Four Tall Ships were in port in Ingleside this past weekend, and for those of you who saw them, the magnificence of these vessels was overwhelming. To see them underway was even more awe inspiring!
The Cuauhtemoc in Colors
The Sweet Pea was on its way from Corpus Christi to Port Aransas for the 4th of July weekend as we encountered them coming in from the Gulf escorted by (lot
s of!) Coast Guard vessels. The Tenacious was already at Port A and came up the channel to see the ships. Unfortunately, the weather on Friday was not-so-special, although the ship channel provided some protection vs the bay waters we had just come from
IN PORT
The USCG Eagle was already in port when we came by, so we weren't able to see her under sail. The Cuauhtemoc from Mexico, the Esmeralda from Chile, and the Capitan Miranda from Uraguay were all moored at the former Home Port in Ingelside.
THE CUAUHTEMOC (Mexico)
The training tall ship Cuauhtemoc was built for the Mexican Navy in the Celaya shipyards in Bilbao, Spain and launched in July 1982.She was the last of four windjammers built by the Bilbao shipyards (Gloria for Columbia, Guayas for Ecuador, and Simon Bolivar for Venezuela) The Cuauhtemoc was named for the last Aztec emperor who was imprisoned and executed by the conquistador Hernan Cortes in 1525. The Cuauhtemoc is used by the Mexican Navy to train its officer cadets.
Length Overall: 270'
Beam: 39' 4"
Draft: 17'1"
Rigging: Barque
Crew: total 185 Officers and Cadets
Type of Ship: Barque
Note the Sailors on the Rigging!
As the Cuauhtemoc was assisted in mooring by these tugs, the sailors swarmed (orderly of course) up the net ladders and assumed their positions atop the sails. It was AWESOME to see! All decked out in blue and white striped shirts as you would assume the approriate attire to be...all at attention. Wow!
Still impressive in port..
THE USCG EAGLE
The USGC Eagle is a sailing vessel used to train United States Coast Guard cadets. She is currently the seventh to bear the name Eagle for a U.S. Navy or Coast Guard ship. The Eagle was originally called the “Horst Wessel” and was commissioned in 1936 as a German sail training bark. After World War II, the “Horst Wessel" was transferred to the United States as part of the war reparations. On May 15, 1946 the ship was commissioned into what is now a training vessel for the U.S. Coast Guard. The Eagle carries 12 officers, 38 crew and 150 cadets from the Coast Guard Academy. The ship can spread some 20,000 square feet of sail and control more than 20 miles of rigging lines while under way.
Length Overall: 295’
Beam: 39'
Draft: 17’
Rigging: Barque
Crew: 12 officers, 38 crew, 150 cadets
Type of Ship: Barque
THE ESMERALDA (Chile)
Standing at 371 ft long and 159 ft high, the Esmeralda is currently the second longest and tallest sailing ship in the world. The Esmeralda is currently operated by the Chilean Navy (to train cadets) and was officially launched on May 12, 1953. The tall ship was constructed in Cadiz, Spain and was originally planned to be Spain’s national training ship until the yard suffered from explosions and bankruptcy. As a result, Spain transferred the Esmeralda to the Chilean government in order to repay the debts incurred to Chile during the Spanish Civil War.
Length Overall: 371’ Beam: 42’8” Draft: 19’8” Rigging: Four masted barquentine Crew: 300 sailors, 90 midshipmen Type of Ship: Barque
CAPITAN MIRANDA (Uruguay)
This photo was taken on Monday, July 5th as the Capitan Miranda left port. Nicer weather! And a noticeably smaller ship.
Named after legendary captain and researcher, Captain Francisco P. Miranda, Capitan Miranda is a training vessel for the Uruguayan Navy. Originally a Spanish sailing cargo carrier, Capitan Miranda was built in Cadiz, Spain in 1930. After World War II she served as a hydrographic survey vessel for the Uruguayan Navy. It wasn’t until 1978 that the Capitan Miranda was once again converted into a training vessel for the Uruguayan Navy. The homeport is currently located in Montevideo, Uruguay and the Capitan Miranda boasts a length of 205 feet.
Length Overall: 205’
Beam: 27’
Draft: 12’
Rigging: Staysail Schooner
Crew: 33 Cadets, 11 officers
Type of Ship: Barque
How about a Courtesy Boarding folks?!
