Mexican Navy Tall Ship Cuauhtémoc San Francisco Visit
David Perry / David Perry & Associates, Inc. / (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com
Mexican Navy Tall Ship Cuauhtémoc to Make Four-Day San Francisco Visit
Famed sail-training vessel will pass beneath the Golden Gate Bridge September 23 before welcoming the public aboard at Piers 15–17
18 September 2026 — SAN FRANCISCO, CA: The Mexican Navy’s celebrated tall ship ARM Cuauhtémoc BE-01 will sail into San Francisco Bay on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, for a four-day goodwill visit celebrating maritime tradition, international friendship and the enduring ties between Mexico and the United States.
The Cuauhtémoc is expected to pass beneath the Golden Gate Bridge at approximately 8:45 a.m. before proceeding along the San Francisco waterfront and berthing at Piers 15–17 on the Embarcadero.
Members of the public will have several opportunities to step aboard the ship during its San Francisco visit:
OPEN SHIP HOURS
• Wednesday, September 23: Noon – 3:30pm
• Thursday, September 24: 10am – 12pm; 4pm – 8pm
• Friday, September 25: 10am – 8pm
• Saturday, September 26: 10am – 8pm
• Sunday, September 27: “Farewell at the Dock” : 9:30am
The ship will depart San Francisco at 10am on Sunday, September 27.
City officials and community leaders are being invited to join representatives of the Mexican Navy and the Mexican diplomatic community in welcoming the ship and its crew to San Francisco. Details of an official arrival ceremony and media photo opportunity will be announced as they are confirmed. In addition, the nonprofit Building Bridges will be providing a fly-over welcome to the ship upon arrival. Various small aircraft ranging from World War II to made-by-hand planes will fly in tandem as a salute to all veterans, and the arrival of Cuauhtemoc.
“The arrival of the Cuauhtémoc will give Bay Area residents a rare opportunity to experience one of Mexico’s most important maritime symbols firsthand,” said Alison Healy, CEO of Ocean Alliances. “The ship carries a message of peace, goodwill and friendship wherever she sails, and her visit will provide a spectacular sight on San Francisco Bay.”
Ocean Alliances (OA), formerly Sail San Francisco, has been recruiting and hosting international naval tall ships since 1999. Now under OA, this nonprofit is expanding their reach to include San Diego and Los Angeles in California, and Alaska, Hawaii and Seattle. Ships will be supported and hosted individually and in 2029 there will be a tall Ship event in San Francisco.
Built at the Astilleros y Talleres de Celaya shipyard in Bilbao, Spain, the Cuauhtémoc was designed by naval architect Juan José Alonso Verástegui. Her keel was laid on July 24, 1981, and she was delivered to her first Mexican crew in Bilbao on July 29, 1982. The vessel was formally commissioned into the Mexican Navy in Veracruz on September 25, 1982.
The Cuauhtémoc serves as both the flagship of the Mexican Navy and a working classroom at sea. Aboard the vessel, midshipmen apply the knowledge acquired at the Heroica Escuela Naval Militar—the Mexican Naval Academy—while developing practical seamanship, leadership, discipline and teamwork.
Known as Mexico’s “Ambassador and Knight of the Seas,”the ship represents the nation at ports and maritime gatherings around the world, carrying what the Mexican Navy describes as a message of peace and goodwill.
The Cuauhtémoc measures approximately 297 feet—or 90.5 meters—in length and 39 feet—or 12 meters—across the beam. A shipboard community of approximately 280 officers, midshipmen and crew members lives, trains and works aboard the vessel.
During more than four decades at sea, the Cuauhtémoc has:
• Completed 45 training voyages and is now undertaking her 46th;
• Visited 234 ports in 75 countries;
• Sailed more than 905,000 nautical miles;
• Circled the globe’s equivalent distance more than 41 times; and
• Trained more than 45 generations of Mexican naval personnel.
The ship has also earned international recognition at major maritime events, including the Tall Ships Races, the Tall Ships Challenge, the Magallanes–Elcano Regatta, the Boston Teapot competition and other gatherings of the world’s great sailing vessels.
The 2026 “North Pacific” Training Cruise is a 92-day voyage visiting ports in Mexico, the United States and Canada. San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge is prominently featured in the official emblem created for the voyage.
“On board the Cuauhtémoc, the sea becomes a teacher,” said Captain José Díaz Castillo, Commanding Officer of the ARM Cuauhtémoc. “Every maneuver and every experience helps build the midshipmen’s character, discipline and sense of responsibility. This journey teaches not only how to sail, but also how to face life through teamwork, trust and camaraderie.”
The San Francisco visit will offer residents and visitors the chance to see the vessel’s decks, masts and intricate rigging while meeting members of the Mexican Navy who sail and train aboard her.
Additional information regarding public access, security requirements, accessibility and official welcoming events will be released before the ship’s arrival.
MEDIA AND PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES
Wednesday, September 23
• Approximately 9:30 a.m.: Cuauhtémoc passes beneath the Golden Gate Bridge
• Morning: Ship proceeds along the San Francisco waterfront
• Arrival and berthing at Piers 15–17
• 10 a.m. Official welcome with Mexican naval representatives, diplomatic officials, San Francisco city leaders and invited guests
• Noon: Ship opens to the public
Media interested in covering the arrival from the water, shoreline or pier should contact David Perry & Associates, Inc. in advance for credentials, access information and updated timing.
