SAS Assegaai, Naval submarine museum in Simon's Town, South Africa
SAS Assegaai is a decommissioned submarine on display at Simon's Town harbor in South Africa. The vessel is open to the public and lets visitors walk through the original control room, crew quarters, and operational systems.
The submarine entered service in 1971 and served in the South African Navy for several decades. It was decommissioned in 2003 and later prepared for public display.
The name Assegaai refers to a throwing spear used by indigenous peoples of southern Africa, giving the vessel a connection to local history beyond the naval world. Displays on board help visitors place this link in context during the walk-through.
The boat sits at Simon's Town harbor and can be explored from the inside, but the passages are narrow and some sections require ducking or climbing through hatches. Comfortable shoes and a readiness to move through tight spaces will make the visit easier.
This vessel is the only surviving example of its class from South Africa's original fleet of three submarines. In 2024, it was moved roughly 350 meters (about 1,150 feet) overland to reach its current display site, an operation rarely carried out on a submarine this size.
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