The return of the SA Navy (SAN) festival to Simon’s Town in October opened a window of opportunity too good to miss for the Naval Heritage Trust (NHT), the brains behind South Africa’s – and Africa’s – first submarine museum.
Following a weather-delayed move in July, the decommissioned SAN Daphne Class submarine SAS Assegaai (S99), originally SAS Johanna van der Merwe, is now berthed safely above ground in specially designed and fabricated cradles. The final berth at Cole Point will be visitor-ready as originally planned in December with the SAN Festival from 4 to 6 October a teaser.
“We plan to have the boat tidied up in time for the festival so visitors can walk past and see her on a shortcut to the dockyard generating interest,” retired Admiral Arne Soderland said.
Since final berthing work has gone ahead apace, with the most visible being the removal of the unsightly hatch “hokkie” and its tattered screen, “she’s looking better”.
An aft exit platform is now in place as are two sets of stairs for entry and exit. The Armscor dockyard is finishing doors and frames for fitment as soon as the pressure hull cuts are done, to maintain security.
Appreciative of the dockyard input, Soderland said “they’re stretched but doing what they can when available”. This includes removing the no longer needed blue lifting frames.
Next up for the NHT volunteers and other hands-on workers is installation of an electrical supply system for S99. Design is done and dusted and once installed and working – a priority for lighting and ventilation – internal tidying up can start.
Site work – as important to the overall project as the boat – includes wheelchair ramps, refurbishing the display building as well as stripping toilets and putting in new fittings.
An indication of the involvement of former SAN submariners in the overall Assegaai project comes from a retired submariner who is sponsoring a complete disabled toilet facility with another committing to the wheelchair ramps and display building.
Her decommissioning has not changed ownership of the submarine, still an SAN asset with the NHT responsible for the move, refurbishing and managing of S99 where she now resides at the western end of the Cole Point parking area, adjacent to the new NSRI (National Sea Rescue Institute) station.
