THE ROYAL RESEARCH SHIP 'DISCOVERY IT 



By R. A. B. Ardley, R.N.R., and N. A. Mackintosh, D.Sc. 



(Plates III-XIII; Text-figures 1-5) 



INTRODUCTION 



THE R.R.S. 'Discovery', of which an account appeared in Vol. I of the Discovery 

 Reports, returned to England in October 1927, at the end of her first commission. 

 It was originally intended that she should sail south again to continue her investigations 

 in regions where a steel ship would not be suitable. Before definite plans were made, 

 however, it became known that a wooden ship would be needed for the British Aus- 

 tralian New Zealand Antarctic Expedition under Sir Douglas Mawson, and in 1928 the 

 Australian Government came forward with a proposal to charter the 'Discovery' for 

 this purpose. The experience gained during her employment by the Discovery Com- 

 mittee had shown that the researches which it was most important to prosecute as the 

 next stage of the investigations lay in the open ocean. They could be carried out far 

 more expeditiously in a ship of greater speed and range of action, and did not call for 

 the unique strength of hull which rendered the ' Discovery ' so suitable for the coastal 

 exploration to be undertaken by Sir Douglas Mawson. 



The Discovery Committee, in view of these considerations, accepted the Australian 

 offer and obtained sanction from the Secretary of State for the Colonies for the con- 

 struction of a new ship with greater speed and cruising radius. Since encounter with ice 

 would only be incidental to the continuation of the ship's work, it was decided that a 

 steel ship would be preferable to a wooden one, being more economical and allowing 

 better accommodation. Experience gained by the whaling factories in recent years had 

 shown that it was practicable for a strengthened steel ship to penetrate light Antarctic 

 pack-ice. With a full-powered steam vessel observations over a wide area could be 

 carried out more efficiently, as full advantage could be taken of weather suitable for the 

 operations, and better accommodation provided for the scientific work. Strengthening 

 of the hull was provided to increase the safety of the ship in any pack-ice necessarily 

 met with in the course of her work. 



The ship, which has been named ' Discovery 11', was specially designed for the work 

 in prospect. She is a single-screw steamship of 1036 tons gross (displacement 2100 tons 

 at a draught of just under i']\ feet), with triple expansion engines developing sufficient 

 power to give a maximum speed of 13^ knots on trials and an economic speed of 

 ID knots. The following special features are embodied in her design: 



(i) Closely spaced frames forward, and double plating of the bow down to the forefoot 

 and along the water-line, with wood panting stringer and ice compression beams in the 

 forehold. 



AUG f, 193B 



