The Galilee was a brigantine

Brigantine

In sailing, a brigantine or hermaphrodite brig is a vessel with two masts, only the forward of which is square rigged.-Origins of the term:...

, built in 1891, designed by Matthew Turner

Matthew Turner (shipbuilder)

Matthew Turner was an American sea captain, shipbuilder and designer. He constructed 228 vessels, of which 154 were built in the Matthew Turner shipyard in Benicia...

. She started on the packet

Packet ship

A "packet ship" was originally a vessel employed to carry post office mail packets to and from British embassies, colonies and outposts. In sea transport, a packet service is a regular, scheduled service, carrying freight and passengers...

 line between San Francisco and Tahiti and was reckoned a very fast ship. In 1905 she was chartered by the Carnegie Institution's Department of Terrestrial Magnetism and converted into a magnetic observatory. She was used to make observations of Earth's magnetic field on three cruises over a period of three years from 1905 to 1908 in the Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...

. Problems with magnetic materials that it had not been possible to replace on Galilee, led to the building of the Carnegie

Carnegie (ship)

The Carnegie was a brigantine yacht, equipped as a research vessel, constructed almost entirely from wood and other non-magnetic materials to allow sensitive magnetic measurements to be taken for the Carnegie Institution's Department of Terrestrial Magnetism. She carried out a series of cruises...

in 1909, which was constructed with virtually no magnetic materials. Galilee was later rigged as a schooner

Schooner

A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....

, had a diesel engine fitted and was used in the fishing industry before being beached in 1933, ending her active career. The stern and part of the bow are preserved in two different places in California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

.

Early history

The Galilee was built in 1891 in Benicia at the Matthew Turner Shipyard. She began her career on the packet line between San Francisco and Tahiti, carrying freight, passengers and French and US mail. On her maiden voyage she set a record of 21 days for the return trip from Tahiti.

Department of Terrestrial Magnetism

The department was founded by Louis Agricola Bauer

Louis Agricola Bauer

Louis Agricola Bauer, was an American astronomer and magnetician, born in Cincinnati, Ohio. He graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 1888, and immediately started work for the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey...

 in 1904, becoming its first director. He recognized that the magnetic field over the oceans was little known and looked for a suitable vessel to make magnetic observations.

Charter and conversion

In 1905 the Galilee was chartered by the Carnegie Institution's Department of Terrestrial Magnetism to be converted into a magnetic observatory. The amount of magnetic materials on the ship was reduced to a minimum. The steel rigging was replaced by hemp ropes and a new observation bridge was constructed to lift the observation point as far as possible above the remaining iron parts of the ship, principally bolts in the vessel's sides. Additional cabin space was also provided to accommodate the scientists. Although the converted Galilee had magnetic constants lower that any equivalent ship at the time, corrections were still required to take account of the remaining magnetic material. These corrections were measured using a procedure known as 'swinging ship' in which the Galilee was held aligned towards the north, observations of the magnetic field were noted and the ship was turned progressively at 15° intervals (or as many as could be obtained given the prevailing conditions) using the right rudder, followed by a similar set using the left rudder. As the ship's own magnetic field changed with time, because of induction

Electromagnetic induction

Electromagnetic induction is the production of an electric current across a conductor moving through a magnetic field. It underlies the operation of generators, transformers, induction motors, electric motors, synchronous motors, and solenoids....

 effects on the soft iron parts of the ship, this procedure has to be repeated as often as possible, generally in harbor or occasionally at sea if the conditions were calm enough. The need to carry out such swings regularly caused delays in both the fieldwork and later office work. This experience convinced Bauer that a new ship built using non-magnetic materials was essential for carrying out further surveys and the Carnegie was designed and built in this way, replacing the Galilee after it had completed three voyages.

Cruises

The deviation coefficients for the ship were obtained by swinging the ship using a tug in San Francisco Bay, from August 2–4. On August 5, 1905, the Galilee left San Francisco on a shakedown cruise. During this week long cruise, the various instruments and procedures were tested under the supervision of the Director. Bauer also completed the training of the observers.

Cruise I

After the shakedown various modifications were made and the ship was swung again to check the coefficients. The cruise began on September 1, with the Galilee sailing to Honolulu, arriving on September 16. Following a further 'swing' and land observations at the Honolulu Magnetic Observatory, the ship sailed to Fanning Island

Tabuaeran

Tabuaeran, also known as Fanning Island or Fanning Atoll is one of the Line Islands of the central Pacific Ocean, and part of Kiribati. It is an atoll located at...

, arriving on October 10. From there the Galilee returned to Honolulu, taking a course farther to the west. The ship then sailed to the north of the Hawaiian islands before returning to San Diego, arriving at her home port on December 9. A final set of 'swings' and shore observations were made at San Diego, finishing on December 18, to provide the necessary corrections. A distance of 10571 nautical miles (19,577.5 km) was covered on the first cruise. The commander was J.F.Pratt, taken temporarily into the employ of the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism. J.P Ault, the future commander of the Carnegie, was one of the magnetic observers.

Cruise II

As J.F. Pratt and two of the magnetic observers had to return to their posts at the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey

U.S. National Geodetic Survey

National Geodetic Survey, formerly called the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey , is a United States federal agency that defines and manages a national coordinate system, providing the foundation for transportation and communication; mapping and charting; and a large number of applications of science...

 at the end of the first cruise, several new staff were required. W.J. Peters, who had experience in running previous scientific expeditions, became the commander and remained in that position for the rest of the charter period. Following some modifications, carried out under the supervision of J.F. Pratt, the Galilee set sail on the second cruise on March 2, 1906, heading straight to Fanning Island. The cruise continued to Pago Pago on Tutuila

Tutuila

Tutuila is the largest and the main island of American Samoa in the archipelago of Samoan Islands. It is the third largest island in the Samoan Islands chain of the Central Pacific located roughly northeast of Brisbane, Australia and over northeast of Fiji. It contains a large, natural harbor,...

, part of the Samoan islands

Samoan Islands

The Samoan Islands or Samoa Islands is an archipelago covering in the central South Pacific, forming part of Polynesia and the wider region of Oceania...

. Due to there being no tug available and the level of local interest, neither 'swings' nor shore observations were possible at this port. The ship continued to Apia, where land observations were made at the German Geophysical Laboratory there, although again no 'swing' was possible. The Galilee then sailed for Suva

Suva

Suva features a tropical rainforest climate under the Koppen climate classification. The city sees a copious amount of precipitation during the course of the year. Suva averages 3,000 mm of precipitation annually with its driest month, July averaging 125 mm of rain per year. In fact,...

 in the Fiji islands

Fiji

Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...

, where the ship was successfully swung and more shore observations were carried out. The next part of the cruise included stops at the Marshall Islands

Marshall Islands

The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...

 and Guam

Guam

Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...

 before arriving at Yokohama

Yokohama

is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...

 in Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 on August 13. While in harbor at Yokohama the ship was caught by a typhoon, in which she dragged her anchors and sank. Fortunately the damage was relatively slight. She was recovered and put in dry-dock where repairs were carried out. From Japan the Galilee returned to San Diego, arriving on October 19, having covered 16286 nautical miles (30,161.7 km).

Cruise III

On December 22, 1906 the Galilee set out on her final cruise from San Diego. The first port of call was Nuku Hiva

Nuku Hiva

Nuku Hiva is the largest of the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. It was formerly also known as Île Marchand and Madison Island....

 in the Marquesas Islands

Marquesas Islands

The Marquesas Islands enana and Te Fenua `Enata , both meaning "The Land of Men") are a group of volcanic islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the southern Pacific Ocean. The Marquesas are located at 9° 00S, 139° 30W...

, but the ship soon moved on to Tahiti

Tahiti

Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...

, where shore observations and 'swings' could be carried out. The next stop was Apia, where observations were again made at the Geophysical Observatory. On March 14, 1907 the Galilee moved on to Yap Island and from there to Shanghai

Shanghai

Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...

, arriving on May 8. Shore observations were made at the Zikawei Observatory, but the ship was swung in the mouth of the Yangtse River as the large tidal variation prevented this at Shanghai. The next intended stop was Midway Island, but stormy weather made this impossible and prevented most magnetic observations. The Galilee reached Sitka in Alaska

Alaska

Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...

 on July 14, having covered 5507 nautical miles (10,199 km) in 41 days, an average of about 134 miles per day. The Director reviewed the results of the cruise so far while the ship was at Sitka. New instruments were added, including one for making atmospheric-electric observations. On August 10 the ship set off once more, heading for Honolulu, which she reached on August 28. After being overhauled and refitted, the Galilee sailed for Jaluit on the Marshall Islands, where a further set of readings were taken for comparison with those taken in 1906. The ship then set sail on November 5, aiming for Port Lyttelton

Lyttelton, New Zealand

Lyttelton is a port town on the north shore of Lyttelton Harbour close to Banks Peninsula, a suburb of Christchurch on the eastern coast of the South Island of New Zealand....

 in New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

. November 11 found the Galilee still at Jaluit, becalmed and in danger of being stranded on a reef, but she was towed off by a German mail steamer. The lack of an auxiliary power source, which had caused this problem also made the trip to New Zealand extremely difficult as the winds and currents drove her towards the New Hebrides Islands. On arrival at Port Lyttleton, the ship was further delayed as Ernest Shackleton

Ernest Shackleton

Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton, CVO, OBE was a notable explorer from County Kildare, Ireland, who was one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration...

 was about to depart from that port on the Nimrod Expedition

Nimrod Expedition

The British Antarctic Expedition 1907–09, otherwise known as the Nimrod Expedition, was the first of three expeditions to the Antarctic led by Ernest Shackleton. Its main target, among a range of geographical and scientific objectives, was to be first to the South Pole...

. By January 17, 1908, the necessary observations having been made, the Galilee set sail due east. Eventually turning northeast, she arrived in Callao

Callao

Callao is the largest and most important port in Peru. The city is coterminous with the Constitutional Province of Callao, the only province of the Callao Region. Callao is located west of Lima, the country's capital, and is part of the Lima Metropolitan Area, a large metropolis that holds almost...

 in Peru

Peru

Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....

 on March 10. The ship had sustained some damage to her rudder due to very strong winds encountered during early February, that took two weeks to repair. She sailed from Callao on April 5 heading just north of west, south of the Galapagos Islands

Galápagos Islands

The Galápagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, west of continental Ecuador, of which they are a part.The Galápagos Islands and its surrounding waters form an Ecuadorian province, a national park, and a...

, before turning north and then northwest, following roughly parallel to the coast. Finally the Galilee headed northeast to San Francisco, arriving on May 21, 1908. Following a final set of 'swings' and shore observations, the vessel was returned to her owners on June 5, 1908. The final cruise had covered a distance of 369777 nautical miles (684,827 km), giving a total distance for the period of her charter to the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism of 63834 nautical miles (118,220.6 km).

Later history

Matthew Turner died in 1909 and two years later the Galilee was sold by Bowes and Andrews to the Union Fish Company of San Francisco, where she was converted to a three-masted schooner and had a diesel engine fitted. For the next 16 years she was used in the codfish trade. She lost two of her masts in March, 1924, but was towed back to port for repairs. In 1929 she was used in the tuna industry, operating off Cape San Lucas. She returned to San Francisco and was finally beached in 1933 in Sausalito in an area now known as 'Galilee harbor'. As a houseboat she had a variety of occupants over the next 42 years, but her condition continued to deteriorate. The stern was removed in 1975 and is now mounted on one of the walls of Fort Mason

Fort Mason

Fort Mason, once known as San Francisco Port of Embarkation, US Army, in San Francisco, California, is a former United States Army post located in the northern Marina District, alongside San Francisco Bay. Fort Mason served as an Army post for more than 100 years, initially as a coastal defense...

 that forms part of the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park

San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park

The San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park is located in San Francisco, California, USA. The park includes a fleet of historic vessels, a visitor center, a maritime museum, and a library/research facility...

. Part of the bow was removed in 1987 and is now preserved at the Benicia Historical Museum.

External links

• Photos of Galilee at Galilee Harbor, Sausalito

Section of the Galilee	Coordinates Geographic coordinate system A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system that enables every location on the Earth to be specified by a set of numbers. The coordinates are often chosen such that one of the numbers represent vertical position, and two or three of the numbers represent horizontal position... (links to map & photo sources)
Stern at Fort Mason Fort Mason Fort Mason, once known as San Francisco Port of Embarkation, US Army, in San Francisco, California, is a former United States Army post located in the northern Marina District, alongside San Francisco Bay. Fort Mason served as an Army post for more than 100 years, initially as a coastal defense...	37.8076°N 122.4297°W
Part of bow at Benicia	38.0537°N 122.1356°W