A fitting dedication

SA Agulhas dedicated to memory of Ian Calvert

SOUTH AFRICA: Arriving to witness the handover of the SA Agulhas to her new owners on Tuesday, all guests were instantly greeted by a bold tribute to Ian Calvert on the side of the vessel’s superstructure.

Opening his speech with a tribute to Ian Calvert, Captain Stefan Bülow of J*S Maritime Partners emphasised the role that he played in the realisation of the project before his untimely death last year.

“Together we combined our visions to develop this project,” he told guests on board the SA Agulhas, describing how he had made a promise to finalise their ideas and launch the dream of expanding seafarer training for South Africans within the context of the sale of the training vessel.

Bülow was first introduced to the former head of SAMSA Maritime Special Projects in 2019 when he was looking for a research vessel to purchase and Calvert was part of a team aiming to find a solution for the SA Agulhas.

“I am sure that Ian is looking upon us today with his typical smile and he will be happy to know that we have succeeded,” Bülow said.

Calvert’s commitment to the South African maritime industry will now forever be memorialised through this dedication on the side of SA Agulhas as it travels the oceans.

From his time as a Business Unit Manager at SMIT Amandla Marine to his tenure as an Executive Head of SAMSA Maritime Special Services, despite Calvert’s humble quietness, he became an integral role-player in addressing some of the major challenges facing the sector.