Launched in 1948, Morning Star’s first owners were Walter and Katy Maertens, who were one of the six founding couples of the Seven Seas Cruising Association. They lived aboard in Glorietta Bay in San Diego for nearly 30 years. Every winter they cruised to Mexico, Central America, and the Galapagos Islands. Summers often found them cruising the Channel Islands. Of the original six SSCA boats, she is one of only two remaining boats.
The second long-term owners were Nick and Libby Reid of Port Townsend. They cruised Morning Star down the West Coast and then on to the South Pacific, New Zealand, Hawaii, Alaska, and extensively in the Pacific Northwest. Nick also completed a masterful rebuild and retro-fit of her between 1991 and 1999.
Morning Star has carried her owners sailed well over 200,000 miles on voyages to Mexico, South America, the South Pacific, New Zealand, Hawaii, Alaska, Canada, and the US West Coast. She has safely carried her current owners on a multi-year 15,000 km trip from Port Townsend via San Francisco, the Channel Islands, San Diego, Hawaii, Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, and Alaska. Morning Star is a magnificent ocean voyaging vessel.