The tragic crash of ARM Cuauhtémoc, a Mexican tall ship that allided with the Brooklyn Bridge in New York on May 17, is sending shockwaves throughout the Chesapeake Bay waterfront.
The Mexican Navy vessel had 277 people on board as it left New York’s Pier 17, including many sailors who had climbed the rigging and stood at attention on the ship’s yards in a celebratory departure. However, while the Cuauhtémoc was backing away from its dock, something caused it to crash into the Brooklyn Bridge and snap all three of its masts, the tallest of which is 160 feet.
Sadly, 22 crew members were injured and among them, two succumbed to their injuries. Two are still hospitalized in Manhattan. Graphic video circulating online showed sailors dangling from harnesses and tangled in the rigging just after the crash.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the ship was underway for less than five minutes, backing away with the help of a tugboat, when there was a call for extra tugboat assistance. Just 45 seconds later, the Cuauhtémoc hit the bridge. The NTSB says it is gathering perishable evidence and will release a preliminary report on the allision in about 30 days.
“We will look at the status of engine, we’ll look at any failures, we’ll look for engine inspections, and we’ll talk to the crew on what may have possibly occurred with the engine,” says Brian Young, NTSB marine accident investigator. Young says the NTSB will pore over the electronic data to pinpoint at what point the ship began accelerating.
The tragic crash shocked people on the Chesapeake Bay, who see multiple foreign naval training vessels visit our ports on goodwill missions each year. Many people remember visits by the Cuauhtémoc to Baltimore and Norfolk. Sail Baltimore arranged a visit in 2012 that was photographed by former Baltimore resident Pat Gavin.
The Cuauhtémoc, delivered to the Mexican Navy in 1982, is 297 feet long and a sister ship to Colombia’s ARC Gloria and Ecuador’s BAE Guayas, both of which also visited the Port of Baltimore in 2024.
Norfolk got its own visits from the Cuauhtémoc in 2012, 2013 and 2015, when it docked at Otter Berth next to Waterside. That year, Norfolk was the only U.S. port of call for the tall ship’s international training tour.
The U.S. Coast Guard Barque Eagle is a similar tall ship used for training and international touring. The Eagle happened to be in Mexican waters when word of the crash came. In a statement, the Eagle‘s crew said, “As fellow mariners and cadet sail training ships, we were heartbroken to learn of the tragedy in New York City… we extend our deepest condolences to the crew of Cuauhtémoc and the families of those impacted by this event… the Eagle remains committed to fostering maritime cooperation and camaraderie with our international training ship counterparts.”
You may remember that the Eagle‘s sails are managed by a Chesapeake Bay native, Severna Park, Maryland bosun Leland Currier. The same weekend as the crash, Coast Guard Academy cadets were learning to climb the masts of the Eagle. A United States Coast Guard Barque Eagle Facebook post explained, “They go aloft where they learn how to set the sails to harness the power of the wind. Brave cadets can make the climb to the royals, the highest yard of the main mast which stands just short of 150 feet!” The post went on to share the safety measures in place for the cadets: “The crew ensures the safety of the climbers through routine gear maintenance, vigilant supervision, and teaching safe climbing techniques so that the cadets can earn the fullest experience of traditional seafaring.”
Typically, when tall ship sailors are aloft they stand on a footrope with their stomachs resting on the yard. They clip their safety harness lanyard on another rope behind them.
As the Cuauhtémoc remains moored on the East River in New York pending salvage plans, Baltimore and Norfolk both look ahead to tall ship visits this summer. Sail Baltimore will welcome Clipper Stad Amsterdam June 3-7 at Broadway Pier in Fells Point. Norfolk will host the 49th annual Harborfest June 6-8, which features tall ships from around the region.
