Captain Scott Laughlin and Captain Paul Clarke will lead the alternating crews operating Australia’s new icebreaker, the RSV Nuyina. Both Captains come to the role with experienced track records working in the Southern Ocean.
Scott Laughlin has completed over 50 voyages to Antarctica. As Captain of Australia’s current icebreaker, Aurora Australis, for over 10 years, Mr. Laughlin is familiar with the cold and challenging conditions of the Southern Ocean.
Paul Clarke also has extensive experience in the Antarctic, having spent 11 years working for the British Antarctic Survey, and undertaking more than 20 voyages to Antarctica.
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Mr. Laughlin has worked with Serco for the last five years. At first, as part of the team who compiled the successful bid to design, build, operate and maintain the Nuyina, and then more recently as a member of the engineering team managing the design and build phase.
I’m really looking forward to seeing the ice for the first time from the bridge of the Nuyina. There’s going to be a lot of people who are very keen to see the ship perform and complete that successful first voyage of the season
He is focusing on safe vessel management and operation, while in 2014 he was awarded for improving international maritime safety and personnel standards. In 2013 he received the Australian Antarctic Medal for outstanding service to the Australian Antarctic Program.
Paul Clarke started working for the British Antarctic Survey as a deck hand in 1994. He spent the last decade sailing as a Master for shipping company Solstad/Farstad in the oil and gas industry around Australia and many other parts of the world.
This is an amazing opportunity with Serco and the Australian Antarctic Program to deliver world class support for their polar and science operations. I very much enjoy the type of ice navigation challenges, research and survey work that will be undertaken on the Nuyina
he highlighted.
He also added that ‘this is going to be one of the best polar research resupply vessels in the world, when it’s completed next year.’
