Mexican tall ship embarks Royal Navy officers for first time ever

Two Royal Navy officers recently got a one of a kind opportunity to become first British sailors to sail with the Mexican Navy when they were invited aboard the tall ship ARM Cuauhtémoc.

The officers from the River- class offshore patrol vessel HMS Tyne became the first ones to sail with the ship on part of her annual deployment around the Atlantic.

SLt Jenny Greenfield and SLt Thomas Flaherty joined the ship in London during her five day port visit, where she was berthed at Canary Warf.

They remained with the ship for the next four weeks visiting Hamburg and Bremerhaven in Germany, Amsterdam in The Netherlands and Antwerp in Belgium.

On her seven month deployment ARM Cuauhtémoc will visit thirteen different countries on a diplomatic and training mission.

The ship, which is named after the last Aztec Emperor, is primarily a training vessel for the Mexican Navy’s officer cadets.

During the time at sea, the officers were given an introduction to sailing on a tall ship (along with a chance to climb up the rigging) and a taste of what life is like in the Mexican Navy.

They were joined by several other international officers including naval officers from the US Navy and Coastguard, as well as naval officers from several Latin American countries (including Peru, Chile, Columbia, Brazil and Argentina).

Reflecting on his time on board, SLt Flaherty said: “The Mexican officers, sailors and cadets showed us how truly welcoming Mexican hospitality is. This exchange has given us a great insight into how other navies operate, as well as allowing us to form strong bonds with countries we otherwise might not have encountered during our careers.”

HMS Tyne is one of the Royal Navy’s four Offshore Patrol Vessels in the Fishery Protection Squadron which conducts Marine Enforcement Operations to protect the UK Fishing Industry, along with a host of other duties to ensure the UK’s Maritime Security.