Tag Archives: SANAE57

What is expected of a Diesel Mechanic on Antarctica (Video)

  Tuesday May 14th, 2019 - 10:22 AM | , , ,
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Have you ever considered working at the South African National Antarctic Expedition Station (SANAE IV)? Are you a South African citizen? Are you a Diesel Mechanic and want to know what is expected of you when you work on Antarctica?

First of all note that any position at SANAE IV is not permanent and is approximately 15 months contract. Some positions might be longer due to the training involved before departure to Antarctica.

Here are the main duties of a Diesel Mechanic on Antarctica:

• Maintenance of power generator and vehicle diesel engines and related equipment;

• Maintenance and repairs of Air-conditioning system, refrigeration, water reticulation and waste water systems;

• Replacement and repair of mechanical pumps and valves as well as pipe fitting;

• Maintenance and minor repairs of Caterpillar machines, snowmobiles, telescopic cranes, portable generators and transfer pumps. Operate Caterpillar machines and cargo handling equipment;

• Maintenance of cabooses (field caravan) and field equipment.

• Report to the mechanical engineer and will perform additional base related mechanical and civil functions requested by the mechanical engineer and also be part of a technical team, led by a technical team manager, that has to perform any additional base related technical functions;

• Preparation of monthly and annual reports and other common “non-technical” duties performed by expedition members

 

Meet the Diesel Mechanic of the 57th SANAE Overwintering Team (Season: December 2017 – March 2019), John Skelete.

If you have what is takes, keep an eye on the SANAP website for the next season (December 2019 – February 2021) job openings (click here).

 

Contact Mr Willem Boshoff for more information regarding this position – Telephone (021) 405 9418.

Subscribe to the ALSA YouTube Channel to make sure you do not miss any new videos on our channel.

 

Anché Louw, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, 14 May 2019

Welcome home S.A. Agulhas II

  Friday March 15th, 2019 - 03:26 PM | , , , , , , , ,
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Welcome to Cape Town SANAE57 team, take-over personnel, Weddell Sea Expedition crew, Department of Public Works personnel and Nolitha Construction (responsible for the refurbishments of the SANAE IV base), the Ultimate Helicopter Crew and the S.A. Agulhas II’s Captain and Crew.

The 57th South African National Antarctic Expedition (SANAE) team has returned to Cape Town, after 15 months away from home (see photo below). This team had to stay a bit longer at SANAE IV than usual, due to the longer take-over in order to accommodate the Weddell Sea Expedition, that was incorporated in the 2018/2019 Antarctica Cruise.

L-R (Back): Stephanus Schoeman (RADAR Engineer), John Skelete (Diesel Mechanic), Bo Orton (Electrician), Will Jelbert (Doctor), Forster Mashele (VLF Engineer), Sabelo Biyela (Diesel Mechanic); (front) Hloni Rakoteli (Communications Engineer), Lux Tanyana (Base Engineer), Elias Seabi (Meteorological Technician) and Cobus van der Merwe (Neutron Engineer).

This Weddell Sea Expedition was funded by the The Flotilla Foundation and the S.A. Agulhas II chartered a team of scientists into the Weddell Sea, for extensive scientific exploration on and around the LarsenC ice shelf and the A68 Iceberg. Click here to meet the South Africans that was part of this expedition.

The Weddell Sea Expedition also involved the search for Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship, the Endurance (click here for more information), but due to unfavourable weather conditions and the loss of the AUV (automated underwater vehicle) the search was ended where after the ship headed back to Penguin Bukta where overwintering members (S57) and take-over personnel of SANAE IV boarded the ship.

The welcoming ceremony was led by Mathibela Selepe (Department of Environmental Affairs, Chief Engineer: Telecommunications and Instrumentation) and welcoming speech delivered by Mbulelo Dopolo (Department of Environmental Affairs, Branch: Oceans and Coasts, Director: Earth Systems Strategies).

Anché Louw, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, 15 March 2019

https://www.facebook.com/AntarcticLegacySA/videos/vl.317523262441303/800923453598499/?type=1

ETA of the S.A. Agulhas II – 15 March 2019

  Thursday March 14th, 2019 - 08:46 AM | , , , , , , , ,
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SA Agulhas II, Antarctica, ETA Cape Town

The S.A. Agulhas II is currently on her way home, after being in the Antarctica waters for 3 months. Onboard is the returning 57th SANAE (South African National Antarctic Expedition) overwintering team, 2018/2019 SANAE take-over personnel, Weddell Sea Expedition members and ship based scientists of different South African universities.

Expected time of arrival (ETA): 15 March 2019, around 08:30

MORE DETAIL:
The S.A. Agulhas II will arrive in Cape Town at 2am, tomorrow morning.

The vessel will then proceed to Landing Wall 1 for inward clearance and shifting in to east pier around 08:30.

SA Agulhas II, Antarctica, ETA Cape Town

Anché Louw, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, 14 March 2019

SANAE57 Team – meet the Comms Engineer (Video)

  Tuesday March 12th, 2019 - 01:18 PM | , , , , , , , ,
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SANAE57, Overwintering Team, Antarctica, Team, Communications Engineer, SANAE IV

Following up on this article: SANAE57 Team -currently on their way home

Meet the Communications Engineer of the 57th South African National Antarctic Expedition Team – Hloni Rakoteli. This is not the first time Hloni heads home on the S.A Agulhas II from an overwintering expedition, his first expedition was on Gough Island as part of the 61st Gough Island Overwintering Team (Gough61 team photo). Get to know Hloni a bit better, before watching the video, by downloading the June Edition of the SANAE57 team newsletter.

Excerpt of SANAE57’s first team newsletter – December 2017 (Click here to view this newsletter)

VIDEO

https://www.facebook.com/AntarcticLegacySA/videos/818243898526390/

 

This team is heading home on the S.A. Agulhas II, currently sailing through the roaring 40’s (now at 43°South). Track the S.A. Agulhas II by clicking on the icon below.

Track the S.A. Agulhas II here...

Track the S.A. Agulhas II

 

Anché Louw, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, 12 March 2019

 

 

SANAE57 Team -currently on their way home (Video)

  Tuesday March 5th, 2019 - 08:42 AM | , , , , ,
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SANAE57, Overwintering, Antarctica

The SANAE57 (57th SANAE Overwintering) Team is currently onboard the S.A. Agulhas II, heading home after 14months on Antarctica. ALSA was privileged to catch up with the team during take-over (in January) at SANAE IV, the fourth South African National Antarctic Expedition Station.

SANAE57, Overwintering, Antarctica

Back (L-R): Elias Seabi, Lux Tanyana, Sabelo Biyela, Cobus van der Merwe, Hloni Rakoteli; (front) Stephanus Schoeman, Foster Mashele, Will Jelbert, John Skelete, Bo Orton. This photo is also now part of South Africa’s Antarctic Legacy – on the ALSA archive (click here).

Each member of SANAE57 was introduced in the team’s first newsletter. Read below Will Jelbert’s (team leader and doctor of the team) introduction at the start of the expedition and hear what he had to say after the expedition (in take-over). If you want to read more about this expedition member make sure you read the September Edition of this team’s newsletter.

Team Doctor, SANAE57, SANAEIV, Antarctica

Excerpt of SANAE57’s first team newsletter – December 2017 (Click here to view this newsletter)

https://www.facebook.com/AntarcticLegacySA/videos/vl.317523262441303/316209675763530/?type=1

 

Anché Louw, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, 05 March 2019

Have you read the latest SANAE Newsletters?

  Monday September 10th, 2018 - 03:05 PM | , , ,
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All available team newsletters now linked on the SANAP Website!

The 57th SANAE Overwintering team has already produced eight newsletters since their arrival at South Africa’s Antarctic research station (SANAE IV), last year December.

What you can expect from this team’s newsletters:

  • The team’s preparation before their year on the ice? (December 2017 Issue).
  • Meet the whole team and get to know the different team members in each newsletter.
  • Learn more about the research conducted at SANAE IV.
    • What exactly does North West University’s (NWU) Centre for Space Research (CSR) look at in Antarctica? (July 2018 Issue).
  • Weather measurements for some months.
  • Team sponsors are also mentioned at the back of each newsletter – on behalf of the team, thank you to all the sponsors. We truly hope that you will build a relationship with our overwinterers and support them annually.

For loads more interesting topics discussed by SANAE57 (Click here).

To see newsletters from previous SANAE teams as well as current and previous Marion Island and Gough Island Overwintering teams (Click here).

Author: Anche Louw (Antarctic Legacy of South Africa), 10 September 2018