SAS Outeniqua
ship built in 1992
SAS Outeniqua (A 302) was a sealift and replenishment ship operated by the South African Navy between 1993 and 2004. During her operational career she conducted several "flag-showing" cruises to African ports and provided support for South Africa's Antarctic research program. Outeniqua was also the venue for unsuccessful peace talks between Zaire's President Mobuto Sese Seko and rebel leader Laurent Kabila in May 1997.
Construction and acquisition
The ship was constructed at the Kherson Shipyard in Ukraine as the second Arctic supply vessel of Project 10621, and launched as Aleksandr Sledzyuk (Russian: Александр Следзюк) on 6 September 1991. Aleksandr Sledzyuk's displacement was 21,025 tons full load, with dimensions 166.3 metres (546 ft) length overall and 22.6 metres (74 ft) beam. She was powered by a single MAN B&W 8DKRN-60/195 diesel producing 13,200 kW (17,700 bhp). She was designed to be capable of breaking through 1 metre (3.3 ft) of ice while travelling at a speed of 2 knots (3.7 km/h). Aleksandr Sledzyuk entered service on 3 April 1992, and was renamed Yuvent (Russian: Ювент) the next day after being delivered to shipping company Aqua Limited of Kaliningrad.
On 26 February 1993 Yuvent was purchased by Armscor for R40 million on behalf of the South African Navy to replace the SAS Tafelberg. She was commissioned into the Navy as SAS Outeniqua on 8 June 1993.
“SAS Outeniqua” enters the record as ship built in 1992. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Outeniqua, ship and built can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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