The S.A. Agulhas II has departed from the East Pier of Cape Town harbour on 6 December 2018. The ship then docked at customs, where passports of all passengers onboard were stamped. The ship officially left Cape Town 7 December 2018 en route Antarctica.
The voyage schedule is as follows:
SANAE | 06/12/2018 | 19/12/2018 | Annual relief voyage Cape Town to Antarctica (Penguin Bukta) | ||
20/12/2018 | 31/12/2018 | Offloading, fuel pumping | |||
01/01/2019 | 14/02/2019 | Weddell Sea Expedition | |||
15/02/2019 | 23/02/2019 | Back-loading, fuel pumping | |||
24/02/2019 | 11/03/2019 | Return to Cape Town (via SS Island if required) |
Onboard the vessel is the 58th SANAE Overwintering team that will stay in and maintain South Africa’s Antarctic research station (SANAE IV), while gathering weather and space weather data for a period of 14 months.
The Weddell Sea Expedition will also form part of this voyage – click here for more information.
Anche Louw, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, 13 December 2018