HMS Protector (A173) Model Ship

HMS Protector is a Royal Navy ice patrol ship.

About the HMS Protector (A173) Wooden Scale Model Ship

The HMS Protector (A173) was custom built from the following information:

• The original construction drawings.
• Taking measurements and photographs during a visit to the vessel while docked in Cape Town Harbour enroute to Antarctica.

About the construction of the HMS Protector (A173) Model Ship

• The hull is built using the Double Plank-on-Bulkhead construction method
• The bulkheads and keel are cut from marine grade pine plywood
• The first layer of planking is done plank by plank using Mahogany planks
• The hull is encased in fiberglass
• The deck is made of Anagre, a light brown timber from the Amazon
• The superstructure is built from polystyrene
• The model is painted with acrylic paint

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Member of The Nautical Research Guild

Learn more about the HMS Protector (A173)

HMS Protector (A173)

The current HMS Protector began her life as MV Polarbjørn, a Norwegian-built polar research and subsea support vessel launched in 2001. Designed for long Antarctic expeditions and subsea operations, she was equipped with dynamic positioning systems and facilities to support remote-operated vehicles. In 2011, the UK Ministry of Defence chartered her as a temporary replacement for the ice patrol ship HMS Endurance, which had suffered damage in 2008. Following modifications—including the relocation of the helicopter deck to the stern and the installation of a multibeam echosounder—she was commissioned into the Royal Navy on 23 June 2011, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty. The vessel was purchased outright by the Ministry of Defence in September 2013 .

As the Royal Navy’s sole ice patrol ship, HMS Protector has undertaken numerous missions in polar regions. In 2021, she made history by sailing closer to the North Pole than any other Royal Navy ship, reaching within 1,050 kilometers of the pole during her first Arctic patrol . Her roles encompass supporting scientific research, conducting hydrographic surveys, and asserting the UK’s presence in the Antarctic and South Atlantic territories.