POLARIS (research vessel)
historic place
The POLARIS research vessel, a historic place in Redwood City, San Mateo County, has a notable past. Originally christened the Pasado Mañana in May 1926, it was built by William Cyer in Oakland as a pleasure craft for California businessman Lee Allen Phillips. The vessel changed hands several times, including serving the U.S. Army as a personnel transport in Puget Sound from 1944. In 1966, the U.S. Geological Survey, or USGS, acquired the vessel and converted it for scientific research. Renamed the POLARIS, it became crucial for marine geology and water quality studies in Alaska and the San Francisco Bay area. From 1968 until its retirement in 2015, the POLARIS continuously sailed from the South San Francisco Bay, conducting monthly cruises to collect water and sediment samples for analysis. The vessel was retired in 2015 due to increasing upkeep costs. While the POLARIS is recognized as a historic place, specific text from a historical marker and its erection year are not available. The POLARIS is significant for its decades of scientific contributions to understanding the San Francisco Bay ecosystem.