UK’s new polar research ship being built at Cammell Laird in Birkenhead RRS Sir David Attenborough has achieved another important milestone with the commissioning and testing of the ship’s lifeboats and lifeboat davits.
The lifeboats, each capable of carrying 90 people, are now in position on both sides of the vessel, along with the operational davits that allow for the safe deployment and recovery of the boats.
RRS Sir David Attenborough is the first International Maritime Organisation’s Polar Code-compliant ship to have been built in the UK. These regulations extend to the ship’s lifeboats and davits, all of which are capable of operating at the Polar Service Temperature of -35ᵒC.
British Antarctic Survey and Norsafe worked closely to develop the equipment, guided by the results of lifeboat search and rescue expedition trials carried out in the Arctic.
One of the most advanced vessels of its type in the world, the new polar research ship for Britain will transform how ship-borne science is carried out in the Polar Regions. It is capable of breaking through ice one metre thick at a speed of 3 knots, and will allow up to 30 crew members, plus 60 scientists and support staff, to access some of the most remote locations on the planet.
RRS Sir David Attenborough also began fully operating on its own power for the first time earlier this month.