The Cuauhtémoc is no ordinary ship. At nearly 300 feet long, the three-masted barque is more than just a training vessel—it’s a floating ambassador for Mexico, part ceremonial flagship, part finishing school for naval cadets. Having arrived in New York just days earlier as part of an ambitious 254-day global tour, the ship was drawing crowds at the South Street Seaport, where its gleaming timbers and resplendent crew in full whites stood as a symbol of global diplomacy through seamanship.