Over the winter, 11 tall ships visited Baltimore, and 15 more are expected to stop over the summer, according to Sail Baltimore. The world's third-largest tall ship - the Spanish Navy's 308-foot-long Juan Sebastian de Elcano - is expected to arrive in Baltimore on May 27. Ships from the navies of the United States, Uruguay, Brazil and Japan are also scheduled for visits later this summer.
The Cuauhtemoc's sailors began their journey into Baltimore about 8:30 a.m., starting anchored a mile west of the Key Bridge. With a crew of about 260, the ship bustled with activity as two Moran tugs from Fells Point positioned themselves at its side to help guide it along the Baltimore waterfront.
It was Ramirez's third visit to Baltimore. For others, it was their first time in the port. Many sailors had small digital cameras and paused to take pictures of themselves and their fellow sailors - with the city skyline in the background - as they scampered about the decks.
Lt. Rogelio Antonio Altaro Flores, a fresh-faced 32-year-old, has been in the Mexican Navy since he was 15. He enjoys being at sea but also loves arriving in ports and seeing beautiful city skylines, he said.
"La vista is always nice," he said of the view.
Bringing such a large ship into the heart of the Inner Harbor required coordination. Officers positioned on the stern and bow of the ship - and in between - communicated with each other by walkie-talkie. A bay pilot and two pilot apprentices who are familiar with the waters of the Patapsco and the harbor boarded the ship to help navigate and dock it.
With large sailing ships such as the Cuauhtemoc, "There's a lot more going on, a lot more to distract you," said Steven Germac, an apprentice pilot who stood at the bow of the ship. The vessels move more slowly, taking more time to come up the bay, he said. And with high-profile ships, "We've got to be easy with the tugboats, because you don't want to beat the ship up," he said.
The biggest challenge in piloting such a ship in busy harbor waters, Germac said, are recreational boaters. People on the water usually avoid large freighters, containerships and automobile carriers, he said. But with large sailing vessels such as the Cuauhtemoc, boaters want to pull up close for a look. "They tend to flock to it," he said.
gus.sentementes@baltsun.com
Visit the ship
Today , 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Tomorrow, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Monday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m
Departure, Tuesday at 10 a.m.
Source: Sail Baltimore
