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A Ship is Born “Tsitsikama”
Observing a steel ship rise up out of a great steel keel and take shape piece by piece, a kin to the metamorphosis of a butterfly remains amazing and mystifying to me. All these parts of a puzzle slipping together in showers of sparks from welding and grinding.
Only eight months ago, I witnessed the keel being laid for the Tsitsikama.
A 27-meter pilot boat for the South African National Port Authority.
Last week I took a voyage around Table Bay aboard the Tsitsikama while she was doing her
final trip during sea trials before sailing off to Port Elizabeth.
She will be operating out of the Port of Ngqura at Coega.
She arrived in Port Elisabeth this weekend under her own steam on time,
at a cruising speed of 13 knots and doing what was expected to do with no problems.
Hats off to Cape Town based Veecraft Marine and their team.
The Tsitsikama has two well-appointed double cabins, one shower and one separate heads.
She can sleep three extra crew in the mess hall if needed. There are ten lockers for the two shifts of five crew.
As would be expected she has a good size galley to cater for the always-hungry crew.
VeeCraft Marine decided to give the Tsitsikama an aluminium superstructure to reduce the upper deck weight.
The bridge has an excellent all-round view. Two Wynn Type D straight-line wipers service the
forward windows with motors mounted outboard below the windows for easier servicing and instillation.
The centre window is fitted with a Wynn Kent D380 Clearview Screen and a Suunto steel ship compass.
Triton Naval Architects designed the Tsitsikama and supplied a fine set of plans.
Her lines were based on existing pilot boats in the national fleet.
She is powered by a pair of 788kw MTU 12V 2000 M70 engines each swinging a 56-inch four-blade propeller.
Two Cummins generators supply electric power.
The fuel oil capacity is 2000 litres in the day service tanks and 7000 litres in the bulk tanks.
A paint store and workshop are situated below the fore deck.
Optima Hydraulics supplied and installed the steering system and winches.
The steering is controlled via joystick or traditional steering wheel. Electro Wave were the chosen electricians.
Pertec supplied the Furuno radar, radio, GPS, depth sounders, electronic horn and intercom system.
It would be expected that the engine room would be cramped with two main engines and two generators
in a craft with a 5.4-meter beam. With cunning arrangement, Veecraft created an engine room
that is easy to get to all the service items and work in the space provided.
The soundproofing is also good as one can have a chat in the mess outside the engine room.
The crew reported to have a very good trip even with a wild sea off the Agulas coastline.
Even the chaps who are prone to seasickness were let off on this trip.
May the Tsitsikama serve her Country and the Port of Ngqura well.
May God bless all who sail a board her.
Capacities
2 x Main tanks---------------------------- 3500 ea
2 x Day tanks----------------------------- 1000ea
Salt water ballast------------------------- 1500
Fresh water -------------------------------- 2000
Lubrication oil------------------------------ 400
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"Tsitsikama" May she serve her country well
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