| South African environmental patrol vessel Lilian Ngoyi | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | Lillian Ngoyi |
| Namesake | Lillian Ngoyi |
| Operator | Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries [1] |
| Builder | Farocean Marine, Cape Town |
| Laid down | February 2003 |
| Launched | 27 September 2004 |
| In service | 16 November 2004 |
| Status | in active service, as of 2012 [update] |
| General characteristics [2] | |
| Class & type | Lillian Ngoyi-class patrol vessel |
| Length | 46.8 m (153 ft 7 in) |
| Beam | 8.11 m (26 ft 7 in) |
| Draught | 4 m (13 ft 1 in) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph) |
| Range | 3,500 nmi (6,500 km; 4,000 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
| Endurance | 14 days |
| Complement | 13 + 2 fishery conservation officers |
Lillian Ngoyi is the lead vessel in the South African Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries's [1] Lillian Ngoyi-class inshore patrol vessels. [3] [4] [2] She was built in South Africa by Farocean Marine based on the Damen Stan patrol vessel 4708 design. As well as fishery protection duties, the vessel is equipped for cleaning up oil spills, search-and-rescue work, fire fighting, and limited towing. The ship will operate up to 200 nautical miles offshore. [2]
Within months of her commissioning, the South African government reported successful anti-poaching operations. [5]
Like her sister ships, Ruth First and Victoria Mxenge she is named in honor of an anti-apartheid activist — Lillian Ngoyi. [3] [4]
A sprinkling of holy water and a spray of champagne marked the naming of the first of South Africa's four new environmental protection vessels, the Lilian Ngoyi, in Cape Town harbour on Tuesday.
Lilian Ngoyi rose to prominence during the defiance campaigns of the 1950s and 1960s. She was one of the leaders of the 20,000 women march to the Union Buildings in 1956 in protest against the passed laws.