Ship

The RRS James Cook  was built in 2006 and named by HRH Princess Anne at the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton in February 2007.

Photograph by Leighton Rolley

At just under 90 m long, the RRS James Cook  is a highly efficient, world class research ship, capable of working from the tropics to the edge of the ice sheets.   She has eight laboratories and is fitted with dynamic positioning, a system of thrusters which enable exceptional positional control and manoeuvrability.

The RRS James Cook  has an endurance of up to 50 days at sea and can accommodate up to 31 scientists and 23 officers and crew.   She has deck areas with specialised handling equipment which can deploy the ROV whilst the ship is on station.  Vehicles like TOBI are launched over the stern and then towed behind the ship.

Foredeck 

One of the life boats

The dynamic positioning unit on the bridge

View to the stern from the bridge

On entering Southampton docks, the RRS James Cook  passed the RRS Discovery shown here steaming behind a huge container ship.

28 August 2012, the RRS James Cook  approaches the dock side at the National Oceanography Centre