Navy vessel patrols marine protected areas off South Coast
The craft is currently employed with anti-piracy patrols, and it is thought she is protecting the new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
South Coasters were fortunate to spot one of the South African Navy’s three serving offshore patrol vessels, currently deployed to patrol the coastline between Port Edward and Ponta do Ouro, Mozambique.
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Terry Hutson, author of Africa Ports and Ships, confirmed it was the the SAS Makhanda, pennant number P1569, saying it was commissioned in 1986.
“She was built at Sandock Austral, Durban in 1986. The vessel was originally named SAS Magnus Malan for South African Party minister of defence Magnus Malan, but renamed in April 1997,” explained Mr Hutson.
The warrior-class strike craft was later converted to an offshore patrol vessel in 2012/2013.
The craft is currently employed with anti-piracy patrols, and it is thought she is protecting the new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
Last year, the South African Minister of Environmental Affairs announced 20 new marine protected areas in a move to increase the ocean protection, which saw an increase in the protection of South Africa’s mainland ocean territory to five percent.
Mr Hutson said three of the former strike crafts were refurbished and are commissioned as SAS Isaac Dyobha (P1565), SAS Galeshewe (P1567) and SAS Makhanda (P1569), and their home port is Naval Base Durban.
Mr Hutson said it was great to hear that these vessels are patrolling.
He is particularly fond of these crafts as they can get up to fast speeds of 40 knots per hour, and are very effective, although they can be a little rough in the water.
Interestingly, he said it was once recorded that a vessel, one of the class identical to her, traveled from Simon’s Town to Durban in 22 hours.
Mr Hutson added that two Israeli strike craft of the same class also achieved that speed completing the journey in slightly faster time on a separate occasion.
“This kind of record must of been done in perfect weather,” he said, chuckling.
Mr Hutson added these vessels are armed with a pair of guns and a pair of heavy machine guns.
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