Bauer submitted a plan to the Institution on 3 October 1904 to undertake a magnetic survey of the Pacific Ocean. While the general state of accurate knowledge of the terrestrial field worldwide was poor at the time, the knowledge of the Pacific was particularly bad for the obvious reason that it depended on a few occasional expeditions undertaken many years before and on observations at various islands, many of which had strong local effects. Bauer's ultimate goal was explaining at some level the origins of the terrestrial field, but he had nothing against helping mariners, who had to sail the Pacific with the worst compass corrections of the globe and with the gyrocompass still in the future. Such a project required a vessel whose construction had a minimum of magnetic materials that might interfere with the measurements. Although the construction of a special ship with that in mind was discussed immediately, it was thought prudent to gain experience in a chartered wooden vessel from which as much of the iron had been removed as possible. A few cruises would provide important guidance for the design of a special non-magnetic research vessel as well as gather experience in the difficult task of making the measurements at sea.

The brigantine Galilee proved to be a suitable choice. Built in Benicia, California in 1891 it had been engaged originally in carrying passengers between San Francisco and Tahiti but was then carrying freight to various South Pacific islands.