$279m research ship fails sea trials and returns to yard
The UK’s new polar research ship, the Sir David Attenborough, has failed its sea trials and has returned to the Cammell Laird shipyard for checks.
The 2021-built, Sir David Attenborough, has failed it sea trials and has returned to the Merseyside yard where it was built.
UK accident investigators from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch revealed in March that two crew members were injured during a lifeboat drill on the 15,600-gt vessel. The seafarers were trapped inside a lifeboat when it rolled on its side during a test launch in Loch Buie.
The ship’s operator, the British Antarctic Survey, confirmed to the Sun newspaper that the vessel was back on Merseyside after undergoing sea trials since early February.
“The purpose of the trials is to identify and fix technical issues. It is a complex build, with thousands of components to test,” a spokesperson said. BAS said the lifeboat deployment mechanism malfunctioned on 4 March. The crew members suffered minor injuries.
