SAS Walvisbaai

Last updated

History
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svgUnited Kingdom
NamePackington
Namesake Packington
Builder Harland and Wolff, Belfast
Launched3 July 1958
Completed21 May 1959
FateSold to the South African Navy before commissioning
Naval Ensign of South Africa.svgSouth Africa
NameWalvisbaai
Namesake Walvis Bay
Acquired20 September 1959
DecommissionedMarch 2001
FateSold to the Walt Disney Co., 2003; later sold to private interests.
Flag of Panama.svgPanama [1]
NameMojo
Acquired2006
StatusIn service
NotesConverted to a yacht from 2006-2012
General characteristics
Class and type Ton-class minesweeper
Displacement
Length153 ft (46.6 m)
Beam27 ft 7 in (8.4 m)
Draught8 ft 2 in (2.5 m)
Installed power2 × 3,000  bhp (2,237 kW) diesel engines
Propulsion2 × propeller shafts
Speed15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Range2,300  nmi (4,300 km; 2,600 mi) at 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph)
Complement32
Armament1 x Bofors 40 mm gun

HMS Packington (pennant number: M1214) was a Ton-class minesweeper completed in 1959 by Harland & Wolff for the Royal Navy, but transferred before commissioning to the South African Navy as SAS Walvisbaai. The ship was decommissioned in March 2001 and was sold to the Walt Disney Company in 2003 to be used in the Wes Anderson film The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou .

Contents

Post filming the vessel was sold and was subsequently converted into a private yacht.

Design and description

The Ton-class coastal minesweepers were constructed with wooden hulls and almost all of their structure was made from aluminium to reduce their magnetic signature to aid sweeping magnetic mines. [2] The ships displaced 360 long tons (370 t) at standard load and 1,940 long tons (1,970 t) at deep load. They had a length between perpendiculars of 153 feet (46.6 m), a beam of 27 feet 7 inches (8.4 m) and a draught of 8 feet 2 inches (2.5 m). [3] The Tons were powered by two Napier Deltic diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. The engines developed a total of 6,000 brake horsepower (4,500 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). They had a range of 2,300 nautical miles (4,300 km; 2,600 mi) at 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) and had a complement of 4 officers and 25 ratings. The Ton-class ships were armed with a single 40-millimeter (1.6 in) Bofors and two 20-millimeter (0.8 in) Oerlikon light AA guns on a single twin-gun mount. [4]

Construction and career

Packington was launched by Harland and Wolff on 3 July 1958 at their Belfast shipyard. [3] She was transferred to the South African Navy before she was commissioned on 20 September 1959 under the name of SAS Walvisbaai. The ship was retired in March 2001 and sold to the Walt Disney Company in 2003 to be used as the R/V Belafonte in the Wes Anderson film The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou . [5]

Subsequently, she was sold to a private owner for $350,000. [6] In 2006 she began a lengthy conversion into a yacht in Dubai that saw her engines replaced by a pair of 1,750 bhp (1,300 kW) V-12 Caterpillar 3512B diesel engines, her deck renewed and her interior completely revamped. The work was completed by 2012 and the ship was renamed Mojo. [7] [8]

Citations

  1. ↑ "MOJO". ShipSpotting. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  2. ↑ "Ton History". tca2000.co.uk. Ton Class Association. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  3. 1 2 Moore, p. 401
  4. ↑ "Ton Technical Stuff". tca2000.co.uk. Ton Class Association. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  5. ↑ "Packington M1214". tca2000.co.uk. Ton Class Association. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  6. ↑ "Sold - Mine Sweeper". www.maritimesales.com. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  7. ↑ "Mojo yacht- Harland and Wolff Heavy Industries". www.superyachttimes.com. SuperYacht Times. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  8. ↑ Van Rooy, Charl (11 December 2012). "From minesweeper to superyacht, the story of Mojo". SuperYacht Times. Retrieved 25 October 2020.

Related Research Articles

RV <i>Calypso</i> Jacques Cousteaus oceanographic research ship

RV Calypso is a former British Royal Navy minesweeper converted into a research vessel for the oceanographic researcher Jacques Cousteau, equipped with a mobile laboratory for underwater field research. She was severely damaged in 1996 and was planned to undergo a complete refurbishment in 2009–2011 that has not been accomplished. The ship is named after the Greek mythological figure Calypso.

HMCS Red Deer was a Bangor-class minesweeper that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. The minesweeper saw action in the Battle of the Atlantic and the Battle of the St. Lawrence. She was named for Red Deer, Alberta. After the war the vessel was briefly reacquired by the Royal Canadian Navy, but was not recommissioned and was sold for scrap and broken up in 1959.

<i>Algerine</i>-class minesweeper Class of ships built for the navies of Britain and Canada during World War II

The Algerine-class minesweeper was a large group of minesweepers built for the Royal Navy (RN) and the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) during the Second World War. 110 ships of the class were launched between 1942 and 1944.

HMS Kirkliston (M1157) was a Ton-class minesweeper of the Royal Navy, built by Harland and Wolff and launched on 18 February 1954. In a brief episode from 1956 to 1960 she was temporarily renamed HMS Kilmorey and was assigned to the Ulster division Royal Naval Reserve (RNR).

HMS <i>Rifleman</i> (J299) Minesweeper of the Royal Navy

HMS Rifleman was a turbine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper of the Royal Navy. She was launched in 1943 and saw active service during World War II, both in the European and Far East theatres. After the war she served in the Mediterranean and was used as an accommodation ship in Barrow before being sold for breaking in 1972.

HMS Dittisham was one of 93 ships of the Ham-class of inshore minesweepers built for the British Royal Navy. Their names were all chosen from villages ending in -ham. The minesweeper was named after Dittisham in Devon.

HMS <i>Rising Castle</i>

HMS Rising Castle was a Castle-class corvette built for the Royal Navy in World War II. She was named for Castle Rising in Norfolk, England. Before she was commissioned she was transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy and renamed Arnprior and given a new pennant number. After the war she was sold to Uruguay and renamed Montevideo.

HMCS Melville was a Bangor-class minesweeper built for the Royal Canadian Navy in 1940. The first diesel-engined Bangor-class vessel, Melville served in the Battle of the Atlantic during the Second World War. After the war, she was transferred to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and renamed Cygnus and served until being broken up in 1961.

HMCS Noranda was a Canadian Bangor-class minesweeper built for the Royal Canadian Navy in 1940. She was launched on 13 June 1941 and escorted convoys for the rest of the war. After the war the minesweeper was refitted and was transferred to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police as Irvine. In 1962, the ship was sold and was turned into the yacht Miriana. Renamed Marijana and Viking L&R in 1969, the yacht sank in May 1971 off the coast of Jamaica.

HMCS Grandmère was a Bangor-class minesweeper constructed for the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. Entering service in 1941, the minesweeper took part in the Battle of the Atlantic and the Battle of the St. Lawrence before being taken out of service in 1945. The ship was sold for mercantile service following the war, first as the yacht Elda and then the cargo ship Jacks Bay. The ship was sold for scrap in 1968.

HMCS Truro was a Bangor-class minesweeper that served with the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. The minesweeper entered service in 1942 and took part in the Battle of the Atlantic and the Battle of the St. Lawrence. Following the war, the vessel was transferred to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and renamed Herchmer. In 1946, Herchmer was sold for mercantile conversion and reappeared as Gulf Mariner. The ship was abandoned in 1964 on the Fraser River shore after plans for conversion to a suction dredger failed. The abandoned hulk was broken up.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fulton Shipyard</span> Shipyard in Antioch, California, United States

Fulton Shipyard was a shipbuilding company in Antioch, California. The shipyard was founded in 1924 by Frank Fulton and Angeline Fulton Fredericks. To support the World War II demand for ships, Fulton Shipyard built minesweepers, tugboats, and troopships. The shipyard was located on the Stockton Channel at 701 Fulton Shipyard Rd, Antioch, near Antioch pier and the Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge. The site was the former Jarvis Brothers, opened in 1918, then Laurtzen shipyard. In 1977 the site became the California Corporation. The shipyard closed in 1999 and the land is owned by the Fulton Family Trust. Fulton Shipyard was on the San Joaquin River and an inland port located more than seventy nautical miles from the ocean, emptying into Suisun Bay. Fulton Shipyard was featured in a 1914 movie called The Stolen Yacht, a short drama film released on November 5, 1914. Frank Fulton and Angeline's son James Lloyd Fulton became an operator of a Fulton Shipyard tugboat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilmington Boat Works</span> Shipyard in Wilmington, California, United States

Wilmington Boat Works, Inc. or WILBO was a shipbuilding company in Wilmington, California. To support the World War 2 demand for ships Victory Shipbuilding built: Tugboats, crash rescue boats and sub chasers. Wilmington Boat Works opened in 1920 building Fishing boat and yachts, by Hugh Angelman, Willard Buchanan and Tom Smith. After the Korean War the shipyard closed in 1958. The shipyard was located at 400 Yacht Street, Wilmington, the site of the current USC boatyard.

HMS <i>Rosario</i> (J219) Algerine-class minesweeper

HMS Rosario (J219) was a turbine engine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper during the Second World War. She survived the war and was sold to Belgium in 1953 as De Moor (M905).

HMS <i>Spanker</i> (J226) Algerine-class minesweeper

HMS Spanker (J226) was a turbine engine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper during the Second World War. She survived the war and was sold to Belgium in 1953 as De Brouwer (M904).

HMS <i>Cadmus</i> (J230) Algerine-class minesweeper

HMS Cadmus (J230) was a turbine engine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper during the Second World War. Launched in 1942 the ship survived the war and was sold to Belgium in 1950 as Georges Lecointe (M901).

HMS <i>Chameleon</i> (J387) Algerine-class minesweeper

HMS Chameleon (J387) was a turbine engine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper during the Second World War.

HMS <i>Cheerful</i> (J388) Algerine-class minesweeper

HMS Cheerful (J388) was a turbine engine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper during the Second World War.

HMS <i>Jewel</i> (J390) Algerine-class minesweeper

HMS Jewel (J390) was a turbine engine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper during the Second World War.

HMS <i>Onyx</i> (J221) Algerine-class minesweeper

HMS Onyx (J221) was a turbine engine-powered Algerine-class minesweeper during the Second World War.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.