The Mexican navy ship Cuauhtémoc that hit the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday night was sailing around the world on a goodwill tour.
The Cuauhtémoc set sail from Acapulco on April 6 and arrived in New York on May 13. The ship had been docked at the South Street Seaport museum last week and was open to free tours.
It was departing for Reykjavik, Iceland on Saturday when it lost power and drifted into the Brooklyn Bridge, snapping all three masts and killing two people.
Built in 1982, the ship was used as both a training ship for the Mexican Naval Academy and as an ambassador of Mexican culture. It was supposed to visit 22 ports in 15 nations during a 254-day tour of the world.
The Cuauhtémoc has made similar journeys in the past. The world tours serve as the final step in Mexican naval cadets’ training after they complete their classes. Prior to Saturday’s accident, the ship was also expected to be part of America’s 250th anniversary celebration next year in New York.
The ship measures 297 feet long and about 40 feet wide, according to Mexico’s military. Its main mast is 160 feet high; the Brooklyn Bridge is only 127 feet above the water.
Saturday’s wreck occurred because the crew lost power to the rudder and was unable to steer the ship, according to authorities. The East River current carried it backwards into the Brooklyn Bridge.
Following the collision, tugboats took the Cuauhtémoc to Pier 35, where it remained on Sunday. There were 277 people on board at the time of the crash.
The Cuauhtémoc was one of four sister ships built in Bilbao, Spain, in 1982. The other tall ships are used as ambassadors by Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela.
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