RRS DISCOVERY - 50 Years On   - The recent revived Swansea Dry Dock recently drydocked the RRS DISCOVERY, the NERC owned research vessel - the repair work involved an he tailshaft, which was leaking and general maintenance.   The DISCOVERY was built in Aberdeen in 1962.   The DISCOVERY underwent a major refit in 1992 which comprised insertion of a 10m lengthening section and a complete rebuild of her upper-works, including new laboratories, as well as greatly enhanced over-the-side handling facilities.  A further major refit in 2003 installed an updated electrical winch system.    The ship is not fitted with a multibeam echosounder, nor is it capable of dynamic positioning, while the main propulsion motor is the one fitted at build. 

The project to replace the ship started in 2007 and saw an order placed in March 2010 with C.N.P. Freire, S.A of Vigo (Spain) which will enter service in June 2013 at a cost of £ 75 million, being provided by a combination of funding from the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills’ (Large Facilities Capital Fund)  and NERC.     Designed by Skipsteknisk AS, who also designed the other NERC Research Ship RRS JAMES COOK the new ship will take the name ‘Discovery’ thus maintaining a tradition of the four predecessors, going back to Captain Scott’s expedition ship (1901-4).