Scarlett’s JCR Engine Room Tour – Feb 2020 – admission – FREE! Scarlett was prompt and courteous, and even arranged collection from the local accommodation. On arrival at the designated meeting point (the duty mess), he set the scene well and put the other guests at ease immediately, advising on necessary safety during the tour (keep limbs and other appendages away from moving parts, hot things will be hot..etc). The James Clark Ross is a special purpose, ice strengthened research and logistics ship, with an ice class of 1AS. It is 99.4 meters in length, with a gross tonnage of 5,732 and nearly 8,500 bhp. The JCR can carry up to 75 crew and special persons / passengers into waters between 80°N and 76°S. The tour itself took a route from the duty mess through the small hatches, passageways and hidden spaces usually seen only by the engineers, from bow through to stern and ending with a climb up to the top of the funnel. The tour took in the obviously impressive 8.954 meter, 19.855 ton, forged carbon steel prop shaft, with it’s powerful jacking pumps. We also got to experience the Intering Stabiliser and Ice Heeling System at work with it’s 2 tanks carrying up to 90 tons each of fresh water that can create an impressive max stabilising moment of 602 tm and a max anti-heeling moment of 1295 tm. Which explains the superbly comfortable motion of the JCR, as well as allowing the ship to do a little ice crunching if needed. A highlight of the tour was starting number 3 engine, a very cute eau d’nil blue 6R22 Wartsila (1,000 kW), which purred like a kitten. However, my favourite engineering feat was the Hamworthy ST6A Super Trident Sewage Treatment Unit which processes with ease all the excrement the scientist and crew can expel. Scarlett was extremely knowledgeable about the subject matter, and was able to give all the necessary facts and figures. Of all the engine room tours that I have taken, I can not hesitate to recommend Scarlett’s JCR Engine Room Tour highly enough.