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DISCOVERY

Shipbuildervessel built by Hall, Russell & Company, Limited (Aberdeen, Scotland, 1864 - 1992)

Date3 July 1962

Object NameRESEARCH VESSEL

MediumSTEEL

ClassificationsShip

Dimensionslength 235 7/12' x breadth 46 1/12' x depth 18 1/12'
gross tonnage: 2665 ton

Object numberABDSHIP002585

Keywords

Aberdeen Built Ships

About MeYard: Hall, Russell & Co.
Yard Number: 899

Fate: Scrapped, Ghent, Belgium, 2013.

Propulsion: Motor
Description: Oceanic research vessel, 2 decks, Ice Class 2, welded construction.

Owners:
1962: National Oceanographic Council
The owners name changed to N.E.R.C. Research Ship Unit (National Enviro Research Council), London, UK.

General History:
Launched 3 July 1962 by Viscountess Hailsham, wife of the Minister for Science. Built for the National Oceanographic Council, DISCOVERY was the largest general purpose oceanographic research vessel in use in the United Kingdom.
DISCOVERY was to explore the oceans around the world. Her superstructure and funnel - built from aluminium to reduce the weight - were fixed by using aluminium rivets and welding - the only time this has been done on a ship in Hall Russells. DISCOVERY had a number of laboratories installed on board which were modified along with new computers when she came back for a refit in the later sixties early seventies.

When built, work spaces included well-equipped, fully air-conditioned scientific laboratories; biological, chemical, bacteriological, hydro deck, after rough, photographic and low temperature laboratories with electronic laboratory and workshop. There was also a scientific workshop, net room, scientific cinema and library.

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The DISCOVERY's First Task

'The royal research ship DISCOVERY completed by Hall, Russell & Co. Ltd. in 1962 is to take part in the International Indian Ocean Expedition for about fifteen months in 1963 and 1964 and will play a leading part in surveying the Arabian Sea.

'The Arabian Sea is of particular interest to scientists for in the course of a year there is a complete reversal of direction of the wind and by studying the response of the water movements to this change much should be learnt about the mechanism of wind driven currents.

'The movement of currents is studied both by following the salt content of the water and its density and a principle feature of the ship's work will be the collection and analysis of water samples from different depths in the Ocean. At the same time, direct measurements of currents will be made with current meters and by following neutrally buoyant floats which are weighted to float at a chosen depth where they drift along with the current emitting a sound signal which can readily be tracked with hydrophones on the ship.

'The Indian Ocean is also surrounded by countries which are both badly undernourished and yet have rapidly growing populations and there is a great need to find and develop mew fisheries which can provide food for these people. There are already indications that the Arabian Sea is an exceptionally fertile area and so the DISCOVERY will devote a large part of her time to making measurements of the fertility in different areas and to finding out where the fish are most likely to be caught. To do this, the plants and animals of the plankton from the surface to the bottom of the ocean will be studied and large underwater trawls will be used to catch fish in the depths of the sea. DISCOVERY will also be fitted with a special high frequency, narrow beam echo-sounder to detect and examine fish shoals in mid-water.

'The shape of the sea bed will also be charted by continuous echo sounding with a precision of about one fathom in three thousand so that even the smallest slopes on the sea floor can be detected, while seismic and magnetic techniques will be used to learn more about the geological history of the Arabian Sea and to try to understand why, for example, the Seychelles Islands are made of granite, a most unusual feature of the oceanic islands.

'These studies of the Indian Ocean will be but a prelude to the career of DISCOVERY and we feel confident that she will set an example in exploration of the seas as fine as that of her predecessors.'
('The Burntisland Group Journal', vol. 27, no. 2, p. 58)

Always fitted with a broad range of oceanographic equipment, DISCOVERY more recently could also accommodate containerised laboratories, with berths available for 28 scientific staff, and has the ability to spend up to 45 days at sea. Her last major overhaul was in 1991/1992, when a new superstructure and power plant were installed and her hull lengthened by 10 metres. She was lengthened to 90.05 meters and cranes were installed - 1 x 130 ton, 1 x 75 ton, 3 x 30 ton; Two A-Frames - 1 x 20T and 1 x 15T; 7 diesel electric engines driving 2 gen each 1,058KW 415AC 2 gen each 704W A15 AC connected to electric motor driving 1 Fixed Pitch propeller.

After 51 years service with National Environment Research Council, that has seen the ship being transformed in different phases throughout its 51 years with the superstructure removed and rebuilt, new engines installed and lengthened by 20ft as to what it was when she left the shipyard in 1962, to finally in 2013 when she was taken to Gallo Recycle Yard, Ghent, Belgium. Her name is carried on by the National Environment who have built a new ship, built in Spain and commissioned in 2013 to replace DISCOVERY.

Note:
3 oil engines 4SA each 6 cyl 12