 Star of India |
Star of India (at the Maritime Museum of San Diego) 1492 North Harbor Drive, San Diego, California (619) 234-9153 http://www.sdmaritime.org Related Link: Weird California: Star of India |
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 (L. to R.) ships of the Maritime Museum |
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The iron-hulled merchantman Star of India was launched on November 14, 1863, from the town of Ramsey, Isle of Man (source: onboard "Bark* Star of India" plaque; the island is between Northern Ireland and England). The ship was originally called the Euterpe (yoo-'TER-pē) after a Greek Muse, who later became known to the Romans as Muse of the flute. The ship is 205 feet long along its waterline (source: bark plaque), with an overall length of 212 feet (source: Maritime Museum brochure). *"Bark" refers to a three-, four-, or five-masted sailing ship. | |||
 "Sail Plan of the Bark Star of India" |
Its first captain died on board after only two trips to India (source: museum brochure). Later, the ship was used to transport English settlers to New Zealand. In 1898, it became a salmon fishing ship under American ownership, and a few years afterward it was renamed the Star of India. The Star of India was purchased by a group of San Diego citizens in 1926 and was eventually restored so that it could sail again in 1976. It receives regular maintenance and is taken out for a sail at least once a year. The ship's hull (outside frame) and related structures are more than 100 years old. According to an onboard "Construction Area" sign, the douglas fir deck is rebuilt periodically; the last time this was done was in 1991. |
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 The most memorable ghost story associated with the Star of India involves a teenage stowaway John Campbell who, in the summer of 1884, fell from one of the masts and died three days later without regaining consciousness. It is said he enjoyed playing tag with his fellow mates and still plays the game with the tourists. On the 1898 steam ferryboat Berkeley, which comes from San Francisco and is also part of the Maritime Museum, there have been sightings of a man from the early 1900s wearing a fedora, a type of felt hat with the crown creased from front to back. The identity of the man is not certain, though some say it is someone who died on the ship from a nitroglycerin blast (nitroglycerin is used to make dynamite and was used by miners). |
 California Registered Historical Landmark No. 1030 | ||
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Photos copyright © July 2009 Kat Avila / Time of Day: afternoon / Cameras: Canon SD1000, Canon SD780 IS / Notes: There are no photos of the steam ferryboat Berkeley as the lens of my camera was damaged when it hit the steel floor of the museum's Russian submarine. | |||
| Star of India | ||||
 bow of ship |
 figurehead |
 port side |
 sail masts |
 stern of ship |
 dining salon |
 ceiling lighting |
 etched-glass door pane |
 window pane |
 passenger cabin |
 main deck exhibit |
 special exhibit deck |
 life buoy |
 steering wheel |
 Euterpe bell |
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| H.M.S. Surprise (a replica of an 18th-century Royal Navy Frigate) The replica, purchased from 20th Century Fox, was used in the filming of the 2003 movie Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. At the 76th Academy Awards in 2004, the movie won an award for "Best Cinematography" and a second one for "Sound Effects Editing." To date, the ship is not seaworthy yet. | ||||
 Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World movie poster |
 Wanna go sailing? |
 H.M.S. Surprise (with Russian sub b-39 parked behind it) |
 bow of ship |
 sail masts |
 (L. to R.) Russian sub b-39, H.M.S. Surprise, and steam ferry Berkeley |
 figurehead |
 main and poop decks |
 double-wheel steering wheel |
 exhibit deck |
 lantern and sleeping cots |
 rifles and pickhead axes |
 cannon and carriage |
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| Russian submarine, Project 641/Foxtrot class, mfr. no. b-39, diesel-electric attack submarine, "Cold War warrior" This is the same class and type of submarine on display at the R.M.S. Queen Mary in Long Beach, California. | ||||
 starboard side (view from Star of India) |
 starboard side (view from Star of India) |
 bow of submarine (view from H.M.S. Surprise) |
 port side (view from walkway) |
 entrance |
 torpedo room |
 torpedo room |
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 door |
