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RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: may 2015 :: RMTnews
26
The original Royal Research
Ship Discovery was built and
launched in Dundee on the
River Tay, my native city.
She was captained by the
famous ‘Scott of the Antarctic’
who died on his ill-feted
expedition to the South Pole.
This ship is now permanently
moored in Dundee as part of
Dundee Heritage Trust.
Dundee is known as the 'City
of Discovery' so it was a proud
moment for me when myself
and assistant national secretary
Mark Carden went along to
represent the union on the new
Discovery crewed by RMT
members and flying the red
ensign.
The story would have been
even better had she been built in
a British shipyard but she was
built and launched in Vigo,
Spain using taxpayers money, a
sign of our times and lack of
shipyards to build ships. That
said this is a good news story
nonetheless.
The ship is the fourth vessel
to bear the name and continues
the tradition of oceanographic
research at sea. She is equipped
for mapping the seabed, whilst
her dynamic positioning
capability means Remotely
Operated Vehicles can be used.
Her wide range of cranes and
overside gantries, with
associated winches and wires,
will allow many different types
of equipment to be deployed
from the ship. These facilities
help support the UK marine
science community as it
undertakes research of national
and global importance.
A Royal Research Ship (RRS)
is a British-operated merchant
ship that conducts research for
government scientific research
organisations, notably the
British Antarctic Survey (BAS)
and the Natural Environment
Research Council (NERC).
The new Discovery displaces
around 6,000 tonnes some five
times more than the original.
The original Discovery was the
last wooden three-masted vessel
built in the UK. I think she took
around five months to travel to
the Antarctic but I don't think
the present one will take that
long!
The original Discovery
RMT MEMBERS ON A
VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY
Wessex regional organiser Mick Tosh sees off the
RRS Discovery on its voyage to the Antarctic