- The SAS Assegaai, Africa’s sole submarine museum, is relocating to Simon’s Town with financial support from the City of Cape Town.
- The museum, costing an estimated R5 million, will be a unique tourist and educational attraction, showcasing fascinating technology.
- The move is expected to be completed in July, with plans for an official opening later in the year.
If all goes to plan Africa’s only
submarine museum will be moved to its new permanent location in Simon’s Town
next month before opening to the public as a major tourist attraction later
this year.
With a R750 000 financial boost from the Mayor Geordin-Hill Lewis, the
SAS Assegaai will be moved to its final destination in coming days.
Eight years after closing its doors to
visitors to the South African Naval base the
vessel is coming ashore, to be situated next
to the False Bay Yacht Club and National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Station 10
in Simon’s Town.
Commenting on the Mayoral Fund support, Hill-Lewis said the submarine museum is a unique
educational and tourist attraction.
“The City is glad to support the
Assegai’s continued sustainability as a unique educational and tourist
attraction for schools and visitors from far and wide,” he said. “This is the
only preserved submarine of its kind in Africa, containing all sorts of fascinating
technology for young and old to immerse themselves in. We look forward to the
relocation of this floating museum to land, along with the expanded
opportunities for learning and tourism.”
R5 million
Retired Rear Admiral Arne
Soderland from the Naval Heritage Trust said the whole project cost an
estimated R5 million.
“The project’s estimated cost was
R5 million with the cost of laying foundations, preparing the site and
attaching lifting beams to the boat.”
Meanwhile the actual move and
final preps for opening and restoring the outer hull after opening and
preparations cost around R500 000, he added.
“For lifting and moving it cost R2
million and then about R2,5 million to restore fully,” said Soderland.
READ: ‘Everybody should visit a submarine once in their lifetime’: Submarine museum moves ashore
In 2005 the Naval Board approved
the retention, as the Navy’s first museum vessel, under the conditions that it
be done at no direct cost to the SA National Defence Force and carried out by
volunteers who would raise funds to place it ashore.
Soderland further explained that
the new site would be easily accessible to the public.
Easy access
“The new site next to the NSRI is
the permanent site with easy public access and all the facilities. It is an
annex to the Naval Museum and falls under it but will be managed by the Naval
Heritage Trust on their behalf.”
The contractor for the move,
Vanguard Heavylift, which righted the sailing vessel Europa in the V&A
Waterfront earlier this year, is planning the actual move in the second week of
July.
Commenting on the R750 000 mayoral fund contribution, Soderland said the funds
have enabled the move to finally take place.
“The mayor’s donation was the
turning point as it enabled us to commit to the move at last,” he explained.
“We started raising funds in
September 2022 and only reached R1 million in April, so this now means we can
actually plan the move and the opening.”
While the move of the SAS Assegaai
is imminent, the opening of the submarine museum is planned for October.
“We are hoping to introduce the
Assegaai to the public in early October and to open it for visits by the end of
the year,” he said. “We need to complete the shore facilities, provide power
supplies to the boat and train up our guides.”
Once open, the submarine will
function as a museum of technology to promote maths and science.
“There is no doubt that it will be
a major attraction, based on our previous experience in running her as a museum
from 2011 to 2015 as well as an educational tool for the youth as it will
function as a museum of technology to promote maths and science.”
