SA Agulhas sets sail for home
2013-02-11 17:34
Cape Town - The SA Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa)
polar training vessel the Agulhas is steaming home from Antarctica, having
dropped members of The Coldest Journey expedition on the edge of the frozen
continent.
The ship, which has 51 South African training cadets on
board, as well as some expedition support members, is set to dock in Cape Town
on Tuesday, Samsa said in a statement.
The Agulhas, its crew and the cadets have been supporting
the expedition, headed by veteran explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes.
Fiennes, together with five others, is attempting to make
the first-ever, mid-winter crossing of Antarctica.
"The ship sailed for Antarctica from Cape Town a
month ago [7 January], after departing from London where the expedition team
joined the crew.
"Following 12 days of unloading and preparations
alongside the ice shelf in Crown Bay, the Agulhas is returning, having
successfully completed the mission to establish the expedition team with their
equipment in Antarctica."
The statement quoted expedition co-leader Anton Bowring,
who praised the work done by the cadets.
"It has been a unique opportunity for the cadets to
get experience of navigating and handling cargo in Antarctica, an environment
unlike any other," he said.
"They have worked hard and been a wonderful asset to
the expedition. It has been a great pleasure to have them with us."
The Agulhas will dock at Cape Town's V&A Waterfront
at 08:00 on Tuesday.
According to The Coldest Journey's website, the explorers
are attempting the crossing from Crown Bay, via the South Pole, to Captain
Scott's base at McMurdo Sound, a distance of about 4 000km.
The six-member team - who are using two modified
Caterpillar D6N vehicles, each towing a caboose, and store and fuel sleds -
will take six months to cross Antarctica, most of the time in complete
darkness.
They and their equipment are set to be picked up by the
Agulhas in McMurdo Sound in February next year.
- SAPA
