In the dock: Mexican visitor to sail into India after 15 years

She is the only survivor from a quartet of sister ships built by the Naval Shipyards of Bilbao, Spain, in 1982. For 35 years, cadets of the Mexican Navy have set sail, aboard her, around the world in their last year of training. She has made 34 instructional trips to 59 countries, clocking over 7,05,012 nautical miles, which is equivalent to going around the world 33 times, making much-requested and celebrated appearances at top-notch marine events like the Cutty Sark Tall Ships' Races, ASTA Tall Ships Challenges, Sail Osaka among others, and she was last seen in India 15 years ago.

The seafaring community in India and ship enthusiasts from across the country are super-excited to welcome ARM (Armada República Mexicana) Cuauhtémoc back in India on June 21. She will be open to invitee guests from June 22 to 25 before she leaves for Singapore on the June 26. She was last docked in the Mumbai port from June 30 to July 5, 2002.

Officials at the Embassy of Mexico in India told DNA of the emotional bond generations of Mexicans have with this watercraft, which they have nicknamed in Spanish as "el Caballero de los Mares" (the Knight of the Seas). "This sail training vessel of the Mexican Navy is named after the last Mexica Hueyi Tlatoani Cuauhtémoc, the last Aztec ruler who was captured and executed in 1525," a senior official said, reminding how the design was inspired by the 1930 designs of the German firm Blohm & Voss, like Gorch Fock, USCGC Eagle and the NRP Sagres.

He further underlined: "Like her sister ships Colombia's Gloria, Ecuador's Guayas and Venezuela's Simón Bolívar before her, Cuauhtémoc too is a sailing ambassador for her home country and a frequent visitor to world ports," and added, "this 2017 tour is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Constitution of Mexico and the ship has made stops at Balboa (Panama), Boston (US), Huelva, Barcelona (Spain), Civitavecchia (Italy), Crete (Greece) and Port Said (Egypt), before coming to Mumbai (India). From here it will head for Singapore, Manila (Philippines), Shanghai (China), Busan (South Korea), Kobe (Japan), Honolulu and Los Angeles (US), before finally returning back to its Mexican home port of Acapulco."

Captain Rafael Antonio Lagunes Arteaga, who assumed the position on October 16, 2016, is commandeering the ship, which has a crew strength of 234, 43 of whom are cadets of the Heroic Naval Military School of Mexico. There are four national and eight international guests from assorted institutions and friendly navies on the ship, which has a total of 217 men and 17 women on it on this trip.

Like every trip, for this trip too, the Cuauhtémoc was repaired, refurbished, maintained and upgraded by the staff at the Navy Shipyard No. 20, headquartered in Salina Cruz, Oaxaca. "This is to ensure she is in optimal conditions to represent Mexico in seas and ports worldwide," said the official, who informed DNA that the Flag Officer, Maharashtra Naval Area, Rear Admiral Sanjay Mahindru, will visit the ship soon after she arrives.

SEA IT TO BELIEVE IT

The ship Cuauhtémoc at a glance.

Length: 90 m
Launched: 9 January 1982
Beam: 12 m
Weight: 1,829 tons
Sail plan: Barque; Sparred length: 90.5 m; Sail area: 2,368 sq m