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Historic Bay Cruise Aboard 1914 Pilot boat with General Admission

Historic Bay Cruise Aboard 1914 Pilot boat with General Admission

Overview

Launched in 1914 to her removal from regular service in 1996, the Pilot enjoyed an active career as San Diego’s chief pilot craft – assisting almost every one of the thousands of major commercial ships to enter or leave the bay during that time. Visitors will share this narrated historic bay tour aboard one of the few vessels in the country honored with the distinction of being on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior.

City: San Diego

Mon 21 Apr

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $34.00

Make a reservation

Mon 21 Apr

Starting at $34.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

General Admission Ticket for Self-guided tour of Museum

45-minute pilot cruise

Additional Info

Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Not recommended for public with limited mobility.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (7)

Liz_R

Jul 2024

Just being out on the water was fantastic. I went on the boat tour to times, and both guides were incredibly knowledgeable about the area and provided a lot of history about what we saw during the tour

Response from Host

Aug 2024

Wow! Sounds like you had a grand time on your recent visit to the Maritime Museum of San Diego! Coupling a dockside tour of the fleet with narrated Bay Tours is definitely the way to go! Nice.

ncmeyn

Apr 2024

My husband and I took a great sail on a Pilot Boat, an option add on when visiting the San Diego Maritime Museum. The excursion is a 45 minute ride in and around the San Diego Harbor. John M was the Captain and a very professional and friendly one at that. Our narrator onboard named Ki Ki, was extraordinary in knowledge and enthusiastic in her presentation as to what we were experiencing. To be frank, we have been on San Diego Harbor tours on many occasions- but never on one have we encountered such a well informed crew- who enhanced our tour with historical and detailed information of the Harbor. Although the day was grey and overcast - our experience was brightened by these two members who were so enthusiastic and added such colorful commentary to what we were seeing and experiencing.

Response from Host

Apr 2024

Thank you so much for sharing how much you enjoyed your Pilot boat Bay Tour hosted by the Maritime Museum of San Diego. We are so pleased to hear that Captain John and our devoted and talented tour narrator KiKi kept you informed and entertained!

Tommy599

Dec 2022

WOW this maritime museum is 10 X better than the one in San Francisco, With 9 WELL MAINTAIED ships for us to visit; Star of India (LARGE steel sailing ship that plied all the oceans of the world) / HMS Surprise (used in the Johnny Depth movies “ Pirates of the Caribbean, and most noteworthy “Captain and Commander” with Russel Crow) this was the only craft we could not go on as she is getting ready to go into dry dock / Large steam-driven Ferry Berkley, that was used in between Oakland and San Francisco before the Oakland bridge was constructed. The ferry’s insides are immaculate and filled with all sorts of ship models and nautical things --Tom even got down into the engine room to operate the engine on the hydraulic jack with the help of a volunteer X submariner that volunteers to work at the museum. A most excellent replica of a Spanish galleon / Media (private steam yacht, very similar to the shipwreck Glinda up in lake superior / Vietnam Swift river boat still with her guns / Pilot boat / AND The Navy deep diving research test vehicle SS 555 Submarine Dolphin (bult in 1968 and capable of reaching depths of 3-4 thousand ft. Most of the ships in the fleet are fully operational (excluding the submarine and ferry) and are taken out on weekends with paying guest manning the stations. We went out on the 1914 Pilot Boat for a 45-minute cruise in the harbor. Our female tour guide was from Italy and was quite the entertainer.

Response from Host

Dec 2023

Thank you for visiting and taking so much time to write about our fleet, exhibits and your experience! We hope to see you again soon!