I have always loved ships. I don’t really have much experience with them, living in a landlocked state (and being prone to seasickness), but I have always loved them just the same. They have always seemed like the stuff of dreams to me.
Unfortunately, when it comes to getting to explore these great vessels, I have also always had very bad luck. I can remember during a visit to Boston when I was a little girl, my family decided to walk to the U.S.S. Constitution. Looking at the mighty ship’s masts towering above the buildings as we approached filled me with anticipation. However, those great masts are quite tall, and can be seen a long ways off. The day was hot and the walk was a lot further than we had expected. My parents were soon faced with the dilemma of two hot, cranky children before we even got to the ship, and they made the probably wise (but at the time so disappointing!) decision to give up the plan, consoling me with the fact that I had to leave something to look forward to on my next visit to Boston.
I did somewhat better as a young adult. During a vacation to Kauai, my family took an island hopper flight to Oahu to visit Pearl Harbor. After visiting the museum and the Arizona memorial, I was able to convince my family to also tour the U.S.S. Missouri. Perhaps that should have satisfied my zeal for ships that day, but instead it merely peaked my interest. I also hoped to tour a submarine, but here my family drew the line in order to make it back to the airport in time. Once again, it became something to save until next time.
So you can imagine how delighted I was to discover a whole museum dedicated to ships in San Diego: the Maritime Museum. When Pete asked what I wanted to do on our trip, that was at the top of my list. Better yet, it was in walking distance from the hotel where Pete’s conference was being hosted. So one bright sunny morning, we set out to explore some ships!
The Main Feature: The Star of India
This beautiful iron-hulled ship is the oldest still active sailing ship in the world. It first set sail in 1863 as the British trade ship Euterpe (a Greek muse), making several voyages to India. It then became a passenger ship, regularly circumnavigating the globe carrying emigrants to New Zealand. In the late 1800s, as streamliners became more available, it changed into American hands, first transporting lumber and other goods from Hawaii. Finally, it was purchased by the Alaska Packers Association, who changed the name to the Star of India to match their other ships, and was used to ferry fish and fisherman back and forth between San Francisco and the Bering Strait until it was retired in 1923.
In its 60 year history, the Star of India had no shortage of adventures. On its maiden voyage it collided with another ship, and later the crew mutinied. The ship also weathered a hurricane, survived running aground, and was frozen in the Arctic ice. Children were even born on board! The interior of the ship has been turned into a museum chronicling these and many other adventures. You can also walk the deck and stick your head in the restored cabins. For any sailing ship enthusiast like me, the ship is a must-see!
Nor is the Star of India‘s long career over. The ship (and all the others at the museum) are cared for by a wonderful and dedicated team of docents and volunteers, who are available to answer any questions you might have. They also do numerous school trips, some of which are overnight. (We happened to see one such excited group of kiddos arriving while we were there. It looked like it was going to be great fun.) And of course, the volunteers still take the Star of India out for a sail on the bay at least once a year, in order to maintain its status as an active sailing vessel!
Other Ships at the Maritime Museum
H.M.S. Surprise
If you are still in the mood for sailing ships, be sure to stop by the H.M.S. Surprise. Does that name sound familiar? Ever watch Master and Commander with Russell Crowe? This is the ship used in that movie, a replica of a Napoleonic era British frigate. The inside is now a museum about life in the British navy. As a big fan of Master and Commander (as well as Horatio Hornblower), I was all over that!
B-39 Soviet Submarine
The Maritime Museum helped me fulfill my dream of exploring a submarine. The B-39 Sub is the same type of sub as the Soviets used during the Cuban Missile Crisis. As you move through the sub, an audio recording (complete with appropriate lighting) teaches you about the crisis in Cuba and just how close we came to going to war with the Soviet Union.
U.S.S. Dolphin
Not just one submarine. The Maritime Museum has two! The U.S.S. Dolphin is the deepest diving submarine in the world. While designed with the military in mind, it has primarily been used for for research purposes. It has set quite a few records in the submarine world. While it might be somewhat less historic than the B-39, it’s a little more hands-on. You can sit in the driver’s seat or look through the periscope. It was a lot of fun.
Steam Ferry Berkeley
So far we’ve had sails and subs, but what about steam? The Steam Ferry Berkeley is at the center of the Maritime Museum. This ferry boat from San Francisco helped rescue thousands of survivors during the 1906 earthquake. It now serves as the Maritime Museum’s offices, gift shop, and event venue, and contains numerous museum displays. Our favorite part was touring the engine room and puzzling out how all of that great machinery came together to power the boat.
Lunch Break: Karl Strauss Brewery
With these and several other ships to explore, you can easily spend all day at the Maritime Museum. We certainly did. Don’t worry if you start to get hungry. There are lots of good places to eat nearby, and your wristband allows you to come and go from the museum. We recommend the Karl Strauss Brewery, about a half mile (15-20 minute walk) from the museum.
The brewery has an excellent selection of beer, including several hazy IPAs (and once the waitress found out we were IPA fans, she brought us samples of several of her favorites!) The food was also delicious. I had an amazing Mac and Cheese!
Another Option: USS Midway Museum
Prefer something a little more modern than sailing ships and steamboats? Then you might prefer the USS Midway Museum just a bit down the road from the Maritime Museum. I would have loved to tour the aircraft carrier as well, but once we had gotten our fill at the Maritime Museum, there wasn’t enough time before closing to do the Midway justice. I guess it will just have to be something to save for next time!
