Back-Blogging # 4: SA Navy Festival

The Navy Festival at Simon's Town, the headquarters of South Africa’s Navy, was held over the weekend of the 16th – 18th March. It is an annual event in Cape Town and I really enjoy going and seeing the navy ships, (the last time I went was back in 2009) and so Candace and I decided to visit the festival this year.

And so on Friday, 16th March, we headed down to Simon's Town. Here we explored the naval base and had some tours of the ships and submarines. There were also tug rides, police dog exercises, and a display of the Navy's Marine Reaction Force. Unfortunately, it was a really rainy day which meant that we got rather wet, but it was still a fun day!

Here are some photos from this lovely day!

SAS (South African Ship) Amatola, one of South Africa's four Valour-class corvettes.

Looking up at the bridge of SAS Amatola from the bow.

Candace on the bow of the Amatola.

We also toured inside the ship and saw its small hospital.

The sick-bay.

The small Operating Theatre.

This is the environmental protection and fisheries patrol vessel Ruth First.

Super-Lynx helicopter onboard a German frigate.

The Indian Navy were also present with their hydrographic survey ship INS Darshak.

Onboard the Darshak - each of the little craft it carries are equipped with echo-sounding equipment to chart the sea-floor.

Marine Reaction Force exercise.

SAS Protea, South Africa's hydrographic survey vessel.

SAS Charlotte Maxeke, one of South Africa's new submarines.