00:00If you ask most people in Edinburgh what historic ships are located at Leith Docks,
00:06you'll be met with one answer, the Royal Yacht Britannia.
00:10But in fact another piece of maritime history has been hidden away in Leith Docks for the last 28 years,
00:15predating the arrival of the famous Royal Ship.
00:19The SS Explorer, which was in service between 1956 and 1984,
00:24is regarded as a pioneering ship that made a significant contribution to climate science
00:29and our understanding of marine biodiversity.
00:32And now, a team of volunteers have shared plans to restore the vessel to its former glory
00:38and create an interactive education centre.
00:41Purchased in the mid-90s by volunteer-led charity SS Explorer Preservation Society,
00:47the ship has been berthed in Leith Docks since 1996,
00:51after the charity saved the historic vessel from the scrapyard.
00:55And now, after a years-long survey carried out by specialist marine archaeologists,
00:59the charity hope to conserve the vessel as well as build an onshore museum
01:03that educates a new generation about the historic ship,
01:06which they say is a valuable asset to Scotland's shipbuilding heritage and history of marine science.
01:12Described as a milestone moment in the conservation journey of the ship,
01:16volunteers and trustees of the group hosted an event in Leith to share their plans.
01:22The Preservation Society would like to see Explorer become more publicly accessible.
01:28So, for the last several decades, the ship's been somewhat hidden.
01:33It's been a bit of a secret behind the walls of Leith Docks.
01:39And we're very, very grateful that we're allowed to be in Leith Docks,
01:43but in terms of being publicly accessible, obviously, Leith is changing a lot now
01:48and people will become more aware of us, they'll see the ship more.
01:52Our ambition is to have a shore-side interpretation centre that talks about the history of the ship
01:59and why it's important and why it's important to Leith.
02:01And then to make the ship accessible as much as we possibly can
02:05for people to come on board and find out about the work that the ship did.
02:08The Steamship Explorer was the first purpose-built science research ship
02:15to be built in Scotland for the Scottish Home Department.
02:18And it's part of a chain of vessels and science research at sea
02:24that informs everything we know about what's happening in the seas today.
02:29So, marine biodiversity, ocean temperatures, pollution,
02:34all of that research really was done by ships like Explorer.
02:39So, it's part of a scientific legacy that goes back to the 19th century
02:44but was purpose-built in Scotland.
02:47It was registered in Leith throughout its career.
02:50So, it's got a really strong connection to Leith.
02:52It's absolutely one of a kind.
02:54It was also the first ship to have a computer on board.
02:58At the time that it got its computer in the 1960s,
03:01there were only three computers in the whole of the city of Aberdeen.
03:04One was at the University of Aberdeen, one was at the Marine Lab,
03:08and one was on board the ship.
03:10And the computer was enormous and was so powerful
03:13that when they powered the computer up,
03:16it dimmed the lights on the rest of the ship.
03:19And it got so hot that the crew would come
03:21and warm their hands on the bulkheads
03:23because the whole thing, just the heat of the computer working.
03:27But it was the first time that computers were being used at sea
03:30to process scientific data in real time for them.
03:34So, yeah, it was absolutely innovative and cutting edge.
03:38Well, SS Explorer is quite a significant ship.
03:41It undertook a substantial scientific exploration.
03:46It was involved in marine science and environmental study.
03:51And it has both connections to Aberdeen and here in Leith.
03:56So, the question is, how do we take the ship
03:59that has been maintained by a team of volunteers in a remarkable way
04:05and supported by a number of stakeholders over that period,
04:09how do we move it beyond that to a ship that people can engage with,
04:15can be on, can learn from, like they have in other cities,
04:20like the Discovery in Dundee or the Glenlee in Glasgow.
04:24So, I think the SS Explorer is an opportunity
04:28to provide a museum vessel
04:31and a space that is accessible to the public
04:35that can be visited by families and individuals
04:39with an interest in marine science and heritage.
04:43So, there's lots of opportunities.
04:45It's part of a journey to get there.
04:48And today's a milestone in that.
04:50We need people with all kinds of skills.
04:52We have engineers.
04:54We can train people up in various engineering roles
04:57and jobs on board the ship.
04:59But we also need people who are good at talking to people
05:03and can give tours or would like to talk about the history of the ship
05:06to groups or work with any of the other community groups
05:09in our neighbourhood that would like to work with us.
05:12So, really, if you're interested in the ship,
05:14don't worry about not being a naval architect.
05:17I'm sure we can use all kinds of skills and experience.
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