Ever wondered how RCGS Resolute got its name? It is actually named after the Inuit town of Resolute, in Nunavut territory, which in turn was named after the Merchant Navy vessel, HMS Resolute by Canadian settlers. Built in 1850, HMS Resolute was lost in the Arctic ice from 1854-55, when it was then discovered by the U.S. and returned to the British Royal Navy from 1856. Her lineage continues today, with several of her relics residing in some of the world’s most influential living quarters in the White House’s Oval Office.
Retired in 1879, the Merchant Navy vessel HMS Resolute was later salvaged for timber. This English Oak timber was then used to build the Resolute Desk, presented as a gift from Queen Victoria to the President of the United States, Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880. In March 2009, British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, presented US President Barak Obama with a framed commission of HMS Resolute, along with a pen holder made from her sister ship, HMS Gannet.
“We are proud to honour our very special Canadian heritage and geography while paying tribute to HMS Resolute with the naming of our new vessel. The name ‘Resolute’ has such historical significance and with our strong connection to the Arctic, it was a perfect fit” says Andrew Prossin, Managing Director of OOE.
Along with her historical roots, RCGS Resolute is proud to carry the ship prefix of The Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS), our exclusive marine travel partner in education, environmental science, and exploration. With this longstanding partnership, our guests have the exclusive opportunity to learn from and interact with RCGS Fellows, including world-renowned scientists, educators, researchers, naturalists, marine biologists, artists, historians and photographers on board.
On October 16th, 2018, RCGS Resolute sailed into Sydney, Nova Scotia, on Canada’s East Coast, for her recommissioning. RCGS Resolute’s inaugural voyage departed from Ushuaia on November 16th, 2018, on the “Antarctica – Off the Beaten Track’” voyage. From November to March she travelled to Antarctica and South Georgia before heading north to the Chilean Fjords in April 2019. From there she headed to Costa Rica and Panama, through the Panama Canal and onwards to the North Atlantic, commencing voyages through Scotland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands. She also hosted our inaugural Scotland & Ireland Golf Expedition in June 2019.
With an unsurpassed ice classification in the industry, a proven track record for stability and safety, superb design layout with 180 degree indoor and outdoor viewing platforms, and exceptional maneuverability, RCGS Resolute is ideally equipped to guide guests through the world’s most pristine and often inaccessible regions.