Oldest Merchant Ship Afloat

[Steven B]

Just thought I'd post for those intrested in the naval aspects of the CW. The merchant vessel "Star of India" is a steel hulled merchant ship built in England in 1863. She worked the commerce routes to India and never came to North America until after the CW. She arrived in the shipyard I'm working in for a once every ten year drydocking. I couldn't help but think that ships like this lined the wharves of New York and Boston while they worked the North Atlantic trade routes to Europe. A few of them were chase d (and caught) by CS commerce raiders.

It's ironic that the ship I'm currently working on in the next dock is a US warship named after a famous CW battle.

[FlatLandFed]

Re: Oldest Merchant Ship Afloat

I haven't seen the "Star" since a visit to my brother in San Diego several years ago. Always an adventure for this land lubber.

http://www.sdmaritime.org/contentpage.asp?ContentID=48

for details.
Thanks for the update, Steven.
Paul Hadley

[kb35]

Re: Oldest Merchant Ship Afloat

Oddly enough I was just in San Diego visiting my brother! The hotel I stayed in was directly across from the SD Maritime Museum and the first thing I saw each morning through my window was the Star of India. A lovely ship and and a geat maritime museum. I of course spent an evening looking at all of them (about 6 ships I think) including the HMS Surprise the ship that was used in the filming of the movie Master and Commander. If you get out to San Diego I highly recommend the maritime museum.

[Andrew German]

Re: Oldest Merchant Ship Afloat

If you're talking non-naval ship, then I have to put in a plug for the Charles W. Morgan at Mystic Seaport in Connecticut. She is a wooden whaleship, built at New Bedford, Massachusetts, in 1841. Right now she's hauled out and under restoration, but it's likely 30 or 40 percent of her bottom framing and planking are original. In model and construction she's very similar to the prewar American cargo ships (pre-clipper). She landed her most valuable cargo in 1863, and she only survived the war because a barrier of ice kept the CSS Shenandoah out of the Sea of Okhotsk, where the Morgan was whaling in 1865.

Beyond that I agree that the Star of India is a very cool survivor of the wartime period.

Andrew German

[Chuck Reynolds]

Re: Oldest Merchant Ship Afloat

I worked at what was at that time Southwest Marine when they put her in their new drydock. Impressive sight out of the water.