The Danish Kista Dan is one of the best known ships in the Antarctic and is called "the ship which steers like a car" by her crew. She is owned by J. Lauritzen, of Copenhagen, and was specially designed for navigation in pack ice. She was completed by the Aalborg Vaerft in 1952, her dimensions being 191.5 ft. x 36.9 ft. The vessel has a controllable pitch propeller and can be navigated from the crow's nest, a great advantage when sailing through heavy pack ice.
In 1954 she was the supply vessel to the Australian Antarctic Expedition. She has been a favourite with Australian Antarctic explorers for some years and has been chartered frequently by the Australian Department of External Affairs for its Antarctic Division, carrying relief men and supplies to the base in Antarctica. In 1955-56 she was engaged in shuttling back and forth on the 4,000 mile voyage between Melbourne and Mawson, on MacRobertson Land. Mawson is only 800 miles from the South Pole.
Two aircraft, a Beaver and an Otter, both of which can be fitted with skis or floats, are carried by the Kista Dan. Since 1960 she has been engaged as supply ship for the British bases in the Antarctic and in March of that year she was trapped in the ice for over a fortnight with Sir Vivian Fuchs and 30 other British scientists on board. The American ice-breaker Glacier had to carve a way through the thick, pack ice on Marguerite Bay, off Graham Land, before the Kista Dan could continue her voyage.
Sea Breezes May 1963. British Antarctic SG1, Australian Antarctic SG48.
Kista Dan
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aukepalmhof
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Re: Kista Dan
Built as a polar cargo-passenger ship under yard No 96 by Aalborg Vaerft A.S., Aalborg, Denmark for Danish owner J. Lauritzen.
16 January 1952 launched as the KISTA DAN.
Tonnage 1,239 grt, 550 net, 1,265 dwt. dim. 64.9 x 11.2 x 7.0m, length bpp. 57m, draught 6m.
Powered by a B&W diesel engine 1,560 hp, speed 12 knots.
Ice strengthened.
Accommodation for the regular crew and for 34 passengers.
23 May 1952 completed.
She was the first prototype of a polar ship built after World War II for Lauritzen and after experience and tests with this vessel two other polar ships were ordered by Lauritzen.
Her maiden voyage was a charter voyage for an American film company which used the ship in her movie “Hell Below Zero”.
Thereafter chartered by the Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition (A.N.A.R.E.) for the supply for there basis camps Mac Quarie, Heard Island, Mawson and Davis from 1953 till 1957.
06 January 1957 the first flight from Camp Mawson took off with a DHC2 Beaver plane flown by Fg Off. D. Johnston. The plane was transported on board the KISTA DAN to the basis.
The KISTA DAN was the first ship which arrived on Mawson on 11 February 1954 and sailed again 23 February.
Her last voyage to this base was in 1957 where after the charter terminated.
She left then for the waters off Greenland were she stayed until 1959.
Then she was chartered by the Falkland Island Dependencies Survey until 1966, where after she was chartered by the British Antarctic Survey for the supply of the camps at Deception Island, Signy Island and Halley Bay.
06 January 1967 sold to Martin Karlsen A/S, Aalesund, Norway and renamed in MARTIN KARLSEN.
Chartered by the Argentinean Government and used for the supply of the Argentinean polar camps Esperanza, General Belgrano and Sabral in the Antarctic.
1968 Under the Canadian flag while the Norway company name was changed to Karlsen Shipping Ltd.
Then used as a seal catcher, while in the off season she made charter voyages to the Arctic for the Bedford Institute of Oceanography.
1979 Sold to Bowring SS Co. Ltd., London and renamed in BENJAMIN BOWRING.
Between 1979 and 1982 used in the Transglobe Expedition, a round the world expedition led by Sir Ranulp Fiennes.
With the Prince of Wales on the helm the BENJAMIN BOWRING sailed from London for this expedition.
She visited twice the Antarctic made merchant voyages between the Pacific islands and visited also twice the Arctic during this expedition.
1981 Sold to Bearcreek Oil & Shipping Co. Ltd. a British company.
The same year sold to Halba Shipping Ltd. also a British company and renamed in ARCTIC GAEL.
The intention was to charter the ship out to the British Government for the supply of the Antarctic stations but the charter fell through (was given to a foreign company), and the ship was again put on the sale list.
1984 Sold to Freighters & Tankers from the Bahamas and renamed in OLYMPIAKOS, she was now owned by the Greek owner John Gallandros, he had plans to rebuild her in a luxury motor-yacht.
The OLYMPIAKOS sailed to Syros, Greece for her rebuild.
Only her masts and loading booms were removed but not much work was further carried out.
1989 Sold the British business man who put her again under British flag without changing her name. She stayed at Syros with the intention to rebuild her in a luxury diving ship.
The lifeboats and part of her superstructure were removed then the work halted and she was put again on the sale list.
June 1997 she was sold to Polar Ventures Limited with the intention to tow the OLYMPIAKOS to London and rebuild her in a ship to remove rubbish in the Antarctic and Arctic waters, but before she was towed to London she was sold to the shipbreaker Gürsoy Gemi Sõküm A.S. in Aliaga, where she arrived under tow on 04 August 1998.
Australian Antarctic Territory 1979 40c sg48, scott?. 2003 50c sg?, scott?
British Antarctic Territory 1963 ½d sg1, scott , and 1971 ½p on ½d sg24, scott
Tuvalu 1984 50c sg240, scott? ( as BENJAMIN BOWRING)
Source: The Dog Watch. Marine News.
Australian Antarctic Territory issued in 2011 a minisheet with a total value of $3.60 in the margin is depict the KISTA DAN.
This stamp issue marks the centenary of the birth of Dr Phillip Law AC (1912-2010), one of Australia's most experienced polar explorers. He was a pivotal figure in developing Australia's Antarctic science program and in securing a commitment to the region.
In his 19 years as an Antarctic explorer, Phillip Law took part in 28 expeditions. Under his direction, some 5,000 kilometres of coastline were charted. Of all his achievements, Law considered the first landing at Larsemann Hills to be his greatest. In early 1958, and after days of negotiating ice-free peaks that rose to 500 feet, the ANARE leader led the first party to land at Larsemann Hills. In his honour, the Law Base was established at the site in 1986-87.
Phillip Law died in Melbourne at the age of 97.
The minisheet features a montage of images from the 1954 and 1955 expeditions to Antarctica, in the margin of the minisheet the polar vessel KISTA DAN is depict.
Downloaded from the Australian Post web-site.
16 January 1952 launched as the KISTA DAN.
Tonnage 1,239 grt, 550 net, 1,265 dwt. dim. 64.9 x 11.2 x 7.0m, length bpp. 57m, draught 6m.
Powered by a B&W diesel engine 1,560 hp, speed 12 knots.
Ice strengthened.
Accommodation for the regular crew and for 34 passengers.
23 May 1952 completed.
She was the first prototype of a polar ship built after World War II for Lauritzen and after experience and tests with this vessel two other polar ships were ordered by Lauritzen.
Her maiden voyage was a charter voyage for an American film company which used the ship in her movie “Hell Below Zero”.
Thereafter chartered by the Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition (A.N.A.R.E.) for the supply for there basis camps Mac Quarie, Heard Island, Mawson and Davis from 1953 till 1957.
06 January 1957 the first flight from Camp Mawson took off with a DHC2 Beaver plane flown by Fg Off. D. Johnston. The plane was transported on board the KISTA DAN to the basis.
The KISTA DAN was the first ship which arrived on Mawson on 11 February 1954 and sailed again 23 February.
Her last voyage to this base was in 1957 where after the charter terminated.
She left then for the waters off Greenland were she stayed until 1959.
Then she was chartered by the Falkland Island Dependencies Survey until 1966, where after she was chartered by the British Antarctic Survey for the supply of the camps at Deception Island, Signy Island and Halley Bay.
06 January 1967 sold to Martin Karlsen A/S, Aalesund, Norway and renamed in MARTIN KARLSEN.
Chartered by the Argentinean Government and used for the supply of the Argentinean polar camps Esperanza, General Belgrano and Sabral in the Antarctic.
1968 Under the Canadian flag while the Norway company name was changed to Karlsen Shipping Ltd.
Then used as a seal catcher, while in the off season she made charter voyages to the Arctic for the Bedford Institute of Oceanography.
1979 Sold to Bowring SS Co. Ltd., London and renamed in BENJAMIN BOWRING.
Between 1979 and 1982 used in the Transglobe Expedition, a round the world expedition led by Sir Ranulp Fiennes.
With the Prince of Wales on the helm the BENJAMIN BOWRING sailed from London for this expedition.
She visited twice the Antarctic made merchant voyages between the Pacific islands and visited also twice the Arctic during this expedition.
1981 Sold to Bearcreek Oil & Shipping Co. Ltd. a British company.
The same year sold to Halba Shipping Ltd. also a British company and renamed in ARCTIC GAEL.
The intention was to charter the ship out to the British Government for the supply of the Antarctic stations but the charter fell through (was given to a foreign company), and the ship was again put on the sale list.
1984 Sold to Freighters & Tankers from the Bahamas and renamed in OLYMPIAKOS, she was now owned by the Greek owner John Gallandros, he had plans to rebuild her in a luxury motor-yacht.
The OLYMPIAKOS sailed to Syros, Greece for her rebuild.
Only her masts and loading booms were removed but not much work was further carried out.
1989 Sold the British business man who put her again under British flag without changing her name. She stayed at Syros with the intention to rebuild her in a luxury diving ship.
The lifeboats and part of her superstructure were removed then the work halted and she was put again on the sale list.
June 1997 she was sold to Polar Ventures Limited with the intention to tow the OLYMPIAKOS to London and rebuild her in a ship to remove rubbish in the Antarctic and Arctic waters, but before she was towed to London she was sold to the shipbreaker Gürsoy Gemi Sõküm A.S. in Aliaga, where she arrived under tow on 04 August 1998.
Australian Antarctic Territory 1979 40c sg48, scott?. 2003 50c sg?, scott?
British Antarctic Territory 1963 ½d sg1, scott , and 1971 ½p on ½d sg24, scott
Tuvalu 1984 50c sg240, scott? ( as BENJAMIN BOWRING)
Source: The Dog Watch. Marine News.
Australian Antarctic Territory issued in 2011 a minisheet with a total value of $3.60 in the margin is depict the KISTA DAN.
This stamp issue marks the centenary of the birth of Dr Phillip Law AC (1912-2010), one of Australia's most experienced polar explorers. He was a pivotal figure in developing Australia's Antarctic science program and in securing a commitment to the region.
In his 19 years as an Antarctic explorer, Phillip Law took part in 28 expeditions. Under his direction, some 5,000 kilometres of coastline were charted. Of all his achievements, Law considered the first landing at Larsemann Hills to be his greatest. In early 1958, and after days of negotiating ice-free peaks that rose to 500 feet, the ANARE leader led the first party to land at Larsemann Hills. In his honour, the Law Base was established at the site in 1986-87.
Phillip Law died in Melbourne at the age of 97.
The minisheet features a montage of images from the 1954 and 1955 expeditions to Antarctica, in the margin of the minisheet the polar vessel KISTA DAN is depict.
Downloaded from the Australian Post web-site.
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aukepalmhof
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Re: Kista Dan
Robert Guillard did use a few Antarctic supply ships to travel to the Antarctic, the only ship after comparing photo’s is most probably the polar ship KISTA DAN, the others have a complete different silhouette. The ship designed on the stamp has some artistic licence.
French Southern and Antarctic Territories 2015 0.66 Euro.
French Southern and Antarctic Territories 2015 0.66 Euro.
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D. v. Nieuwenhuijzen
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