Star of India (ship)

Star of India was built in 1863 as Euterpe, a full-rigged iron ship. After a full career, Euterpe was purchased in 1901 by the Alaska Packers Association, who rerigged her as a barque. In 1902, she began sailing from Oakland, California to the Bering Sea each spring, returning each fall with holds full of canned salmon. In 1906, the Association changed her name to be consistent with the rest of their fleet, and Euterpe became Star of India.

After eleven years, she was laid up in 1923, and in 1926, was sold to the Zoological Society of San Diego, California, to be the centerpiece of a planned museum and aquarium. However, the Great Depression and World War II caused that plan to be canceled; it wasn't until 1957 that her restoration began. Alan Villiers, a windjammer captain and author, came to San Diego on a lecture tour. Seeing Star decaying in the harbor, he publicized the situation and inspired a group of citizens to form the "Star of India Auxiliary" in 1959 to support the restoration of the ship. Progress was still slow, but in 1976, Star of India put to sea again.

Primarily a museum ship, Star of India is the world's oldest ship that is still sea-worthy.

General Characteristics

• Displacement: 1318 tons gross, 1247 tons net
• Length: 62.5 meters (205'5")
• Beam: 10.7 meters (35'2")
• Height (barque rig): 6.5 meters (21'6")