Places, Earth
Maritime Museum San Diego

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Maritime Museum San Diego

The Maritime Museum of San Diego is a collection of historic ships docked along the picturesque Embarcadero of San Diego Harbor. The vessels include: the world's oldest active ship Star of India; the 1898 steam ferry Berkeley; the 1904 steam yacht Medea; the 1914 harbor Pilot boat; a replica of the 18th century Royal Navy frigate HMS Surprise, and Californian, a replica of a mid 19th century revenue cutter.

Street Address:
1492 North Harbor Drive
San Diego, CA 92101
619-234-9153

Hours of Operation
Open every day of the year
9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
(open until 9:00 p.m. Memorial Day - Labor Day)

Photo Gallery

B-39 Soviet Attack Submarine

The B-39 Soviet Attack Submarine - Project 641/Foxtrot Class Diesel-Electric Submarine was commissioned in the early 1970s. and served for 20 years. This boat is 300 feet long, displaces over 2000 tons, carried 24 torpedoes, and a crew of 78, It was capable of diving to a depth of 985 feet.

Trash ejector.

Berkeley

The steam ferryboat Berkeley was built in 1898 by Union Iron Works as the first successful west coast built ferry driven by a screw propeller rather than by side wheels. Berkeley is the oldest steel-hulled ferry on the west coast and is the earliest double-ended ferry still in its original configuration. In the days following the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, the Berkeley worked continuously helping with evacuation and relief, saving many lives. The Burkeley operated on San Francisco Bay 60 years until 1958 and was moved to San Diego in 1973. The boat exhibits the fully restored triple expansion steam engine. The ferry also houses exhibits, museums offices, library, work shops, special events space, store, and other spaces. California Registered Historic Landmark Number 1031 and is also a National Historic Landmark.

Star of India

The Star of India is the world's oldest active ship, originally named Euterpe, the Greek god of music. The Star of India was built at Ramsey Shipyard in the Isle of Man in 1863. She has an iron hull, one of the earliest ship to be built of iron. Euterpe began as a full-rigged ship, but was converted to a simpler barque in 1901. On her first trip she suffered a collision and a mutiny. On her second trip, a cyclone in the Bay of Bengal damaged Euterpe, she limped to port without her top mast. She worked as a cargo ship until 1871 when she began a new career carrying emigrants to New Zeland for another quarter century. In this service, she made 21 circumnavagations, sometimes stopping in California.

In 1898, Euterpe was bought by American owners, Alaska Packers Association. They put her to work transporting people and packing materials to Alaska in the spring and returning to Oakland in the fall filled with canned salmon. Her rigging was changed in 1901, she was renamed Star of India in 1906, and she continued the salmon run until 1923. Sail gave way to steam and the Star was laid up until 1926 when a group of people from San Diego rescued her. She came to San Diego, but depressions and a world war delayed her restoration until Captain Alan Villiers discovered her rusting in 1957 and challenged the citizens of San Diego to begin the restoration. In 1976, the restored Star of India sailed out of the harbor and she continues making sailing trips from San Diego.

Testing day for the volunteers.

Star of India rigging with construction crane beyond.

New Douglas Fur 4x4 lumber for new decks.

H.M.S. Surprise

The H.M.S. Surprise is a replica of an 18th Century British Royal Navy frigate. This 179-foot full rigged ship launched in 1970 as H. M. S. Rose. She served as a training vessel on the east coast for over 30 years. She underwent extensive modifications in 2002 for use in the motion picture Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World and was sold to the museum in 2004. She is being restored to seaworthiness and it is hoped she may sail again by 2006.

Californian

Californian was built in 1984 at Spanish Landing in San Diego Bay in honor of the Olympic Games in Los Angeles that year. She was designated the official tall ship of the State of California in 2003. The ship is a replica of the 1847 Revenue Cutter C. W. Lawrence. A revenue cutter enforced federal law along the coast at the time of the gold rush. This 145-foot vessel carries 7,000 square feet of sail, weights 130 tons, and carries four six-pound deck guns. The museum acquired her in 2002 and she was restored in 2003. Contact the museum to schedule your own cruse aboard the Californian.

Medea

Medea, named for a woman from Greek mythology, began as a steam yacht. She was completed in a record 51 days in 1904. The vessel is built of steel with teak and oak. The engine was originally powered by coal, but was converted to oil in 1964. The vessel cruises at 8 1/2 knots, but can travel at 10 knots. She was pressed into service in two world wars and servfed in three navies. In World War I, the French Navy bought the yacht and converted it into a gunboat, named Corneille and equipped it with a 75 mm gun, depth charges, and an observation bolloon. The end of the war saw Medea return to British hands and it's original name. Medea entered World War II as a Royal Navy barrage balloon vessel and later transfered to the Norwegian Navy. At the close of the war, Medea again returned to Britan as a yacht. She passed through ownership by a Swedish owner and found her way to the Museum on July 14, 1973.

Pilot

Pilot was built in San Diego and launched on August 7, 1914, serving 82 years as San Diego's official pilot boat guiding commercial ships into and out of the harbor. A captain is in charge of the ship, except when entering or leaving a port, then a pilot who is familiar with the harbor, takes over. Pilot transported the pilot to and from these ships. The Coast Guard operated Pilot during World War II both on patrol and in her usual capacity, retrofitting the engines and pilothouse. Pilot was retired in 1996 and donated to the Museum which operates it as a floating classroom. The Museum offers harbor tours aboard Pilot for a modest price.

Four Other Small Boats

La Diana

Mary Ane

Wings

San Diego County Main Page

This page last updated: Sunday, 17-Aug-2008 09:28:08 EDT

Note: This is not the official site for any of the places shown in Places Earth. Places Earth is not responsible for accuracy of the information. Hours of operations, prices, exhibits, and sometimes locations are subject to change without notice.

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