NO. 1 FRASER : SCIENTIFIC WORK, VELERO III, EASTERN PACIFIC 23 



that, with safety and convenience, would meet any emergency likely to 

 arise in carrying out the expanding program of marine exploration that 

 he had in mind. 



Now was the time to put these ideas to the test in building a new 

 cruiser, which became Velero III, with Naval Architect, G. Bruce New- 

 by, commissioned to carry out the plans. In June, 1930, the keel was laid 

 in the Craig Shipbuilding Yards at Long Beach. The work was carried 

 out expeditiously, so that everything was ready for launching on April 2, 

 1931, and it was not long until the Velero III was ready for her trial 

 trip to San Francisco, on which she embarked July 11, 1931. Her per- 

 formance was well up to expectations, but before starting on her first 

 long cruise in the interest of science shorter cruises were made to the 

 Channel Islands, San Francisco, San Diego, Guadalupe Island, and Cer- 

 ros Island. Every test was met so successfully that there was no necessity 

 of any further delay in starting out on the First Allan Hancock Pacific 

 Expedition. How well the Velero III behaved on these expeditions is 

 told elsewhere in this volume. 



