Elettra III

We have received the following information from Seth Muir in Seattle.  The pictures and drawings have been augmented by additional material from Marconi Marine 

Webmaster

My name is Seth Muir and I’m the Executive Director of Salish Sea Expeditions, a Seattle Washington USA based non-profit charity. For 20 years we have been engaging middle and high school students, primarily from public schools, in science research and maritime skills programs on Puget Sound aboard a 61′ sailing research vessel.

I’m writing because in 2015 we purchased the M/V Elettra III (o/n 694607; BRIT304285) from a private owner here in Seattle. We have begun to retro-fit and plan to relaunch her as our region’s first science and marine technology laboratory and research vessel for kids.  We have made great progress and I thought you might be interested in our exciting new plan for this historic vessel built to Lloyd’s class for the Marconi Company.

Some materials about our progress (including the Act of Congress we received) and the campaign underway to relaunch Elettra III as a student lab can be found here. I also recently won a prize pitching this idea, and a short video can be seen here which tells the story and highlights our plans.

If this is of interest at all to you, I’d love to talk more. If you ever happen to be in this area we’d love to show you around and might have some original equipment coming off the boat that could be of interest too.

My information is all below, and I thank you for your interest.

The original order and the shipyard

The launch of Elettra III

Fitting out Elettra III

Description of the vessel 1962

Plans of the vessel as built 1962

 

Elettra III from above 2016

 

On 2 August 2019 we received this further comment from Terry Hoyle

After the death this week of an old friend and ex Radio Officer, I was speaking to two other friends both, like me, ex Marconi Marine R/Os, about old times.  John Older’s name came-up.  John was once the R/O, Sales Engineer and Electronics Engineer aboard “Elettra III” when she was representing us around Europe in the ’60’s of last century.  I looked her up and BINGO, up popped this very interesting article. I hope others may see this and remember John, who died of the “Big C” when far too young. As you will see from this article, “Elettra III” is still afloat and in her latest guise might be deemed a fitting memorial to all “Marconi Men”.