From a Soviet diesel-electric sub to a 154-year-old windjammer sailing ship, the San Diego Maritime Museum has an impressive array of ships. Here’s a closer look.
San Diego has a long maritime history. There’s a naval base in the harbor and a marine base just up the road. The incredible USS Midway is nearby and available to tour. So it’s not surprising that the San Diego Maritime Museum celebrates ships of so many different eras.
There are sailing ships from the 1800s, submarines, even a massive ferryboat that’s a beautiful example of turn-of-the-last-century design and ornamentation.
Two replica sailing vessels offer a glimpse of what ships from historic paintings look like in the real world. Even more amazingly, all these ships are in the water, and most regularly sail.
Check out the gallery below for a look at the many ships, inside and out.
Right up against the dock is one of the coolest ships at the museum. Built in 1863, the Euterpe, as it was then known, was designed for speed and cargo. The metal hull was incredibly advanced for its day and offered more cargo space and the possibility of a larger overall ship compared to its wooden predecessors.
Originally three masts and full-rigged, the Euterpe was sold in 1906 and converted to a barque, which is more economical to run (requiring a smaller crew) and performs better when running upwind. Though well into the age of steam, the Star of India, as she became known, carried salmon from Alaska to California.
