Carnegie (yacht)
Carnegie was a brigantine-rigged research yacht built for the Carnegie Institution for Science to study Earth’s magnetic field. It was launched in 1909 in Brooklyn, designed by Henry J. Gielow, and built mainly from non-magnetic wood and metals to avoid interference. It cost $115,000 and measured about 155.5 feet in length.
From 1909 to 1921 Carnegie made six scientific cruises, traveling over 250,000 nautical miles around the world to gather ocean magnetic data. It carried scientists like Harald Sverdrup, Roger Revelle, and Scott Forbush. One voyage set the record for the fastest sailing circumnavigation of Antarctica (118 days) and logged many icebergs. Between 1921 and 1927 it was rebuilt with a thicker copper hull and a gasoline engine.
In 1928-1929, under Captain James P. Ault, the seventh cruise discovered Carnegie Ridge off Ecuador. On November 28, 1929, a refueling explosion in Samoa started a fire that killed Captain Ault and a crew member and destroyed Carnegie.
Carnegie left a lasting scientific legacy, greatly improving knowledge of Earth’s magnetic field and atmospheric electricity, including the daily Carnegie curve. Its data helped spur later magnetic surveys and the use of modern magnetometers; the Carnegie Rupes on Mercury is named in its honor.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 16:48 (CET).