Museum milestone reached as cradles for submarine completed

Submarine museum inches ahead

SOUTH AFRICA: With aspirations to open the Assegaai Submarine Museum to the public in 2024, the project reached an important milestone yesterday with the completion of the cradles that will help stabilise the retired sub at her final resting place where she will welcome visitors as the first and only submarine museum on the African continent.

The submarine, Asseggaai was decommissioned in the early 2000’s and was open to visitors for a number of years alongside within the Simon’s Town Naval Base. Restricted access as well as the diminishing structural integrity of the submarine, meant that a new plan had to be conceived that would allow her to continue to operate as a tourist attraction.

During the seven year period that she was open to the public, however, the Assegaai received over 50,000 visitors from more than 110 countries – proving her salt as a maritime attraction.

But, in 2015, the decision was made to remove her from the water and reconsider her future as a museum. The lack of available funds to undertake a full restoration project meant that the Naval Heritage Trust sought to involve both public and corporate sponsors in order to maintain this important part of naval history for future generations.

The project is now being undertaken by volunteers and funders. Yesterday’s milestone was reached with the support of Damen Shipyards Cape Town, who stepped in to fabricate the important cradle structures that will ultimately enable the Assegaai to safely accommodate visitors on land.

A lucky coincidence saw a proposal to get involved cross the desk of Damen’s managing director, Jankees Trimpe Burger – himself an ex submariner whose first submarine deployment had been converted into a successful naval museum in The Netherlands.

“It was not a difficult decision to make to get involved,” he told guests at the unveiling ceremony that took place alongside the Navy’s synchrolift in Simon’s Town, adding that museums of this kind help achieve visibility of navy operations.

The Chief of the South African Navy, Vice Admiral Monde Lobese, was on hand to reveal the special plaque attached to the cradles as well as to thank and congratulate all those who had worked to complete the structures despite challenges such as loadshedding.

Speaking about the project as a whole, he said; “You have helped achieve what they said could not be done – to deliver the submarine to a safe location on land that is accessible to the general public.”

The aim is to be able to officially open the museum during 2024 when she will become the first dedicated submarine museum in Africa; one of seven in the southern hemisphere and the 125th one in the world.

The static submarine museum will be managed and operated by the combined efforts of the Naval Heritage Trust, the local non-profit Facility Management Company (STADCO), and the South African Navy Museum. Guided tours will be conducted by volunteers and ex-submariners and the submarine will also be available for a variety of other activities such as company functions, school learning opportunities and even evening functions.

Concluding his speech, Lobese pledged R10,000 from the Chief’s contingency fund to kickstart the next phase of the project.

The Trust is currently in the process of trying to secure further sponsorship to ensure that the Submarine Museum can be realised in a reasonable time frame. Among the costs that need to be covered are R1.8m to move the submarine and R3m for the repair and restoration of the external hull of the vessel.

Retired Rear Admiral (JG) Digby Thomson is one of several retired navy men who is assisting on the Naval Heritage Trust Submarine Museum Project. Thomson says: “We have raised about forty percent of the money we need to move the vessel. Once we have moved her, we will cut two holes forward and aft to allow for tour groups. We will use the funds from the visitors to finalise her look and make her more presentable to the public.”

“I personally believe that everybody should at least visit the inside of a submarine once in their lifetime, just for the experience, to have a look at the technology and to be able to say that they have been there and done it. It really is a fascinating world,” Thomson says.

Repurposed steel

Work on the cradles started on November 2022. The two cradles, each 3.6m long x 9.1m wide, weigh 7 tonnes. and were built using steel salvaged from old Damen ship transport cradles. These were cut up to provide the components which were welded together into the new required design and form.

The components were then transported to the ARMSCOR Naval Dockyard Simon's Town to be assembled.

The cradles will hold the submarine in place when it takes up its home next to the False Bay Yacht Club and NSRI Station 10 in Simon’s Town.