# The Mexican Navy rams the Brooklyn Bridge {Tall Ship that lost power} **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 18, 2025, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mexican-navy-rams-the-brooklyn-bridge-tall-ship-that-lost-power/1018494 "2025-05-18T05:16:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mexican-navy-rams-the-brooklyn-bridge-tall-ship-that-lost-power/1018494/61 "2025-05-19T09:15:31Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Except all the sails were furled at the time. There was no way they’d be deployed in enough time to do any good. Clearly there wasn’t enough time. I don’t know if they were trying or not. I don’t know if the sails were furled or not. In a post above: > [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > We did have to climb into the rigging to unfurl the sails, but in the video I saw, the _Cuauhtemoc_’s sails were unfurled, but not set, when she hit the bridge. Setting the sails is done from the deck after they’re unfurled. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mexican-navy-rams-the-brooklyn-bridge-tall-ship-that-lost-power/1018494/62 "2025-05-19T10:29:47Z")
Yes, it could be my bad - my knowledge of sailing ships is limited. Furled or unfurled, the sails weren’t set up to catch the wind by the time impact occurred. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mexican-navy-rams-the-brooklyn-bridge-tall-ship-that-lost-power/1018494/63 "2025-05-19T11:22:32Z")
Here’s the best picture I could find. [![](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/CMB50F/us-coast-guard-cadets-furl-the-sails-on-americas-tall-ship-eagle-as-CMB50F.jpg) ](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/CMB50F/us-coast-guard-cadets-furl-the-sails-on-americas-tall-ship-eagle-as-CMB50F.jpg) On the topmost yard (where the crew are on the footropes) the sail is furled. The crew gathers it up, lifts it up on top of the yard, then wraps a rope around it to hold it in place. Remove that rope and the sail drops down from the yard a bit. (Second from the top in the picture.) Its unfurled but not set. That’s the state of the sails in the video of the _Cuauhtemoc_. To finish setting the sails, the crew would come down from the rigging and haul on ropes called “sheets”. Those pull the bottom corners of the sail down until it’s taut. So, either the crew of the _Cuauhtemoc_ were halfway through the process of setting the sails to regain some control, or something else. I strongly suspect the something else. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mexican-navy-rams-the-brooklyn-bridge-tall-ship-that-lost-power/1018494/64 "2025-05-19T11:26:52Z")
My first thought was “Mexico has a Navy?” Of course they do. But, huh. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mexican-navy-rams-the-brooklyn-bridge-tall-ship-that-lost-power/1018494/65 "2025-05-19T11:33:59Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I strongly suspect the something else. Manning the yards, a ceremonial thing to do when leaving port or rendering honors. With the loss of sailing ships it has evolved to manning the rail. > **[Manning the rail](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manning_the_rail)** > > Manning the rail is a method of saluting (or rendering honors) used by naval vessels. The custom evolved from that of "manning the yards", which dates from the days of sail. On sailing ships, crew stood evenly spaced on all the yards (the spars holding the sails) and gave three cheers to honor distinguished persons. Today, the crew are stationed along the rails and superstructure of a ship when honors are rendered. > The United States Navy prescribes manning the rail as a possible honor to render ... ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mexican-navy-rams-the-brooklyn-bridge-tall-ship-that-lost-power/1018494/66 "2025-05-19T12:13:23Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > Manning the yards, a ceremonial thing to do when leaving port or rendering honors. That was mentioned as a possibility upthread. Sounds likely, but I still have questions. Is it done when leaving port as well as arriving, how soon after unmooring do the crew climb into the rigging, and are the sails usually unfurled when they do it? ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mexican-navy-rams-the-brooklyn-bridge-tall-ship-that-lost-power/1018494/67 "2025-05-19T12:39:31Z")
Admiral Chatfield says in his memoirs that at one time the Royal Navy wanted to reintroduce sail training, but he nixed it as the Navy no longer had the reservoir of institutional expertise to do it safely. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mexican-navy-rams-the-brooklyn-bridge-tall-ship-that-lost-power/1018494/68 "2025-05-19T12:57:01Z")
I don’t understand the point of a modern navy commissioning and operating a sailing ship . I mean, I can see the appeal to tradition, but what utility does it have for a navy? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mexican-navy-rams-the-brooklyn-bridge-tall-ship-that-lost-power/1018494/69 "2025-05-19T13:05:38Z")
It is more about team building, leadership training and tradition than anything else. No strategic value if that is what you’re asking, but some value in engaging with the public. In theory, the sailors learn more about the seas on a sailing ship than a modern warship. Not sure how to assign a value to that. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mexican-navy-rams-the-brooklyn-bridge-tall-ship-that-lost-power/1018494/70 "2025-05-19T14:09:58Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > I don’t understand the point of a modern navy commissioning and operating a sailing ship . I mean, I can see the appeal to tradition, but what utility does it have for a navy? I’m not sure how many countries do this. The U.S. Coast Guard has USCGC Eagle which was built by Nazi Germany and seized after the war. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mexican-navy-rams-the-brooklyn-bridge-tall-ship-that-lost-power/1018494/71 "2025-05-19T14:13:14Z")
[We also have the USS Constitution that goes out several times a year of late.](https://ussconstitutionmuseum.org/underway/#:~:text=View%20%E2%80%9COld%20Ironsides%E2%80%9D%20Underway%20in,at%20Fort%20Independence%2C%20Castle%20Island.) #### **THE 2025 SCHEDULE:** #### May 16 – USS Constitution Crew Training #### June 6 – Honoring D-Day and the United States Marine Corps #### July 4 – Independence Day and Public Lottery\* #### August 22 – Chief Petty Officer Heritage Week #1 #### August 29 – Chief Petty Officer Heritage Week #2 #### September 20 – Honoring Purple Heart Recipients #### October 21 – Commemorating USS Constitution’s Birthday ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mexican-navy-rams-the-brooklyn-bridge-tall-ship-that-lost-power/1018494/72 "2025-05-19T14:23:05Z")
I could never see the point in that. If its got an engine and screw, fitted anachronisticly, why are you bothering? Why not build a lookalike and call it Constitution II? ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mexican-navy-rams-the-brooklyn-bridge-tall-ship-that-lost-power/1018494/73 "2025-05-19T14:34:15Z")
Canada famously has the **[Bluenose II](https://bluenose.novascotia.ca/history)**, but it’s not associated with anything military. It was financed by a brewery and then gifted to the Government of Nova Scotia. The original Bluenose is pictured on the Canadian dime. It was a fishing and racing vessel and was wrecked off the coast of Haiti in 1946. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mexican-navy-rams-the-brooklyn-bridge-tall-ship-that-lost-power/1018494/74 "2025-05-19T15:45:11Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > I don’t understand the point of a modern navy commissioning and operating a sailing ship . I mean, I can see the appeal to tradition, but what utility does it have for a navy? Fighter jets would never fly inches apart in combat to prevent one hit taking out multiple planes, yet that’s exactly what the Blue Angels, Snowbirds, & a bunch of other military demo teams do. Think of them as a PR / goodwill ambassador/recruitment agent group ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mexican-navy-rams-the-brooklyn-bridge-tall-ship-that-lost-power/1018494/75 "2025-05-19T15:52:46Z")
> [@Mk\_VII](#): > > I could never see the point in that. If its got an engine and screw, fitted anachronisticly, why are you bothering? Why not build a lookalike and call it Constitution II? I’m pretty sure there’s no engine on the _USS Constitution_. I’ve never seen her go out, but I’ve always assumed a tugboat brought her out of her mooring. For that matter, someone told me they don’t set the sails when she goes out to the Harbor. That may be out of date, though; I met someone who was helping repair the rigging a few years ago. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mexican-navy-rams-the-brooklyn-bridge-tall-ship-that-lost-power/1018494/76 "2025-05-19T15:58:49Z")
Years ago, she only went out via tugboat, my understanding it they sail the _USS Constitution_ but under the watchful eye of boats that can quickly help out and tow her back. I think I visited around 2008 or so and the rehab was just finishing up at that point. At that time there was no motor and I believe that is still true. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mexican-navy-rams-the-brooklyn-bridge-tall-ship-that-lost-power/1018494/77 "2025-05-19T16:07:40Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > The clear Act of War someone was looking for. Yep, and it may warrant a nuclear response. 🙃 ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mexican-navy-rams-the-brooklyn-bridge-tall-ship-that-lost-power/1018494/78 "2025-05-19T16:33:22Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Years ago, she only went out via tugboat, my understanding it they sail the _USS Constitution_ but under the watchful eye of boats that can quickly help out and tow her back. That’s good to hear; I’d love to see it under sail sometime. I wonder how much of the caution is due to concern for the ship, or for the crew. As someone alluded to up thread, this isn’t something they get very much practice at. It takes some skill to do it right. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mexican-navy-rams-the-brooklyn-bridge-tall-ship-that-lost-power/1018494/79 "2025-05-19T16:47:36Z")
I think the sailors get some training on the Eagle which sails more regularly. Non square rigged sailboats aren’t too complicated except under strong winds or in rivers and straits with strong tides. I don’t know about the difficulty of the big square rigs, it seems like a lot more. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mexican-navy-rams-the-brooklyn-bridge-tall-ship-that-lost-power/1018494/80 "2025-05-19T16:56:12Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I’m not sure how many countries do this. Quite a lot, judging by the list on this page: > **[Tall ship](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tall_ship)** > > A tall ship is a large, traditionally-rigged sailing vessel. Popular modern tall ship rigs include topsail schooners, brigantines, brigs and barques. "Tall ship" can also be defined more specifically by an organization, such as for a race or festival. > Traditional rigging may include square rigs and gaff rigs, usually with separate topmasts and topsails. It is generally more complex than modern rigging, which utilizes newer materials such as aluminum and steel to construct taller, lightweight mas... > **[Sail training](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sail_training)** > > From its modern interpretations to its antecedents when maritime nations would send young naval officer candidates to sea (e.g., see Outward Bound), sail training provides an unconventional and effective way of building many useful skills on and off the water. > By 1900 most commercial sailing vessels were struggling to turn a profit in the face of competition from more modern steam ships which had become efficient enough to steam shorter great circle routes between ports instead of the longer t... [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mexican-navy-rams-the-brooklyn-bridge-tall-ship-that-lost-power/1018494.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-mexican-navy-rams-the-brooklyn-bridge-tall-ship-that-lost-power/1018494.md?page=5)