Euterpe (Star of India)

The Euterpe was an iron full-rigged ship built at the Ramsey shipyard of Gibson, MacDonald & Arnold, and launched on Saturday, 14th November 1863. She was the second of five large iron vessels built there, having been preceded by the Ramsey and being followed by the Erato and Eurydice, all sailing ships, and finally the screw steamer Delaware. She was classed 12 years A1 at Lloyd's and for 20 years under the rules of the Liverpool Underwriters Association. The launch was performed by Mrs.Brown, wife of Capt.R.H.Brown, one of the shareholders (who also had an interest in the Ramsey). The owners of the Euterpe were named as Wakefield, Nash & Co., of Liverpool, who had already placed an order for the Erato.

The Euterpe began her career with six voyages to India, carrying cargo. Her first voyage, under the command of Capt.William John Storry (master's cert. no. 2531), started at Liverpool on the 10th January 1864. The ship was bound for Calcutta, but after three days collided with a brig off St.David's Head, losing her jibboom and some of her gear. Seventeen of the thirty crew refused to work, demanding that the vessel put into port for repairs. The Euterpe put into Holyhead on the 15th, and these men were tried by local magistrates, each being condemned to prison for 14 days, with hard labour, after an expert witness stated that the repairs could easily have been made at sea. The Euterpe departed again on the 20th January and arrived at Calcutta about the 20th May. Capt.Storry died aboard the Euterpe on a subsequent voyage.

The Euterpe was bought in 1871 by Shaw Savill & Co. and was used primarily in the trade to New Zealand, both with cargo and passengers. She made 21 full circumnavigations before being sold to American owners in 1898. Her career during this period has been recorded in several books.

The Euterpe was re-rigged as a barque in 1901, and then had her name changed to Star of India in 1906. She continued in the service of the Alaska Packers Association until being laid up in 1923, and then was bought by owners based in San Diego. Today the Star of India is owned by San Diego Maritime Museum and is one of the few survivors of the age of sail.

Name	Year Built	Gross Tons	Length (feet)	Breadth (feet)	Depth (feet)	Masts
Euterpe	1863	1197	205.5	35.2	23.4	3