Africa's only submarine museum in South Africa will move to a new permanent location in Simon's Town, Cape Town and is expected to be completed by July before opening to the public as a major tourist attraction later this year, according to plans announced.
SAS Assegaai, formerly known as SAS Johanna van der Merwe, is a Daphné-class submarine of the South African Navy. Decommissioned in 2003, SAS Assegaai is the only one of the three Daphné-class submarines commissioned in the 1960s to be preserved as museum ships, the other two having been cut up and sold for scrap. SAS Assegaai became part of the South African Naval Museum and was open to the public from 2011 to 2015. During the four and a half years it was open, the submarine welcomed over 57,000 visitors from 110 countries. Since 2015, the Assegaai Submarine Museum has been temporarily closed for refurbishment and maintenance.
The entire project cost more than $270,000, “including the cost of laying the foundations, preparing the site and attaching the lifting beam to the boat,” according to retired Rear Admiral Arne Soderland of the Naval Heritage Foundation. A grant of more than $40,000 from the City of Cape Town also helped the submarine, the SAS Assegaai, to be delivered to its final destination in the coming days.
SAS Assegaai will be located next to the False Bay Yacht Club and Station 10 of the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) in Simon’s Town, Cape Town. This unique location will make the museum easily accessible to the public. The submarine will provide an insight into the lives and activities of submariners, while also providing a unique experience for visitors interested in naval history.
The museum will offer guided tours and educational programs for visitors of all ages, making it a popular destination for tourists, students and anyone interested in naval history and technology.
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