NEW YORK — When a Mexican navy tall ship crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge , it was maneuvering in turbulent waters. The tide had just turned, and a fast current was heading up the East River as a 10 mph wind set in.

While such hazards are easily handled by an experienced captain, mistakes can be costly in the heavily transited New York harbor, where narrow, curvy channels, winds howling off the jagged Manhattan skyline and whirlpool-like eddies can combine to make for difficult passage.

In the case of the 300-foot (90-meter) Cuauhtemoc, two sailors were killed and 19 were injured Saturday when the ship struck the iconic bridge, toppling the vessel's three masts like dominoes as it drifted toward a crowded pier. It’s unknown what caused the collision, and an investigation by the Nat

See Full Page