Opening Ceremony is at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, August 29, at the Seward Freight Dock

August 27, 2026, Seward Folly Staff

The Mexican Navy’s celebrated tall ship ARM Cuauhtémoc BE-01 will sail into Seward on Saturday, August 29, 2026, for a four-day goodwill visit celebrating maritime tradition, international friendship and the enduring ties between Mexico and the United States.

Photo from Ocean Alliances at https://oceanalliances.org/

The ARM Cuauhtémoc visited Seward in 2005 and 2014. The striking 254-foot vessel, pronounced “kwow-TEH-moc,” serves as a floating classroom for the Mexican Navy, and will be open to the public during its stay.

When the ARM Cuauhtémoc visited Seward in 2005, it was almost by accident. They were supposed to dock in Anchorage, but the attaché who made the arrangements didn’t realize how much of a problem the tides would be. When the captain found out, he said he’d rather just turn back to Mexico than try San Francisco, San Diego, or Monterey. I’d spent years trying to get them to do this trip, so I begged for a week to figure something out. That’s when I reached out to the Seward community, and it turned into something magical. The local pilot who brought the ship in threw a party for the crew at his house, with dinner and drinks. The party was so lively, the cops showed up twice, and everyone danced all night. On top of that, I went around to all the restaurants and got them to offer free meals, drinks, or events for the crew. So as the sailors wandered down the street, every open door welcomed them with food, drinks, and genuine warmth. They were just overwhelmed by how the whole town embraced them.”

-Alison Healy, CEO of Ocean Alliances, remembers the ship’s first visit to Seward

Vendors or individuals interested in offering tours, trips, discounts, or other opportunities to the sailors are encouraged to contact Deborah Altermatt at 907-362-1207. The hope is that this tradition continues as the crew remembers Seward as a warm and welcoming place.

Members of the public will have several opportunities to step aboard the ship during its Seward visit:

OPEN SHIP HOURS

• Saturday, August 29: Noon–5 p.m., Freight Dock
• Sunday, August 30: 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Freight Dock
• Monday, August 31: 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Freight Dock
• Wednesday, September 2: 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Cruise Ship Dock

The ship will depart Seward on Thursday.

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.

WHAT: Resurrection Bay visit of the Mexican Navy Tall Ship ARM Cuauhtémoc BE-01
WHEN: August 29–31 and September 2, 2026
WHERE: Seward Freight Dock and Cruise Ship Dock
PUBLIC VISITING HOURS: August 29, noon–5 p.m.; August 30-31, 10 a.m.–8 p.m., September 2, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
DEPARTURE: September 3

Information and photos gathered from the Cuauhtémoc press release, oceanalliances.org and https://sailtraininginternational.org/vessel/a-r-m-cuauhtemoc/