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| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S. A. Agulhas II | 1/2 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S._A._Agulhas_II | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T13:18:40.662138+00:00 | kb-cron |
S. A. Agulhas II is a South African icebreaking polar supply and research vessel owned by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment. She was built in 2012 by STX Finland Rauma shipyard in Rauma, Finland, to replace the ageing S. A. Agulhas, which was retired from Antarctic service in April 2012. Unlike her predecessor, S. A. Agulhas II was designed from the beginning to carry out both scientific research and supply South African research stations in the Antarctic. During a voyage to the Weddell Sea in February and March 2022, the Agulhas II served as the mother ship for the Endurance22 Expedition of the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust. Using a submersible vehicle, participants in the expedition located the wreck of Sir Ernest Shackleton's ship, Endurance, at a depth of 11,000 ft (3,400 m) beneath the surface on the floor of Weddell Sea. The Endurance had sunk in 1915 after being crushed by ice. As of 2025 she is one of several ships that regularly take passengers to and from Tristan da Cunha. The British territory does not have an airport, and so relies on ships.
== Development and construction ==
In November 2009 the South African Department of Water and Environmental Affairs signed a 116 million euro (R 1.3 billion) contract with STX Finland for the construction of a new polar research and supply vessel that would replace the ageing S. A. Agulhas, which was scheduled to be retired by 2012. The shipyard, located in Rauma, Finland, beat competing bids from Astellero Barreras from Spain, Damen Shipyards from the Netherlands and Keppel Singmarine from Singapore. The production began with the steel-cutting ceremony in September 2010. The keel of the new ship, referred to by her yard number as NB 1369, was laid down on 31 January 2011. She was launched on 21 July 2011 and named S. A. Agulhas II. S. A. Agulhas II conducted her open water sea trials in February 2012 and, in order to verify the results of model tests, ice trials in the Bay of Bothnia in the Baltic Sea between 19 and 24 March. During the latter voyage the ship encountered level ice up to 0.6 metres (2.0 ft) thick and performed beyond expectations. In addition the hull and machinery of the vessel were instrumented to measure full-scale ice loads, and in the future S. A. Agulhas II will be used as a research platform by companies and universities from Finland and South Africa to gain more knowledge about the interaction between ice and the ship. S. A. Agulhas II was handed over to the South African Department of Environmental Affairs on 4 April 2012 and left Finland for South Africa the following day. She arrived at her home port, Cape Town on 3 May. During a ceremony celebrating the arrival, the ship was dedicated to the memory of the singer Miriam Makeba.
== Design ==
=== General characteristics === The maximum overall length of S. A. Agulhas II is 134.2 metres (440 ft) and her length between perpendiculars is 121.25 metres (397.8 ft). The beam and depth of her hull are 21.7 metres (71 ft) and 10.55 metres (34.6 ft), respectively, and the maximum breadth of the ship is 22 metres (72 ft). The draught of S. A. Agulhas II is 7.65 metres (25.1 ft). Her displacement is 13,687 tons, gross tonnage is 12,897, net tonnage 3,870 and deadweight tonnage 4,780 tons. She is served by a crew of 45. S. A. Agulhas II is classified by Det Norske Veritas with a class notation 1A1 PC-5 WINTERIZED BASIC Passenger Ship LFL* COMF-V(2)C(2) HELDK-SHF DEICE RP E0 DYNPOS-AUT NAUT-AW CLEAN DESIGN DAT(−35 °C) BIS TMON. Her ice class, Polar Class 5, means that she is designed for year-round operation in medium first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions. Her decks are heated to prevent ice accumulation in temperatures as low as −35 °C (−31 °F). S. A. Agulhas II is the first ship of her kind to be built to the new SOLAS 2009 rules for passenger ships, leading to several unique aspects in her design.