high level of detail.

Kit Contents:
Plans with detailed building instructions German, English, French, Danish, Italian and Dutch; laser cut wooden hull; decks from wood; sail cloth; plastic and wooden parts to finish the model; stern tube with shaft and propeller.

Fittings Contents:
All fittings included (e.g. sail cloth, position lights, anchors, life-belt, etc.)

Kit Specification:

Length 1130 mm.

Width 131 mm.

Height 485 mm.

Scale 1:100.