The RRS Discovery ( Royal Research Vessel “Discovery”) – is a British research sailing vessel, which was carried out by the British Antarctic Expedition (1901-1904). And the last three-masted wooden barque in the history of British shipbuilding, and the first British vessel specially designed for scientific research .
The Discovery was launched in Dundee on March 21, 1901 and was specially developed for Antarctic research missions. Particular attention was paid to a solid outer shell in the form of several superimposed planking made of exceptionally hard wood, which was supposed to defy the dangers of ice floes and freezing water. A wind turbine with an electric generator could be installed on the foredeck.
in the 1960s, began to transform Discovery into a museum ship. In 1985, the vessel was transferred to the Dundee Foundation, and on board a dry cargo ship in 1986 was sent to the port where it was built. In 1992, an individual dock was built to store the barque, restoration work allowed the ship to be brought closer to its original appearance. The collection of the museum ship contains authentic items, including a Robert Scott pipe and rifle.
In 1979 the Maritime Trust finally saved it from being scrapped. After a £ 500,000 restoration, it was returned to its keel-laying location in Dundee, where it can be viewed in combination with a land exhibition on the original Antarctic expedition.
The ship is now a museum ship at Discovery Point in Dundee (Scotland) is part of Britain’s National Historic Fleet.
In 1979 the Maritime Trust finally saved it from being scrapped. After a £ 500,000 restoration, it was returned to its keel-laying location in Dundee, where it can be viewed in combination with a land exhibition on the original Antarctic expedition.
The ship is now a museum ship at Discovery Point in Dundee (Scotland) is part of Britain’s National Historic Fleet.
Access : Coordinates: 56.456944, -2.966667 / Dundee is an industrial city and port in Angus in North East Scotland. United Kingdom / Location : Riverside Drive DD1 4XA.
Contents
The RRS Discovery ( Royal Research Vessel “Discovery”) – is a British research sailing vessel, which was carried out by the British Antarctic Expedition (1901-1904). And the last three-masted wooden barque in the history of British shipbuilding, and the first British vessel specially designed for scientific research .The Discovery was launched in Dundee on March 21, 1901 and was specially developed for Antarctic research missions. Particular attention was paid to a solid outer shell in the form of several superimposed planking made of exceptionally hard wood, which was supposed to defy the dangers of ice floes and freezing water. A wind turbine with an electric generator could be installed on the foredeck.in the 1960s, began to transform Discovery into a museum ship. In 1985, the vessel was transferred to the Dundee Foundation, and on board a dry cargo ship in 1986 was sent to the port where it was built. In 1992, an individual dock was built to store the barque, restoration work allowed the ship to be brought closer to its original appearance. The collection of the museum ship contains authentic items, including a Robert Scott pipe and rifle.
In 1979 the Maritime Trust finally saved it from being scrapped. After a £ 500,000 restoration, it was returned to its keel-laying location in Dundee, where it can be viewed in combination with a land exhibition on the original Antarctic expedition.
The ship is now a museum ship at Discovery Point in Dundee (Scotland) is part of Britain’s National Historic Fleet.
Highlights :
- The RRS Discovery was the first British vessel specially designed for scientific research , Their first mission was to transport Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton on their Antarctic exploration mission, which they reached in January 1902. After spending a few months mapping the Antarctic shores, Discovery was trapped in ice in the McMurdo Sound. , on Ross Island for two years. At this time, Scott and Shackleton established that Antarctica was a continent, and they relocated the magnetic South Pole.
- The ship is namesake for Mount Discovery and Discovery Bluff in Antarctica. / In 1905 used her as a cargo between London and Hudson Bay (Canada) until the beginning of the First World War when the ship was destined to transport ammunition to Russia , At the end of the hostilities it was chartered by numerous companies to sail the Atlantic , In 1923 the Crown Agents for the Colonies bought Discovery for new research in Antarctica. After £ 114,000 of repairs the ship is re-registered at Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands and sets sail in October 1925 for the Antarctic seas , Returned to England, the ship remained unused until 1936 when it was entrusted to the Boy Scouts Association as a training ship for the Sea Scouts. During the war, the engine and boilers are removed for use in the war effort.
- It was the visit of this ship when it was docked in London that inspired writer Arthur C. Clarke to name the spaceship bound for Jupiter with the same name in his 2001 novel: A Space Odyssey. This name was then used by NASA to name one of its space shuttles.
- General characteristics : Class : Wooden barque 1 funnel, 3 masts – Tonnage: 736 GRT – Displacement: 1,570 tonnes – Length: 172 ft (52 m) , Beam: 33 ft (10 m) , Propulsion: Coal-fired 450hp steam engine and sail , Speed: 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) , Crew: 11 officers and 36 men.
opening hours : Apr-Oct M-Sa 10:00-18:00, Su 11:00-18:00; Nov-Mar M-Sa 10:00-17:00, Su 11:00-17:00./ Entrance fees: Adult £11.50, combi with Verdant Works £18.65.
Activities : sightseeing / photo opportunities / Good place to glance history!! / Guided tours
Go next : HMS Unicorn : A 46-gun frigate launched in 1824 / Claypotts Castle, dating from the late 16th century / Cox’s Stack, a chimney from the former Camperdown Works jute mill. / St Mary’s Tower, oldest building in Dundee, dating to late 15th century.
