For most, when they hear the name Cuauhtémoc, they think of the Brooklyn Bridge, New York: a costly and fatal incident. However, the ARM Cuauhtémoc has overcome this hardship and is once again sailing the open oceans in all its glory.
Cozumel Island, Mexico, welcomed the ARM Cuauhtémoc recently and opened its decks to the public. The crew was friendly and informative, and I was enlightened by a crew member, Salvador, on numerous aspects of this magnificent sail ship.
ARM Cuauhtémoc, named after the last Aztec Emperor, was built in Bilbao, Spain, in 1982, and is a training vessel and ambassador for the Mexican Navy, carrying 277 crew and cadets. It is a three-masted barque (a sailing ship with three tall masts) with 23 sails in total – the masts rotate according to the wind direction and for stability.
This impressive ship has sailed to 73 countries, over 200 ports, educating both crew and visitors and proudly representing Mexico. Besides promoting Mexico in the diplomatic arena, the ARM Cuauhtémoc has participated in several tall ship races, including the Columbus Race and the Cutty Sark Tall Ships’ Races, as well as international maritime festivals such as the Rouen Yachting Festival and the Tall Ship Challenge Regatta.
So, if you happen to see a spectacular, tall-masted sail ship docked at a port near you, do yourself a favor and pay it a visit; it’s intriguing, interesting, and impressively fascinating.
