SAN DIEGO — The Maritime Museum of San Diego president is retiring after three decades of service.
In this Zevely Zone, I head to the Star of India for a maritime farewell.
After 30 years at the helm, President Ray Ashley says it's time for someone else to learn the ropes.
"Pretty happy actually, ha, ha, ha," chuckled Ray when asked how he felt about retirement.
Dr. Ashley is 70 years old and spent 30 of them pouring his heart and soul into the Maritime Museum.
"I can not ever remember not loving ships or loving sailing," said Ray.
He was raised in San Diego. His father was a Navy man, so a love for the sea was written in the stars. I asked him which ship in the fleet was his favorite.
"When you are sailing the Star of India, that is your favorite ship," said Ray.
His preservation of San Diego's crown jewel may be his greatest legacy. The Star of India has sailed off our coast only 39 times. In 2000, CBS 8 tagged along as San Diego's centerpiece was towed out to sea and set loose.
Ray considers his second crowning achievement to be the launching of the San Salvador in 2015.
"We researched it, one of our board members designed the ship, we built it in San Diego, and we sailed her about 7,000 miles," said Ray.
As far as retirement and sailing off into the sunset go, "Well, I already live here. It's already the best place to live, so I don't think I am going to be moving very far," said Ray.
This is partly because Ray says this is his home, and the people who care for these vessels are his crew for life.
"Amazing people; I never would have dreamed in my wildest imagination that I would have had such a cool group of people to work with," said Ray. "They are devoted to the ship, and they are devoted to each other."
Kevin Sheehan, the museum's curator, says Ray's accomplishments are known worldwide.
"I describe him as a Renaissance man. He can literally sail this replica galleon, the San Salvador," said Kevin.
At one point, the King of Spain knighted Ray Ashley.
"Yes, he did. So I guess you could say he is Sir Ashley," laughed Kevin, which makes Dr. Ray Ashley royalty around here.
In 2014, the Maritime Alliance in San Diego and the International Maritime Heritage Alliance recognized Dr. Ashley with lifetime achievement awards for constructing the Galleon San Salvador.
In recognition of his efforts in building the San Salvador, in 2016, Dr. Ashley was knighted with the rank of Knight Commander, Order of Isabella la Catholica, by the direction of his majesty, King Felipe VI of Spain.
"There are not many places where people come to get to be the best version of themselves, and this is one of those places," said Ray. "I'll miss hanging out with all my friends like I do daily."
The Maritime Museum of San Diego's mission is to serve as the community memory of our seafaring experiences by collecting, preserving, and presenting our rich maritime heritage and historic connections with the Pacific world. Thousands of visitors, school children, docents, volunteers, members and residents make the Maritime Museum of San Diego a popular destination and choice for learning about maritime history.
Dr. Ray Ashley grew up locally and holds a BA in Anthropology from UCSD, an MA in Maritime History and Museum Studies from East Carolina University, and a Ph.D. in History from Duke University, specializing in the history of science, technology, and medicine. The Maritime Museum of San Diego experience includes admission to a world-class collection of historic sailing ships, steam-powered boats, and submarines, each offering entertaining and educational exhibits. For more information, click here.