Nautilus International - 24.11.2020
Our living history - Explorer
The original article is here>>
The following is an excerpt from the article :
”Since the article we ran earlier in 2020 on maritime museums, readers have been writing in with information about their own local historic ships around the UK – many of which use the expertise of volunteers from the seafaring community for restoration, maintenance and even operation. Here we have the story of the Explorer, sent in by SS Explorer Preservation Society volunteer Allan Dickson
The SS Explorer was the first purpose-built fishery research ship for the then Scottish Home Office and was launched in 1955. The ship was a mix of traditional and new technology. The new was represented by the all-electric pumps and an AC power system for the onboard labs, as well as an aluminium superstructure. But the vessel also had a traditional riveted construction and a steam reciprocating engine. In 1967, the first ever computer to be installed on a fishery research ship was fitted on the SS Explorer.
The ship carried out a wide range of research, encompassing fishing methods and equipment, fish stocks and health, ground-breaking underwater film and photography, climate monitoring, and seabed surveys.”
The officers' saloon on the historic ship SS Explorer