Three ships of Japanese Self-Defense Force visit San Diego.
Those don’t look like cruise ships! Docked at the Cruise Ship Terminal are three visiting Japanese warships. They are participating in Dawn Blitz, a multilateral amphibious exercise. The two destroyers and big landing ship are part of the Japanese Self-Defense Force. Carefree sailboats on a sparkling blue San Diego Bay make an interesting contrast with the gray, ominous warships! Head south past the Coronado Bay Bridge and you’d see a long row of American Navy ships belonging to the Pacific Fleet.
Japanese warships docked at the Cruise Ship Terminal.
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USS San Diego Memorial on the Greatest Generation Walk.
I remember walking along the Embarcadero eleven years ago (how time flies!) and just stumbling upon an amazing ceremony. The USS San Diego Memorial was being dedicated. I stood quietly in back of the gathering and watched as notable Navy and local political leaders gave speeches to honor those who served on the USS San Diego, the second most decorated military ship of World War II. One of the speakers was none other than Jerry Coleman, a hero of that war and much beloved sports broadcaster. The large memorial today is a fixture on San Diego’s waterfront, located just south of the USS Midway Museum on the Greatest Generation Walk.
The USS San Diego was a light cruiser that received 18 battle stars during World War II, more than any other ship except the famous aircraft carrier Enterprise. The ship engaged with the enemy on 34 different occasions, in battles throughout the Pacific, and never lost a single sailor during combat. It the first U.S. warship to enter Tokyo Bay at the close of the war.
Monumental art remembers a famous World War II ship.The names of those who served on USS San Diego.Terrazzo map shows movements of the ship during the war.The light cruiser is depicted in action beneath an aerial fight.
The fantastic artwork was created by Eugene Daub and Louis Quaintance.
Sculpture of a crew member of the USS San Diego.
The inscription behind the sailor sculpture reads:
Hundreds of thousands of sailors went to sea and fought in World War II, perhaps the most singular unifying event in the history of the United States. These young Americans set aside their individual hopes and aspirations, left families, home and jobs in a collective sacrifice to defend their country and their common ideals. The men of the USS San Diego (CL-53) remembered here are emblematic of all who fought for victory in this epic struggle.
Golden light before sunset highlights written remembrance.
Here are two more bonus pics I took on a later date!
Close look at artwork of naval engagement on USS San Diego Memorial.People stand on detailed map of where USS San Diego fought during World War II.
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Dedicated members of San Diego’s Maritime Museum were hard at work yesterday, working in the Star of India’s rigging like busy spiders on a web.
The rigging of the historic three-masted bark is undergoing an overhaul, a project that is expected to take a full year. That’s according to the person selling tickets. The large yards of the foremast have already been removed and are lying on the sidewalk awaiting inspection and a new coat of paint. I was told the ship’s trees (platforms on the masts) are infested with termites. They’ll have to be repaired. To maintain the 150 year old Star of India, the oldest active sailing ship in the world, requires a lot of work!
People tangled in picturesque ship’s rigging.Like highwire artists on the slender ropes.Looks like a lot of hard work.Yards from foremast wait on sidewalk to be painted.Maritime Museum members at work on Star of India.High up in the blue San Diego sky.
I got a quick photo of a San Diego Maritime Museum volunteer working on the yards on an early July morning!
Volunteer works on Star of India’s yards.
Here come several more pics taken in October. The top third of the foremast has been removed!
Top portion of Star of India foremast has been removed in October of 2014.Maritime Museum of San Diego workers high up on the foremast of the historic Star of India.On a shroud, in a tangle of ropes and cables between masts.
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Here comes a fun batch of photos taken Saturday during my walk along San Diego’s beautiful Embarcadero!
Glowing green Urban Trees artwork on San Diego’s Embarcadero. Green Fire, Robert Verhees, 2006.
This sculpture was originally part of an Urban Trees bayside art exhibit some years ago. A few remain on display here and there along the bay and elsewhere in San Diego. In this photo, the sun is directly behind the translucent green material, making it glow!
Coast Guard cutter docked at San Diego Cruise Ship Terminal.Tourists at the Visitor Information shack.Kid kicks a ball on the grass in Ruocco Park.Stone and steel ants by an artist near Seaport Village.Balloon Mario, Little Mermaid and Hulk attract kids.Children’s Miracle Network volunteers near Tuna Harbor.Heron stands on rocks beside San Diego Bay.Colorful pedicab drivers wait on Embarcadero for riders.Street performer plays sax by the USS Midway.Balloon twister guy sits patiently on the Embarcadero.
Captain Swordfish readies to engage in pirate mischief.
Sadly, my stroll along the Embarcadero today was interrupted by a terrible turn of events. That half-crazed pirate, Captain Swordfish, was out on the sidewalk near the San Diego Maritime Museum, badgering passing tourists and other innocents with his patented piratical mischief. Good grief!
Here he comes now about to draw his sword. There seems to be no escape. Isn’t ordinary pillaging and mayhem enough? Aaarrrrr, matey!
Figurehead of the HMS Surprise wears a Santa hat!
I wonder if Captain Swordfish was responsible for this, too?
Cabrillo’s flagship San Salvador being built on Spanish Landing.
Portuguese explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo discovered San Diego Bay on behalf of Spain in 1542. His flagship was a galleon named San Salvador. Today, almost 500 years later, a replica of the historic ship is being built on Spanish Landing, across from San Diego’s Lindbergh Field. The ship is coming alive with the help of hard work from San Diego Maritime Museum volunteers, and it’s scheduled to be launched next year! It will soon be another cool sight on the Embarcadero!
As you can see from this first photo, a great deal of progress has been made on the hull. The detailed San Salvador recreation will be seaworthy and will sail out onto the broad ocean! As it passes Point Loma, it will look like the ghost of Cabrillo has returned! I remember seeing the hull about a year ago when there were only four or five “ribs” visible.
The public can visit the San Salvador build site. You’ll see not only the ship, but various items of related interest, including the tools used centuries ago to construct a large galleon.
Another view of San Salvador ship replica build site.
The walkway you see on the left runs the length of Spanish Landing, behind Harbor Island.
Maritime Museum volunteer works on San Salvador ship.
Several volunteers were working on the galleon. Colorful banners were flying in the gentle sea breeze.
Blacksmith tools are some of the sights near the San Salvador.
Lots of interesting stuff can be found about the build site. Nobody was visiting at the moment, so this pic looks kind of empty. I was told buses full of school kids often come by on educational field trips.
Volunteers work on the wooden hull of Maritime Museum’s San Salvador ship.Recreation of Kumeyaay village at San Salvador build site.
This is the kind of primitive structure native San Diegans lived in at the time of Cabrillo’s “discovery” of the bay.
Working on the spars under Harbor Drive’s boat channel bridge.
This friendly lady greeted me as I walked under the Harbor Drive bridge. She smiled for a photo. She told me she was working on the ship’s spars for the sails. I didn’t hear her words precisely, but I believe she’s coating them with linseed oil.
She asked if I wanted to volunteer. A guy I met later asked the same thing! They’d appreciate any help they can get!
Scraps of wood used to build replica of Cabrillo’s historic ship.
All this wood is being used in various ways by the shipbuilders. It looks like a big lumber yard on the other side of Harbor Drive!
View of replica San Salvador from opposite side of Harbor Drive.
How did this guided missile frigate end up sitting on the ground? Why does it have a tinsel sign that spells out Seasons Greetings? Did Santa drop it like an oversized toy from the sky?
This unusual sight is often glimpsed by San Diegans motoring along Harbor Drive between downtown and Point Loma. Built right there on the ground in 1949 to train Navy recruits, today this two-thirds model of a real warship is situated at the southwest end of the redeveloped NTC Liberty Station. The landlocked “non-ship” is officially named the USS Recruit and was originally modeled after a destroyer, and commissioned as a regular Navy ship!
Nicknamed by sailors the USS Neversail, she’s become something of a San Diego landmark. And every year around Christmas she wishes passersby a happy holiday!
UPDATE!
Here are a few pics taken during a walk in late September of 2014. The USS Recruit appears to be awaiting a new coat of paint!
Beautification in progress in late September 2014.Scaffolding along the side of the weathered old USS Recruit in Point Loma.A bicyclist passing the USS Recruit heads into Liberty Station.
I walked past the USS Recruit in early March, 2015. The ship has a new paint job! Of course, I had to take more photos…
This model of a destroyer escort helped instruct as many as 50,000 naval recruits annually in basic naval procedure. The Recruit was the Navy’s only commissioned ship never to reach water.People walk past the newly painted USS Recruit at one end of Liberty Station.Nicknamed the USS Neversail, this ship is an unusual sight that captures the attention of visitors to San Diego.
This afternoon, during my Sunday walk, I was surprised to see the Rainbow Warrior, the well-known ship of the activist group Greenpeace, docked down on the Embarcadero. It seems they were visiting San Diego, and loads of people were streaming onto the ship for tours. I had my camera with me so I snapped some pics.
This first photo shows the bow of the ship. A banner proclaims Free The Arctic.
Look at all the folks in line! I saw lots of young idealists with clipboards and older hipsters in line. Several signs and displays were set up on the walkway promoting the Greenpeace mission.
Strung between the masts was a transparent banner reading OCEAN SAFE TUNA NOW. It was so large that it was visible several blocks away.
Today a 150 year old tall ship was spotted sailing in the wide Pacific Ocean off Point Loma, just beyond the historic lighthouse! Was it a ghost from the past? How is it possible?
It’s possible because San Diego’s own Star of India, the oldest active sailing ship in the world, departed from the dock today for its yearly sail!
I thought about buying a ticket for the historic event, but unfortunately I’m feeling a bit under the weather. This morning I did manage to amble down to the Embarcadero to watch and take some photos of the colorful preparations that are required for the beautiful ship to get underway.
In the first pic, you can see Maritime Museum members and some passengers gathered, getting ready to board or lend a hand.
The guy hanging from some ropes just finished decoupling electrical and other lines from the black wrought iron hull of the docked ship.
Volunteers carefully climb up into the rigging to get everything ready for the sail!
Some hardy folks were already up on the yard arms working at the rigging. Once the Star of India is pulled out of San Diego Bay, the sails are unfurled and the tall ship is completely free to run before the wind!
After a bit of work, the ramp was finally disengaged from the ship and pulled backward onto the sidewalk.
One by one the ropes holding the Star of India to the Embarcadero were cast off.
Here’s one of the two tugboats, ready to tow San Diego’s pride and joy out of the harbor. The classic figurehead of the Star will soon be facing the open sea!
Pulling away from the dock… A pair of museum volunteers look on wistfully…
The lady heads out into the bay’s deep channel… Aircraft hangars at Naval Air Station North Island can be seen on the left. Point Loma stretches in the background.
As Halloween approaches, I’ve noticed some changes during my walks about San Diego. A few scary decorations have begun to appear here and there among houses, shops and offices. One change in particular is difficult to miss.
The Star of India has put on her tattered sails!
A spooky Star of India makes a very cool October sight on San Diego Bay. This year, visitors who experience Haunting Tales from our Seafaring Past, in addition to touring the venerable old ship, will hear ghost stories and scary legends about life at sea. Kids attending are encouraged to dress in costume. In the days ahead, I’ll probably see a lot of pint-sized pirates shuffling along the Embarcadero!
The Star of India, owned by the San Diego Maritime Museum, recently turned 150 years old. The world’s oldest active sailing ship, she was originally named Euterpe, after the Greek muse of music and poetry. During her lifetime she’s made 21 circumnavigations of the globe, and has hauled cargo, emigrants and even fish in Alaska. Various people have died on board, including her first captain, and there have been reports of ghostly sightings. Some visitors say they feel the touch of a cold hand when they stand near the mast where a young sailor, a stowaway, fell from the rigging to his death in 1884. Step aboard if you dare!
UPDATE!
Here come a few more pics from October 2014…
Morning pic of a sail in shreds for Halloween-themed Star of India.Torn sails befit the spooky Halloween spirit.October sign on historic tall ship reads Haunted Tales on the Star of India.
Cool San Diego Sights! 