Discovering Discovery – 02 Feb 2015

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Monday 9 February 2015

A renewed sense of excitement – Visiting Discovery In Dundee

With just over a month till we set off on our journey to the polar South, we made the notably shorter trip across the Tay to Discovery Point, Dundee. When we arrived Brian Kelly, our guide aboard the RRS Discovery, met us. The tour began on the outer deck where we saw the wheel at the stern, and as we wondered how they would be able to navigate from back there we strained our necks up and saw the Crow’s Nest (110ft above deck level) where a man was stationed for up to 4 hours providing a vital role in navigation (avoiding icebergs!). 48 men were on-board Discovery so needless to say we were all bit shocked to discover there were only 2 toilets, with crew and officers using separate ones.

We ventured below deck and saw where the engine would have been and how the coal (350 tonnes on-board!) would have powered the ship. We learnt about the food, which was mainly dried and tinned foods but I was surprised to hear how the chef would have often prepared fresh bread. We learnt about the problems with scurvy and saw the ‘sick bay’ where ill men would have spent time.

One of the most striking features of the ship for us was the stark contrast between the crew’s quarters and the officer’s cabins. For the full 3-year voyage the 37 crew members would have shared 1 room and slept in hammocks! In contrast, each officer had their own cabin and the large wooden dining table was even equipped with seat cushions for extra warmth!

After we finished on the ship we thanked Brian for a wonderful tour and proceeded to look around the exhibition. This was very impressive with samples of polar clothing and many interactive features that heighten our excitement further.

The trip was a highly enjoyable educational experience and definitely made us appreciate the efforts and hardship of polar exploration. As we left Discovery, there was a new-found appreciation for how lucky we are that our polar expedition, which we have been discussing for months, will become a reality in less than 6 weeks and counting (and by the sounds of it will be a lot more comfortable than what the Discovery crew experienced over 100 years ago) .

Mhairi Miller