Star of India is the world’s oldest active sailing ship. She began her life on the stocks at Ramsey Shipyard in the Isle of Man in 1863. Iron ships were experiments of sorts then, with most vessels still being built of wood. Within five months of laying her keel, the ship was launched into her element. She bore the name Euterpe, after the Greek muse of music and poetry.
The ship now known as HMS Surprise began life in 1970 as a replica of the 18th century Royal Navy frigate Rose. During the next 30 years Rose sailed thousands of miles as an attraction vessel and sail training ship prior to her conversion to HMS Surprise. For the academy award winning film, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, the filmmakers made a painstaking effort to recreate a 24 gun frigate specific to Great Britain’s Nelson era Royal Navy. The result is a replica vessel unmatched in its authenticity and attention to detail.
Surprise found a new home at the Maritime Museum of San Diego in 2004. A popular shore side attraction, the ship now joins our collection of ships along with the Star of India and Californian.
I saw these beautiful ships on our last morning in San Diego while walking along Harbor Drive.
Hope your February is going well. Life has been good and challenging amongst our family and friends. Joy and Sorrow going hand in hand. This week I’m trying to memorize this part of scripture from Job.
Job 19:25-27
New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
25 I know that my Redeemer lives,
and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.
26 And after my skin has been destroyed,
yet in my flesh I will see God;
27 I myself will see him
with my own eyes—I, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!
It is a gorgeous ship isn’t it? I feel the same way lately, Ellen, and Job;’s words ring true.
Gorgeous ships, oh the stories they have to tell! And I loved the verses of hope from Job. So true…In the end it will all come together, don’t know how, but it will. Our God reigns!
Did you ever see the tall ships when they were moored at Channel Islands marina? The Professor and I toured several the last time they were there and then I saw a couple ships were again at the marina last weekend.
Oh…I love those verses from Job.
We saw those tall ships in the port at San Diego when we were there a few years ago. Old…majestic…beautiful…and each with a lot of stories, I’m sure!
I definitely would have gone to see this if I’d known! What a marvel. The Maritime Museum is a must the next time I visit San Diego. Thanks for the scriptural reminder too.
Those ships are pretty amazing! Your photos of them are striking!
Hoping that everything settles down in the family arena. It’s never easy when
one of our family faces big challenges.
Ships like this astound me—they are beautiful
So interesting. What beautiful pictures of a beautiful tall ship.
The Star and her harbor front friends are a view I call “I am home again”. So beautiful!
What is so amazing to me about these sailing ships is how fragile they look, how they survived the seas and actually carried their cargo and passengers to where they were going.
I recently read a novel “the Sea Captain’s Wife” by Beth Powning which described the highs and lows of sailing at the turn of the century. I’d highly recommend it – it was very well researched from actual journals kept by women who sailed with their captain husbands.
Beautiful!