SS Explorer
 SS Explorer at Leith in 2005
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | SS Explorer |
| Owner | Scottish Home Department |
| Operator | Department of Agriculture & Fisheries for Scotland |
| Port of registry | Leith |
| Ordered | 1954 |
| Builder | Alexander Hall & Co. Ltd., Aberdeen |
| Yard number | 747[1] |
| Launched | 21 June 1955 |
| Sponsored by | Lady Rachel Stuart |
| In service | 1955 |
| Out of service | 1984 |
| Homeport | Leith |
| Identification | Official number: 303098[1] |
| Status | Museum ship |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Fisheries Research Trawler |
| Tonnage | 862 GT[1] |
| Length | 202 ft 9 in (61.80 m)[1] |
| Beam | 32 ft 9 in (9.98 m)[1] |
| Depth | 14 ft 2 in (4.32 m)[1] |
| Ice class | Lloyds 100 A1 |
| Propulsion | 1,000 ihp (746 kW) triple expansion steam engine |
| Range | 8,000 nmi (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) |
| Boats & landing craft carried | 2 × 24 ft (7.3 m) open aluminium lifeboats |
| Crew | 38 |
SS Explorer is one of the last surviving sea-going steam trawlers and is registered to Leith, the port of Edinburgh. She has been placed on the National Historic Ships Register and the SS Explorer Preservation Society is currently restoring her in the Edinburgh Dock, Leith.
Ship history
The FRS Explorer was launched on 21 June 1955 by Lady Rachel Stuart, wife of the Secretary of State for Scotland. Explorer was built by Messrs Alexander Hall & Co., Aberdeen, for the Scottish Home Department; to replace a 1917 built vessel of the same name. The Fishery Research Ship Explorer entered service in 1956 and was operated by the Marine Laboratory in Aberdeen. The role of the Explorer was to investigate fish breeding and feeding grounds so as to establish fishing levels and species types for the British market. In addition pollution and fish diseases that might adversely affect catches were monitored. The classic lines of a Deep Sea Beam Trawler were well suited to working in the traditional fishing grounds, and extra strengthening of the hull prepared her also for service in the Arctic waters off Greenland and Iceland, and the Barents and White Seas north of Russia.
From a technological standpoint the vessel represents the zenith of triple-expansion steam technology, which is combined with the very best of Scottish shipbuilding and innovation at a time when shipyards were moving away from traditional methods. The SS Explorer was built using riveted steel to ice-strength classification, but fitted with an aluminium superstructure, and although her main engine was a tried and tested design, a pioneering hybrid diesel-electric power system was installed to power her auxiliaries. SS Explorer also boasted one of the very first onboard computers for a vessel of her type, something now commonplace along with diesel-electric hybrid power.
In the Obituary of Commander John (Ian) Steven R.D. another activity of the SS Explorer was mentioned: " During the early 1970s, Ian was involved in the Cod Wars, a standoff between Britain and Iceland over fishing rights. Ian was attached to the full-time Royal Navy for duties in the seas off Iceland.
He was then recruited into Naval Intelligence.
He was serving as a signals officer on the SS Explorer, a fisheries research ship sailing out of Leith, and unknown to the crew, being used to spy on Russian submarines in the Barents Sea, north of Norway. Ian would meet American naval intelligence officers prior to the Explorer sailing and secret equipment would be fitted for Ian to use at sea.
Only the Captain and Ian new of this. After the Explorer returned to Leith the equipment would be removed for analysis.
It was at this time, February 1974 at the height of the Cold War, that the FV Gaul, a fishing factory ship mysteriously vanished with 36 crew on board on the night of 8-9 February in the Barents Sea. This was the very area the Explorer operated in. Ian believed the Soviets knew spying was going on but mistook the Gaul for the spy ship and sunk it. The full report into the sinking is still secret. Ian continued to have an input into naval intelligence for many years after this incident."Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).
Explorer was added to the National Register of Historic Vessels in 1996.[2]
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Aberdeen Built Ships Database". aberdeenships.com. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
- ^ "SS Explorer". National Register of Historic Vessels. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
External links
- "Official Website". ssexplorer.org. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
- "SS Explorer Restoration Project". leithshipyards.com. Retrieved 28 November 2012.