Mare Island welcomes the Eureka
Wooden ship the Eureka coming to Mare Island this coming week
By Thomas Gase, Vallejo Times Herald, August 16th, 2025
Another historic ship is scheduled to arrive at Mare Island some time next week, the latest in five ships being relocated from San Francisco while the Hyde Street Pier undergoes renovations. The Balclutha, Eppleton Hall and C.A. Thayer have already arrived earlier this year. Now it’s time for the Eureka to come to Vallejo some time between Monday and Friday. At 299 feet in length, the Eureka is reportedly the largest existing wooden ship in the world.
According to the City of Vallejo, the exact date will depend on the tides and weather conditions. Once here, the Eureka will not be open to the public because it will be undergoing restoration work.
Eureka was built in 1890, at Tiburon for the San Francisco and North Pacific Railway. The ship was originally named Ukiah to commemorate San Francisco and North Pacific Railway’s recent rail extension into the city of Ukiah. A freight-car ferry, Ukiah was SF&NPR’s “tracks across the Bay,” ferrying trains from Sausalito to San Francisco.
Eureka was built in 1890, at Tiburon for the San Francisco and North Pacific Railway.