Star of India at The Maritime Museum of San Diego

Established in 1948, the Maritime Museum of San Diego is home to one of the largest collections of historic sea vessels in all of the United States. And the crown jewel of that collection is the Star of India, the world’s oldest active sailing ship.

The Star of India is an iron-hulled barque, and it was built in 1863 on the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea. At the time, iron-hulled ships were still something of an experiment, as most sailing vessels were still made of wood. Originally named Euterpe, for the Greek muse of poetry and music, the beginning of her career as a cargo ship was rocky: her first two voyages saw a mutiny and a cyclone, respectively. After four trips hauling cargo to India, she was sold to the Shaw Savill Line in London, and began transporting emigrants to far-off places like New Zealand, California, and Chile. 

In 1901, she was sold to an Alaskan fishing outfit and renamed Star of India. She began transporting fisherman, equipment, and canned salmon between California and Nushagak, in the Bering Sea. She was even once trapped in ice in Alaska. By 1926, steam ships had become the norm, and she was sold to the Zoological Society of San Diego. Finally, in 1957, her restoration began.

Now, this ship leads a much more peaceful existence. She still sails in the ocean from time to time with a volunteer crew, making her the oldest ship in the whole world that still sails on a regular basis. Visitors to the museum can take a tour of her deck, hull, and cabins, which are almost completely original—another rarity.