She may have been replaced by a younger sibling, but the SA Agulhas will now embark on a second life that may prove as adventurous as the first. South Africa’s famous polar research vessel has for years been gathering seagulls in the shadow of the ‘new kid on the block’, SA Agulhas II. For a while it seemed the ‘Old Lady’ may be heading for obscurity, particularly when government issued a tender for her disposal. “Due to changing priorities and financial constraints, the decision was made to dispose of the vessel in line with National Treasury guidelines,” the tender document said. However the tender came with an important proviso: the new buyer would have to continue to use the vessel for training purposes, specifically training of South African cadets.
Enter German company JS Maritime which has signed a partnership agreement with both the South African and German governments, in terms of which the SA Agulhas will get back to where she belongs – crunching ice on her way to and from Antarctica. Not only will JS Maritime oversee training of cadets, the training programme will include career guidance and exposure to job opportunities. In addition, the ship will be recalibrated to accommodate paying Antarctic tourists and researchers, allowing the ship to pay its way as it continues to gather sea miles.
According to the tender specs SA Agulhas was built in 1977 in Japan by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to serve as an Arctic Research and Supply vessel, connecting the mainland to South Africa’s research bases at the SANAE base, on Marion Island, and on Gough Island. The ship is 112m long and weights over 6000 tons.