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Scheduled Ships
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Latest Shipping Schedule
Three ships are scheduled to make 9 return trips from Cape Town to Tristan da Cunha each year.
Two (MV Edinburgh and MV Baltic Trader) are operated by Ovenstone
as part of a contract to run the Tristan fishery,
and the third, SA Agulhas is operated by the South African Government
as part of a contract to lease Gough Island as a Meteorological Station.
Other ad hoc voyages may occur, and when these start from Cape Town, may also carry mail.
SA Agulhas
The SA Agulhas is South Africa's polar research vessel. The Agulhas is used to service three research bases from her base in Cape Town.The bases are at Gough Island, Marion Island and SANAE IV Antarctica.
The vessel is a purpose-built ice-strengthened Antarctic Supply & Oceanographic Research Vessel, built in 1977 by Mitsubishi, Shimonoseki, Japan
The ship is operated by the South African Government's Department of Environmental Affairs & Tourism, Directorate: Antarctica and islands.
< 1980s photograph SA Agulhas off Tristan with old livery
Annual Gough Island - Tristan da Cunha Voyage
The SA Agulhas provides a cargo and passenger service to Tristan da Cunha each Spring, normally September. This is part of a lease arrangement of Gough Island to the South African Government where they maintain a Meteorological Station. So the ship travels out to Tristan, then on to Gough for the annual exchange of personnel and cargo supply. The voyage gives passengers an opportunity to have a stay of up to three weeks on Tristan, making it a very popular, and busy trip for visitors. It has provided a vital service to Tristan for over 25 years. The Agulhas uses CHC Helicopters who operate Bell 206 and Bell 212 helicopters which can be used to transport passengers to and from Tristan in the event of poor sea conditions.

Inside SA Agulhas

Pictures supplied by
Samuel Oosthuizen
Ship Operations Manager

Left : The Bridge

Right : A Typical cabin

SA Agulhas has recently adopted a revised alcohol policy
A full bar service is available each evening, but passengers are not permitted to bring alcohol on board or consumed and stored in cabins. Passengers may purchase up to the South African Customs limit (currently 2 litres of wine, 1 litre of spirits and 200 cigarettes) from the Bond Store operated by the purser but this will only be issued immediately before disembarkation in Cape Town.

 

Left :

Passengers' Dining Room

Right :

Passengers' Lounge

Agulhas' Dimensions
6123 gross tonnes
111.95 metres long; 18.05 metres wide (beam)
6 metres moulded draft
12.5 knots Cruising Speed ; 14 knots maximum speed
15,000 nautical miles range; 90 days endurance
40 crew and up to 98 other staff (including scientists) or passengers
< SA Agulhas in 21st Century livery off the Antarctic Pack Ice from Sam Oosthuizen
Ovenstone's Ships
Ovenstone operate the Tristan da Cunha fishery, and as part of the contract with the Tristan Government, operate a regular shipping service of 8 trips a year from Cape Town to Tristan da Cunha and back.
MV Baltic Trader replaced MV Kelso in 2009. Both ships can carry up to 12 passengers.

MV Baltic Trader
at anchor off Tristan Settlement on its first visit in December 2008.
Baltic Trader was obtained from Norway by Ovenstone to provide additional shipping to transport materials and equipment for the new factory after the February 2008 fire. It is a cargo ship and is not equipped for fishing. After the sale of MV Kelso, MV Baltic Trader became the sister ship of MV Edinburgh in 2009. 		Dimensions :

1739 gross tonnes
82.47 metres long
12.7 metres wide (beam)
4.2 metres draft
2063 tonnes cargo capacity
12 knots service speed

MV Edinburgh
at anchor off Tristan Settlement

with the 1961 volcanic cone and lava flow behind.

MV Edinburgh was built in 1970, and was previously named MV Hekla after the active Icelandic volcano. She entered Tristan fishing service in the 1980s, has a crew of 35 and can carry 12 passengers.

 Dimensions :

1085 gross tonnes
62.5 metres long
11.5 metres wide (beam)
6.1 metres depth
260 m2 cargo capacity
1600 hp Deutz engine

MV Kelso
anchored off the Settlement

with the 1961 volcanic cone & lava flow behind with the eastern Settlement houses visible behind the bow.

MV Kelso was built in 1971 by Hayashikane Shipbuilders, she was previously named MV Toko Maru. MV Kelso has a crew of 38 and can carry 12 passengers. MV Kelso was withdrawn from Tristan service after being sold in 2009.
See 2009 Shipping News for details.

Dimensions :

1678 gross tonnes
71.7 metres long
11 metres wide (beam)
6.8 metres depth
120 m2 cargo capacity
8000 hp Nigata engine

MV Edinburgh and MV Kelso
pictured at anchor off the Tristan Settlement
The boats are operated by the Fishing Company Ovenstone Ltd. out of Cape Town.

MV Kelso (left) operates only on active fishing trips.

MV Edinburgh (right) is the more regular visitor, carrying out purely cargo/passenger services as well as fishing trips during the August - February season.

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Published by the Tristan da Cunha Government and the Tristan da Cunha Association. Copyright © 2009 and all Rights Reserved.
This page first published May 2005