San Diego Star of India Ship Museum

1306 North Harbor Drive
San Diego
sdmaritime.com

The Star of India is the world's oldest seafaring ship built in 1863 at Ramsey Shipyard in the Isle of Man. Its experimental design utilized iron instead of wood. Launched as Euterpe, a full-rigged ship named after the Greek goddess of music, its first voyages were challenging for the ship's captain and crew.

The first trip included a collision and mutiny.

She came face to face with a cyclone in the Bay of Bengal on her second journey. Her topmasts cut away, she barely made port.

Following that, the first captain died on board and was buried at sea.

A change of owner transaction put her into service as a cargo ship to India; a passenger vessel hauling emigrants to New Zealand; and a commercial salmon fishing and packing facility.

Euterpe became Star of India in 1906. The vessel continued service for 17 more years with a total of 60 years of  performance. Finally in 1923 Star of India was towed to the San Diego bay where the ultimate battle for survival began as fans of the ship saved her from the ax and torch. She then sat in port for over 50 years until funding helped renovate the tired old lady which was once a star. In 1976, the fully restored Star of India put to sea for the first time in fifty years, under the command of Captain Carl Bowman. She sailed beautifully that day, to the applause of half a million fans, ashore and afloat.

Since then, the Star of India has become the centerpiece of the   maritime museum's properties for some who love her black figure visible in the San Diego landscape. You can tour  Star of India and learn more about her.