Nearly eight years since closing its doors to the public at the South African Naval base, Africa’s only submarine museum is set to be reopened and moved to a new place in Simon’s Town in the coming months.
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The Assegaai Submarine Museum, is coming ashore next to the False Bay Yacht Club and the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Station 10, in Simon’s Town, thanks to two specially constructed cradles, offering visitors and up close look at these elusive, underwater vessels.
This was revealed at the recent unveiling of these structures, according to News24, with South African Navy vice admiral, Monde Lobese, hailing the development as a noteworthy accomplishment.
‘Today we celebrate the hard work, dedication, perseverance and never-give-up attitude of a handful of volunteers who absolutely refused to give up on their dream,’ he said at the unveiling.
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‘That dream was to make sure that we as the South African Navy can have the first – and only – submarine museum on the African continent.
‘Once the Assegaai Museum is in place, she will be the 125th museum submarine in the world, but only the 7th in the Southern Hemisphere and the first one in Africa. This is indeed a noteworthy accomplishment.’
After serving as a museum since 2008, the Assegaai required exterior maintenance in 2015 and was forced to close to visitors while funds were raised for the necessary repairs.
The support for the museum came about last year, according to Jankees Trimpe Burger, managing director at Damen Shipyards Cape Town.
‘More than a year ago, in February 2022, our sales director for the African region requested support for the realisation of a museum submarine, the former SAS Assegaai on land in Simon’s Town.
‘It was not difficult for me to be enthusiastic to assist and with the approval of the board of directors we chose to help with permanent cradles.’
The Assegaai is the final survivor of the three Daphné Class submarines built in France and used by the South African Navy in the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s.
It will be transferred from its current location on the synchro lift to its display location before being set up on the recently constructed foundations.
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Picture: Vedang Tandel /Unsplash