DURBAN – No more journeys into the icy cold waters of the Antarctic or the training of new seafarers, dreaming of exploring the mystery of the vast oceans.

South Africa’s first dedicated Antarctic supply ship, the SA Agulhas I, later renamed to Agulhas, has left the Durban harbour on 6 March for the last time. After crossing her final ocean, she will be dismantled at the shipbreaking yards of South Asia. She is currently travelling along the East African coast line.

According to DefenceWeb, the Agulhas was transferred from government ownership to J*S Maritime Partners in 2024, still continuing with seafarer training programmes. Due to severe financial difficulties and increasing debt, legal action was taken to recover the money owed. Crew members allegedly also went unpaid for several months. On 11 December last year, the Durban High Court ordered the sale of the vessel to repay creditors.

On 26 January the Agulhas was sold at an auction in Durban for an amount of $1 020 000.

At 111.95 meters long and 18.05 meters wide, the Agulhas was the country’s first dedicated Antarctic supply ship. She was commissioned to support the South African National Antarctic Programme (SANAP).

Built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan, she started her career in South Africa in January 1978. Built for the tough conditions polar supply and research vessels must be able to endure, she was capable of spending 90 days at sea and carry 40 crew. She could also accommodate an additional 94 scientists or cadets.

During her career spanning three decades (until 2012), she completed more than 20 voyages to Antarctica. She regularly delivered personnel, equipment and provisions to Marion and Gough Islands. Despite the harsh cold climate of these islands, it serves as a vital research on weather and climate studies as well as interactions between marine and terrestrial systems. She was transferred to the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) as a training ship.

Stuck at sea

She was replaced by The SA Agulhas II, which was custom built to carry out both scientific research and supply South African research stations in the Antarctic. The SA Agulhas II is owned by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE).

During her career the Agulhas has been through interesting times. She was stuck in ice for several weeks after she suffered damage to her rudder in December 1991 while in the Antarctic. Polarstern, a German ice breaker, assisted her and by February 1992 the vessel was finally unstuck from the pack ice. The SAS Drakensberg towed the ship back to Cape Town for repairs.

The SA Agulhas was also part of a multinational rescue effort of the Magdalena Oldendorff in 2002. The cargo ship became stuck in ice during severe weather en route from a Russian Antarctic base to Cape Town. The Almirante Irízar, an Argentine icebreaker, and the SA Agulhas, came to her rescue. The SA Agulhas was was only 370 km away, close enough for its two Oryx helicopters to reach the stricken vessel.  The Oryx transferred 89 Russian Antarctic expedition members and crew members from the stricken ship.