WH SCOTT
RRS Sir David Attenborough Mooring Winch Project
Design and delivery of a bespoke scientific winch for advanced ocean research operations.
Project Snapshot
Client: British Antarctic Survey (BAS)
Provider: WH Scott
The Challenge
The RRS Sir David Attenborough, a state-of-the-art polar research vessel, required a specialised mooring winch to support scientific operations at sea. The system needed to enable the safe deployment and recovery of scientific moorings used in ocean, ice, and atmospheric research.
Given the vessel’s role in extreme and remote environments, the winch had to meet high standards of reliability, durability, and performance. It also needed to integrate seamlessly with onboard systems while supporting complex research tasks carried out by scientists in challenging conditions.
The project required close collaboration with multiple stakeholders, including the British Antarctic Survey and the Natural Environmental Research Council, to ensure the equipment met precise operational and scientific requirements.
The Solution
WH Scott worked in close partnership with the British Antarctic Survey to design, manufacture, and test a bespoke scientific mooring winch tailored to the vessel’s needs. The project commenced in January 2018, with a strong focus on quality control and engineering precision throughout the process.
Engineers travelled regularly to the manufacturing facility in Holland to oversee production, ensuring that all specifications were met and that the highest standards were maintained at every stage. WH Scott also managed the project programme to ensure timely delivery in line with the vessel’s build schedule.
The final winch system was engineered to provide reliable performance during deployment and recovery operations, supporting critical scientific missions in some of the world’s most demanding marine environments.
The Outcome
Key Results:
- Successful design, manufacture, and testing of a bespoke scientific mooring winch
- Delivered to support advanced research operations on a polar exploration vessel
- Project managed from January 2018 through to completion with close stakeholder collaboration
Additional Notes:
The winch plays a key role in enabling cutting-edge scientific research aboard the RRS Sir David Attenborough, contributing to global understanding of climate and environmental change.
It was a great opportunity and a fantastic project to be involved in. We worked closely with the team at the British Antarctic Survey to achieve their desired goal, so we can’t wait to see the winch in action and read about the ground-breaking research it assists with.
Marc Heath
Sales Director of WH Scott