Big Bay Cannon Battles Mark Celebration of Star of India Birthday

Contact: Barbara Moreno (619) 686-6216

To celebrate the 146th birthday of the historic Star of India, the Maritime Museum of San Diego will host live cannon battle reenactments, real-life “Battleship” games and Family Day festivities on November 14 and 15 along San Diego’s Embarcadero.

It will be all hands on deck to hear the cannons roar from the Age of Sail. Participants will be treated to a voyage from the 18th century as two historic tall ships, the Californian and the privateer Lynx, wage “war” and make a big bang on the Big Bay.

“The cannon battle reenactments involve strategic maneuvering of the historic naval warfare,” said Robyn Gallant, director of marketing for the Maritime Museum of San Diego. “It is really a strategy dance of the ships based on actual events in history.”

Each ship will fire black powder-filled cannons broadside at each other’s vessel. Battles will be loud, but not dangerous. The tall ships gear up for battle from the Maritime Museum of San Diego promptly at 12:30 p.m. and set sail at 1 p.m. Tickets are $40 to $65. Cannon battle blows are loud and are not recommended for small children. Advance tickets are available on the museum’s website at www.sdmaritime.org.

Younger sailors may also join in a different type of “battle,” a real-life version of the old board game “Battleship.” Participants fire on their opponent from their base on one of two decommissioned naval submarines – the USS Dolphin, a US Navy research sub, or a Cold War era nuclear submarine, the Russian Cobra B-39. Radio communication between the submarines will allow opponents to determine their exact locations during the two-dimensional battle under way.

As an additional incentive, and as part of San Diego Maritime Week, all children under 12 years old receive free admission aboard docked ships all weekend, as the Maritime Museum hosts Family Days. And in celebration of the Star of India’s 146th birthday, birthday cake will be served on Saturday, November 14. There will also be a science activity for kids to create their own boat and live music.

“These events are dedicated to celebrating the oldest, active-sailing ship in the world,” said Gallant. “Many people have come to research archived manifests and found the names of relatives immigrating from foreign countries. The Star of India has truly become an icon for San Diego and a historical treasure of the nation, symbolic for its passengers who begin their life in America.”

For more information, call 619-234-9153 ext. 101.

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