Hecla class survey vessel

Hecla class survey vessel

The "Hecla" class formed the backbone of the Royal Navy's ocean survey fleet from the mid-1960s. Three ships, HMS|Hecla|A133|6, HMS|Hecate|A137|6 and HMS|Hydra|A144|6, were ordered in the early 1960s to replace the aging survey ships HMS|Scott|1938|6 and HMS|Shackleton|1936|6.

The hull design was based on that of the RRS "Discovery" and the Hecla class were built to commercial standards costing £1.25 million each. They carried two small survey craft, a launch, a Land Rover and a Wasp helicopter, for which there was a flight deck and hangar. A fourth ship, HMS|Herald|H138|6 was ordered in the early 1970s. Three, all bar HMS "Hecate", saw service as ambulance ships in the Falklands War, while "Herald" also served in the Gulf War and as a temporary Antarctic Patrol Ship in 1991 and 1992. Hecate saw service as the temporary Antarctic Patrol Ship in 1982 after being painted grey and fitted with AA guns in Gibraltar. Hecate was the first Royal Navy vessel to visit South America following the Falklands conflict.

"Hydra" was sold to Indonesia in 1986 and renamed "Dewa Kembar"; "Hecate" decommissioned in 1990 and was broken up, while "Hecla" paid off in 1997 and was sold to an Irish private company, to be replaced by HMS|Scott|H131|6. "Herald" was finally decommissioned in 2001, and was replaced the same year by HMS|Echo|H87|6.

Special modifications

Besides the strengthened hull for work in ice and the provision of air conditioning necessary for work in all climates, they had modifications particular for a scientific vessel: wet and dry laboratories; a survey chartroom and photographic darkroom; oceanographic winches for deep seawater analysis and coring; stabilisers and a bow thruster, which enabled the ship to maintain her position when stopped for scientific observations.

ee also

* List of survey vessels of the Royal Navy


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