A SOUTH African ship renowned for its multinational rescues, Antarctic research and even murder is in East London harbour’s drydock for routine maintenance.
The SA Agulhas, built in 1978, was retired in May 2012 after an illustrious run as a polar research vessel, with the occasional rescue thrown in.
Measuring 112m long by 18m wide, the vessel was replaced by the newer SA Agulhas II and transferred to the South African Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) as a training vessel by the Department of Environmental Affairs last year.
The vessel arrived in East London on March 29 and is expected to be in drydock until Monday undergoing general maintenance.
The SA Agulhas was a crucial part of South Africa’s Antarctic research programme, and was used to service the three South African National Antarctic Programme research bases of Gough Island, Marion Island in the Southern Ocean and SANAE IV in Antarctica.
Despite being replaced by the SA Agulhas II, the ship will still make some trips to the Antarctic waters.
At the end of 2012 Samsa chartered the polar vessel for the “Coldest Journey” – an expedition that was to be led by explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes.
The aging ship still bears the branding of the explorers’ campaign: Seeing is Believing.
Seeing is Believing is a global initiative to help tackle avoidable blindness, and raises money to prevent and treat avoidable blindness in poor communities. The initiative is in collaboration with Standard Chartered Bank and the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness . The team of originally six explorers – now down to five – set out on the “Coldest Journey” to raise funds for Seeing is Believing by crossing the Antarctic.
Fiennes – the world’s greatest living explorer, according to the Guiness Book of Records – pulled out of the traverse at the end of February due to frostbite.
The SA Agulhas is credited with the rescue of the crew of the Magdalena Oldendorff in 2002 after the ship got stuck in the Arctic in extreme weather conditions.
Using its two Oryx helicopters, operated by 22 Squadron, 89 Russian Antarctic expedition members and Magdalena Oldendorff crew members were transported to the SA Agulhas and taken to safety, while 2000kg of supplies were transported to the ship for the remaining crew.
While the SA Agulhas might be famous for the rescue it also has a darker history – over the years two murders were committed on the ship, the most recent in 2007 when Ordinary Seaman Edward Hudley was killed.
The first murder took place while the ship was on a trip to Marion Island when one member of the crew was killed by another with a fire-axe. —
SA Agulhas in EL for maintenance
The SA Agulhas, built in 1978, was retired in May 2012 after an illustrious run as a polar research vessel, with the occasional rescue thrown in.
Measuring 112m long by 18m wide, the vessel was replaced by the newer SA Agulhas II and transferred to the South African Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) as a training vessel by the Department of Environmental Affairs last year.
The vessel arrived in East London on March 29 and is expected to be in drydock until Monday undergoing general maintenance.
The SA Agulhas was a crucial part of South Africa’s Antarctic research programme, and was used to service the three South African National Antarctic Programme research bases of Gough Island, Marion Island in the Southern Ocean and SANAE IV in Antarctica.
Despite being replaced by the SA Agulhas II, the ship will still make some trips to the Antarctic waters.
At the end of 2012 Samsa chartered the polar vessel for the “Coldest Journey” – an expedition that was to be led by explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes.
The aging ship still bears the branding of the explorers’ campaign: Seeing is Believing.
Seeing is Believing is a global initiative to help tackle avoidable blindness, and raises money to prevent and treat avoidable blindness in poor communities. The initiative is in collaboration with Standard Chartered Bank and the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness . The team of originally six explorers – now down to five – set out on the “Coldest Journey” to raise funds for Seeing is Believing by crossing the Antarctic.
Fiennes – the world’s greatest living explorer, according to the Guiness Book of Records – pulled out of the traverse at the end of February due to frostbite.
The SA Agulhas is credited with the rescue of the crew of the Magdalena Oldendorff in 2002 after the ship got stuck in the Arctic in extreme weather conditions.
Using its two Oryx helicopters, operated by 22 Squadron, 89 Russian Antarctic expedition members and Magdalena Oldendorff crew members were transported to the SA Agulhas and taken to safety, while 2000kg of supplies were transported to the ship for the remaining crew.
While the SA Agulhas might be famous for the rescue it also has a darker history – over the years two murders were committed on the ship, the most recent in 2007 when Ordinary Seaman Edward Hudley was killed.
The first murder took place while the ship was on a trip to Marion Island when one member of the crew was killed by another with a fire-axe. —
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