South African fleet replenishment vessel Outeniqua. I was prompted to post this by seeing Steve Elwood's pics. of her as Ice Maiden I arriving on the Tyne for conversion to an accomodation vessel by A&P and noting there would appear not to be a shot of her on the site

Originally one of a series of ice-breaking ro/ro cargo vessels built for USSR at Kherson Shipyard in the Ukraine in the early '90's, she was launched as Aleksander Sledzuk on 6 September 1991, but very soon renamed Juvent. In 1992 she was aquired by the South African navy, renamed Outeniqua after a range of mountains in Western South Africa and was commissioned on 8 June 1993. She served for 11 years until decommissioned in a sunset ceremony on 30 July 2004 In 2005, she was sold to Mertech Marine Pty. Ltd. (Offshore Maritime Servicess- mgr) and renamed Paardeburg. Sold again in 2006 to C&M Gp. she became Ice Maiden I in 2007.

photo : Cape Town, 22:11:1994
photo : © Dr. Allan Ryszka-Onions 1994/2008