The SS Explorer was a steam trawler built in 1955 for the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency. It is known for being the first commercial ship to be operated by a marine diesel engine. The vessel was designed for research and was used for a variety of scientific purposes, including marine biology, oceanography, and deep-sea trawling. The ship was also used for surveillance and intelligence gathering during the Cold War. In 1984, the SS Explorer was decommissioned and eventually fell into disrepair. Efforts were made to preserve the vessel, and in 1995, it was listed as part of the National Historic Fleet. Despite restoration attempts, the ship continued to deteriorate, and in 2016, it sank in the River Tay. Efforts to salvage and restore the SS Explorer are ongoing, with the goal of preserving this important piece of maritime history for future generations.

This description has been generated using GPT-3.5-TURBO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.