Early Tuesday morning the Star of India took sail and moved from its location at the Embarcadero in the Columbia District to a South Bay dry dock in National City for its yearly inspection and hull repairs.

The Maritime Museum is hoping to have the ship back by September 4th after blasting its iron hull with sand and water to prepare it for a coating that is expected to prevent it from rusting and to keep the Star of India from having to be painted every 10 years. The repairs will cost about $225,000 and the Maritime Museum is paying for it but they are hoping for sponsors to help with the cost. The museum says the work is expected to save about $4,000 per year.

The Star of India is the oldest operational tallest ship in the word  and The Maritime Museum says this dry dock is necessary to keep it that way.  To see the video of moving the ship please click here.