For convenience, I'm putting two completely unrelated questions in one post (well, they do both relate to ships of the ocean-going variety).

First, regarding Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, the original movie and the TV series: I may have missed an episode when all this was explained, but what's the arrangement between the Nelson Institute for Marine Research and the U.S. Navy? As I understand it, the Seaview was privately funded and built, and is privately owned, by the Nelson Institute. Yet she operates under the authority of the Navy, with a Navy commanding officer and full Navy crew. And what exactly is Harriman Nelson's role in all this? Is he the head of a private oceanographic research institute and an active-duty Admiral? Sound like he spreads himself pretty thin!

Second, I've tried Googling this information with no success. Does anyone know what real ship was used for the Petrox Explorer in the 1976 King Kong, and if it or a ship of its type has ever been produced as a model kit?

I've done a bit of research on my own and discovered this site with a copy of Irwin Allen's original Writer's Guide for the series.
http://www.daffronanddelaney.com/WritersGuide.htm

Some excerpts:

Seaview is not a regular Navy ship. It is privately owned by the Nelson Institute of Marine Research — an organization of scientists with headquarters at Santa Barbara, California. Its crew members are civilian employees, although nearly all of them are former naval submariners.

ADMIRAL HARRIMAN NELSON, U.S.N. (Ret.) – the head of the Nelson Institute of Marine Research in Santa Barbara. A brilliant engineer-scientist of mature middle age, he resigned his position as Dean of the Department of Science at Annapolis to form the Research Institute which bears his name. His imaginative and creative mind conceived the design for Seaview and his driving, forceful personality made it possible to bring the dream to reality.

Even to those who know him best, it came as a distinct surprise when this dedicated and gifted officer gave up his Naval career to devote the rest of this life to science. But only a handful of people know that Nelson’s retirement was in name only. Actually he and his Institute of Marine Research serve as a powerful and secret intelligence force, ranging the world under cover of scientific research on missions of vital importance to the security of their country.

COMMANDER LEE CRANE – young, virile captain of the submarine. An outstanding athlete at Annapolis, he was graduated with honors and served with distinction in the submarine service before being detached from the Navy and assigned, as a civilian, to the command of Seaview. He has tremendous respect – amounting almost to awe – for Admiral Nelson. The two men act as perfect complements and hold each other in mutual high esteem. . .

So I guess I've pretty much answered my own first question. The concept obviously changed between the feature film and the TV show. IIRC, in the movie, the Seaview was a regular Navy sub. There were references to the ship being funded by taxpayer dollars, and Admiral Nelson was still on active duty — he was definitely the guy running the show!

Good research! That's what I was essentially going to say but I wasn't 100% sure of it.

In your research, does it explain how a civilian submarine was allowed to carry nuclear weapons?

In your research, does it explain how a civilian submarine was allowed to carry nuclear weapons?I suppose it was all part of the Seaview's covert ops mission -- you know, just in case we have to blow up an entire country or two. Pretty far-fetched, even for an Irwin Allen show, but hey, it was the Cold War, remember?

About as believable as a civilian research doctor being given a nuclear warhead. :p

There is a first season episode where there was a war situation and the Seaview had to launch her nukes. There were three launch stations that had to be manned. On in the control room, by the Capt. Crane. The second was manned by Admiral Nelson, in his quarters, I think. And the third was in the missle room and was manned by a U.S. Navy Officer who was stationed on the Seaview. The idea being that as the Seaview was nuclear powered, she was a reserve U.S. Navy vessel. This method of launching the missles was quickly jettisioned. Kind of like the no supernatural stories rule. :lol:

There was also a first seaon episode where Crane to a U.S. Admiral that they couldn't order the Seaview around, because it is a civilian vessel, with a civilian crew.

Of course both of these ignore the fact that it was stated more than once, that the Seaview really was a U.S. Navy vessel, just a covert one.

David.

http://www.defoenet.com/shipbuild/boats/melville.htm

There's a start for ya. From what I could gather, two ships were used in this film, the U.S.S. Melville an oceanographic research vessel and the Susanne Onstadd, a supertanker.

http://www.kkstomp.com/raymorton.htm

Scroll down on this page to Brian Frankish(Unit Production Manager, Hawaii)

I got ya started, you can take it from here!

Oops, this was in reference to the King Kong part of your post

One more edit: found a better website for the Melville:

http://shipsked.ucsd.edu/ships/melville/photos.html (http://shipsked.ucsd.edu/ships/melville/photos.html)

Thanks for the links, Mitch. There's certainly enough info and detailed plans on that Scripps Institution website to build an accurate model of the Melville/Petrox Explorer -- not that I have that kind of scratchbuilding skill! And the King Kong's Stomping Ground site has lots of interesting Kongology.

How did you know it was the Melville?

MSN search, brother, MSN search.....Google is not always your friend!