“Maria van Riebeeck” first submarine on Syncrolift

Ever thought how far a submarine would penetrate Walvis Bay?

Well on the morning of 23 November 1981 the South African submarine “Maria van Riebeeck was lifted onto the Walvis Bay Syncrolift for repairs and maintenance. It was the historic first time a submarine had been taken out of the water here.
·Several South African naval submarines visited Walvis Bay over the years, most of whose visits had been briefly mentioned by the Namib Times.
Note: after Walvis Bay’s re-integration in 1994, no South African naval submarine called at Walvis Bay. The first to do so again was in 2009 during a joint-military exercise of SADC forces at Walvis Bay. In September 2009 this Class 209 submarine of the SA Navy spent days off Walvis Bay Here the tourist boat Kalina is seen alongside chatting to the submarine crew.