The move of a former South African Navy Daphne-class submarine from the Dockyard to its permanent display site at the new annex of the Naval Museum in Simon’s Town must rank as one of the most significant achievements in local ship preservation and can only be described as truly monumental. This mega move was carried out by the heavy lift contractor Vanguard during July and involved a complex over-land move of the 58 metre submarine with its estimated weight of almost 700 tons.
Preparations for the move had already commenced in November 2022 with the laying of foundations on the new site for the mounting of the submarine, followed by the fabrication and fitting of lifting frames on the hull which was sponsored and carried out by Damen Shipyard and facilitated by Armscor Dockyard. On 25 June this year, all preparations on the submarine were complete and SAS Assegaai was finally moved to a position from which it could be lifted by the Vanguard hydraulic lifting platforms.
The move itself was not without its challenges and tested the resolve of both the project team, Dockyard workers and Vanguard, but all were reminded that ‘calm seas do not make skilled sailors!’ At the first attempt, on the 8th of July, the submarine came off the blocks in the afternoon and the trek towards the museum site commenced. But at the first 90-degree turn, it became apparent that the loading frames were not sufficiently compatible with the load points of the moving...
