23rd Nov: RRS James Cook
Recently the research ship RRS James Cook visited Cardiff and was opened to the general public and to many former staff from the research vessel base when it was in Barry. John Gould, a colleague from my oceanography days remarked that there were quite few ex-oceanographic institue employees who had never been aboard one of the present generation of Royal Research Ships, and arranged an opportunity for some of us to visit the RRS James Cook in Southampton on Saturday 23 November. Our guide was Ben Moat, previously a member of my Met research team and now principal scientist for the Atlantic overturning circulation investigations and we were accompanied bby the ship’s Master.
The RRS James Cook was commissioned in 2007, the year I retired having reached 60… although I was asked to stay on past my birthday so the University could count my AMS Sverdrup Gold Medal in their Research Assessment exercise! I was pleased to have it confirmed by Ben that the sampling platform, which I had discussed with Andy Louch during the specification phase, has been a success. I’ve always felt some ownership although I’m sure there must have been various other arguments for its existence!