S. A. Agulhas
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| History | |
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 South Africa
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| Name: | S. A. Agulhas |
| Builder: | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Shimonoseki |
| Yard number: | 789 |
| Laid down: | 1977 |
| Launched: | 20 September 1977 |
| Completed: | January 1978 |
| Status: | Active |
| General characteristics (as icebreaker/research vessel) | |
| Class and type: | LRS Ice Class 1 |
| Tonnage: | 6,123 tons |
| Displacement: | 1,837 tons |
| Length: | 111.95 m (367.3 ft) |
| Beam: | 18.05 m (59.2 ft) |
| Draught: | 6 m (20 ft) |
| Installed power: | 4,476 kW (6,002 hp) |
| Propulsion: | 2x Mirrlees Blackstone KMR6 |
| Speed: |
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| Range: | 15,000 nmi (28,000 km; 17,000 mi) |
| Endurance: | 90 days |
| Complement: | 138 |
| Crew: | 40 |
| Aircraft carried: | 2 x Atlas Oryx |
S. A. Agulhas is a South African ice-strengthened training ship and former polar research vessel. She was built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Shimonoseki, Japan, in 1978. S. A. Agulhas was used to service the three South African National Antarctic Programme research bases, Gough Island, Marion Island in the Southern Ocean and SANAE IV in Antarctica, as well as various research voyages.
S. A. Agulhas retired from Antarctic service in April 2012 when the replacement vessel, S. A. Agulhas II, was commissioned. It was transferred to the South African Maritime Safety Authority as a training ship.
In December 1991, S. A. Agulhas suffered rudder damage while in the Antarctic. The German icebreaker Polarstern assisted her and by February 1992 S. A. Agulhas had been freed from the pack ice. Once freed, the SAS Drakensberg towed the stricken vessel back to Cape Town for repairs.
S. A. Agulhas participated in a multinational rescue of Magdalena Oldendorff in 2002. The ice-strengthened cargo ship had become stuck in the ice during severe weather conditions while en route from a Russian Antarctic base to Cape Town. S. A. Agulhas and the Argentine icebreaker Almirante Irízar were dispatched to render assistance. On 27 June 2002, S. A. Agulhas was 370 kilometres (230 mi) from Magdalena Oldendorff, close enough for its two Oryx helicopters, operated by 22 Squadron, to reach the stricken vessel. By 1 June the Oryx had transferred 89 Russian Antarctic expedition members and Magdalena Oldendorff crew members to S. A. Aghulas and have transferred 2,000 kilograms (4,400 lb) of supplies to the remaining crew. The crew remaining on Magdalena Oldendorff were to await the arrival of Almirante Irizar and attempt to free the ship.
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