Homeward-bound from Antarctica
The ship left her home-port last November and has now completed her second deployment to Antarctica. HMS Scott has spent the Austral Summer working on behalf of the British Foreign Commonwealth Office, British Antarctic Survey & United Kingdom Hydrographic Office.
Thanks to the good weather and the use of smaller boats, the ship was able to conduct visits to the bases of thirteen different nations. This was significantly more than in previous years. Each visit allowed the ship’s company to see how different nationalities cope with life in the ‘deep freeze’. A common thread was the importance of food, from Chinese delicacies at The Great Wall of China Base, to afternoon tea and cakes at the British base at Rothera, Scott’s sailors were lucky to sample food from all over the globe.
The Commanding Officer of HMS Scott, Commander GeorgeTabeart said: “The Ice Patrol Ship deployment is a privileged step change from HMS Scott’s usual tasking of ocean survey. The capabilities of the ship allow avariety of alternative activities that are complementary to the work that has been previously undertaken by HMS Endurance and will be undertaken by HMS Protector. With safety of life paramount in these remote waters, our survey work will ensure that tourists can safely visit the pristine environment and witness the abundance of wildlife.”
HMS Scott's deployment to the South Atlantic was in support of the UK’s long-term strategic, scientific, environmental and sustainable resource management interests in the Antarctic, South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands, and the wider area. The UK protects these interests, and the nation’s sovereignty, by taking a leading role in the Antarctic Treaty System through apolicy of presence, governance, and commitment to deliver the UK’s international obligations.
The ship is due to undergo a short maintenance period on her return to Devonport before returning to her Ocean Deep Survey Hydrographic duties.
HMS Scott is the Royal Navy’s deep-water Ocean Survey Vessel (OSV) and is the fifth largest vessel in the Fleet, at 13,500 tons. Her size is a consequence of her unique sonar fit, capable of surveying the deepest oceans in continuous lines of up to 400 miles in length. She was commissioned in 1997. The full ship’s crew is 78, however, the crew rotation system means 52 are onboard at any one time during a standard 35 day operational cycle and the remainder of the crew take leave. By operating in such a manner the ship maximises its operational availability and effectiveness by being at sea for 307 days per year.
The Royal Navy has recently announced the procurement of HMS Protector, a Norwegian ice-patrol ship, which will initially be leased for three years. The ship's mission will be patrol and survey the Antarctic and South Atlantic while the long-term future of HMS Endurance is considered.
