The Mexican Navy tall ship that struck the Brooklyn Bridge late Saturday night has set sail annually for the last four decades as the culmination of its cadets’ training in a transcontinental journey.
The Cuauhtémoc first set sail in July 1982 across the Atlantic from Spain to Mexico.
It was part of a quartet of sister ships designed in Spain to be used by different Ibero-American navies, according to the Maritimes Museum.
The other three were sent to Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador.
The majestic vessel remains docked in Acapulco year-round until the cadets conclude their studies at the Heroica Escuela Naval Militar, the Mexican Navy’s sole training academy.
It then sets sail for a tour typically lasting over half a year — this year’s round was set for 254 days, including 170 sailing and 84 docked at ports ranging from San Francisco to Australia.
The Cuauhtémoc soared into lower Manhattan Tuesday as just the third stop in the vessel’s eight-month voyage around the globe.
“Every port we call at and every activity we undertake will be an opportunity to showcase the greatness of our country, its values, and its culture. Be aware that we will be ambassadors for Mexico with every wave we ride,” Captain Víctor Hugo Molina Pérez told SeaWaves Magazine.
Since first embarking 43 years ago, the Cuauhtémoc has collected various awards and shattered nautical records.
In 2006, it undertook a circumnavigation that spanned a staggering 32,502 nautical miles–the longest training voyage ever recorded, according to the Maritime Museum.
The ship’s current training cruise, dubbed the “Consolidation of the Independence of Mexico 2025,” marked the celebration of the Mexican Navy’s expulsion of the final Spanish stronghold from Mexican territory 200 years ago, according to Mexican Aerospace and Defense.
The ship is named after Cuauhtémoc, the final emperor of the Aztec Empire during Spanish conquest in the 16th century.
He was executed by a Spanish conquistador in 1525 after being captured and tortured for information about supposed treasure, and his death fell in line with the rapid fall of his empire.
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