List of survey vessels of the Royal Navy

Active ships

Antarctic patrol vessel (2011–) which carries the survey motor boat (SMB) James Caird IV.

Ocean survey vessels (1997–)

Coastal survey vessels Survey Motor Launch (2018–)

Decommissioned ships

Antarctic patrol vessels (1955–70) (1968–91) (1991–2008)

Ocean survey vessels

(1964–97) (1965–90) (1966–86) (1974–2001)

Coastal survey vessels

(1968–2002) (1968–2001) (1968–91) (1968–89) (1986–2010) Echo-class multi–purpose survey vessels (2003–2022) which carries SMB Sapphire. (2003–2023) which carries SMB Spitfire.

Inshore survey vessels

(1958–85) (1959–85) (1959–85)

HMS Waterwitch (ex–HMS Powderham) (1964–86) HMS Woodlark (ex–HMS Yaxham) (1964–86)

HMS Mermaid (ex–HMS Sullington) (1964–68) HMS Myrmidon (ex–HMS Edderton) (1964–68)

Survey Motor Launches (SML) SML 2 SML 4 SML 6 SML 322 SML 323 SML 324 SML 325 SML 326 (ex–HDML 1301) (1945–1966) (ex–HDML 1387) (1952–1965) (1983–2018)

Earlier survey vessels (1666–1698), the Navy's first hydrographic survey vessel (1839–65) (1867–88)

(1906–14, 1920–24) (1913–42) (1918–19) (1932–53) (1939–45) (1954–71)

(1920–35) (1920–38) (1920–38) (1920–38)

(1923–31) HMS Herald (ex–HMS Merry Hampton) (1924–39) (1924–36)

(1936–39)

(1938) (1938)

(1938–52) (1938–39) (1938–39) (1939–64) (1946–50) (1946–62) – renamed HMS Shackleton, 1955

(1948–68) (1949–65) (1950–64) (1950–66)

References