MV Nella Dan

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title: "MV Nella Dan" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1961-ships", "australia-and-the-antarctic", "macquarie-island", "research-vessels-of-australia", "ships-built-in-aalborg", "ships-of-australia", "shipwrecks-of-tasmania"] description: "Antarctic research ship" topic_path: "geography/australia" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Nella_Dan" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Antarctic research ship ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox ship"]

Field	Value
section1	{{Infobox ship/image
image	Rikr0101 - Flickr - NOAA Photo Library.jpg
image_caption	MV Nella Dan at Mawson Ice edge, Antarctica.
section2	{{Infobox ship/career
country	Denmark
flag	[[Image:Flag of Denmark.svg
name	Nella Dan
owner	J. Lauritzen
registry	Esbjerg
builder	Aalborg Shipyard Pty Ltd
yard_number	109
launched	13 June 1961
completed	4 October 1961
refit	1980
fate	Wrecked and sunk 1987
section3	{{Infobox ship/characteristics
class	Icebreaker class I
type	Polar supply vessel
tonnage	GRT 2186/2206, NRT 1060
length	75.5 m
beam	14.3 m
draft	6.268 m
propulsion	2520 HP B&W diesel 8-cyl. 2SA 835-VBF-620 engine
speed	12.5 knots
aircraft	Helicopter deck
notes	32 crew, 42 passengers
::

|section1={{Infobox ship/image | image = Rikr0101 - Flickr - NOAA Photo Library.jpg | image_caption = MV Nella Dan at Mawson Ice edge, Antarctica.

|section2={{Infobox ship/career | hide_header = | country = Denmark | flag = [[Image:Flag of Denmark.svg|60px]] | name = Nella Dan | namesake = | owner = J. Lauritzen | operator = | registry = Esbjerg | route = | ordered = | awarded = | builder = Aalborg Shipyard Pty Ltd | original_cost = | yard_number = 109 | way_number = | laid_down = | launched = 13 June 1961 | sponsor = | christened = | completed = 4 October 1961 | acquired = | commissioned = | recommissioned = | decommissioned = | maiden_voyage = | in_service = | out_of_service = | renamed = | reclassified = | refit = 1980 | struck = | reinstated = | homeport = | identification =

• Call sign OZKC | motto = | nickname = | honours = | honors = | captured = | fate = Wrecked and sunk 1987 | notes = | badge =

|section3={{Infobox ship/characteristics | hide_header = | header_caption = | class = Icebreaker class I | type = Polar supply vessel | tonnage = GRT 2186/2206, NRT 1060 | displacement = | length = 75.5 m | beam = 14.3 m | height = | draught = | draft = 6.268 m | depth = | hold_depth = | decks = | deck_clearance = | ramps = | ice_class = | power = | propulsion = 2520 HP B&W diesel 8-cyl. 2SA 835-VBF-620 engine | speed = 12.5 knots | range = | endurance = | boats = | capacity = | complement = | crew = | time_to_activate = | sensors = | aircraft = Helicopter deck | aircraft_facilities = | notes = 32 crew, 42 passengers '*MV Nella Dan''' was one of the famous 'Dan' ships of the Danish J. Lauritzen A/S Lines that were almost synonymous with ANARE (Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions) shipping through the early years of Australia's official Antarctic program. Others in the fleet included Kista Dan, Magga Dan and *Thala Dan''.

Service

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Nella_Dan_leaving_Hobart,1987(2).jpg" caption="''Nella Dan'' ready to leave Hobart, 1987"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Nella_Dan_leaving_Hobart,1987(1).jpg" caption="''Nella Dan'' leaving Hobart, 1987"] ::

Commissioned by Lauritzen with considerable input from the Australian Antarctic Division, Nella Dan was named in honour of Nel Law, wife of the AAD Director of the time, Phillip Law. |url = http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/history/transportation/shipping/nella-dan-1962-1987 |title = Nella Dan 1962-1987 |publisher = Australian Antarctic Division |accessdate = 25 August 2010}}

Built by the Aarlborg Shipyard Pty Ltd in 1961, she incorporated all the features of her older sisters, Thala Dan, Kista Dan and Magga Dan. An ice breaker stern, ice fins and ice knife were becoming regular features, but a novel addition was the double hull in the engine room and part of the holds. The ascent to the crow's nest was through the interior of the mast, and the ship supplied its own fresh water with an Atlas generator. At the time of her construction, Nella Dan was regarded as setting the standard for polar vessels.

Nella Dan sailed to the Antarctic every year she was chartered by ANARE, from 1962 to 1987. Her service record remains unchallenged as the longest continuously serving of any Antarctic ship.

Besetment (locked in the ice) in 1985

Nella Dan enjoyed the dubious distinction of plunging her passengers into an unexpected seven-week stationary sojourn in the ice in 1985, the longest besetment (being surrounded by ice without helm control) ever experienced by any ANARE ship. She was eventually released from besetment by digging the ice away from the hull. At that time, the Japanese icebreaker Shirase rushed to assist the trapped vessel. Nella Dan finally followed the trail of Shirase and got away from the iced-over ocean.

Final Voyage

On her last fateful voyage on the evening of 3 December 1987, during resupply operations at Macquarie Island, bad weather blew up. Nella Dan dragged her anchor and was driven aground just metres off the island, |author = AJ |title = Nella Dan runs aground at Macquarie Island |url = http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/13464310 |publisher = Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions |type = Newsletter |series = ANARE News (Ceased 1996) |date = December 1987 |ref = ISSN 0728-6414

Several members of the 35 Water Transport Squadron attached to ANARE sailed three LARC (Light Amphibious Resupply Craft) to evacuate the Antarctic expeditioners and ship's crew still on board. For these actions, soldiers Philip Wharton Clark, Kenneth Stanley Barrington, Dudley Raymond Crowe, Timothy Gay, Gregory Dale Kenny, and Alistair Andrew Scott were awarded a Group Bravery Citation by the Australian Governor-General Quentin Bryce on 17 August 2009.{{cite web |url = http://www.gg.gov.au/res/File/PDFs/honours/bd71/Media%20Notes%20-%20Group%20Bravery%20Citation.doc |title = Group Bravery Citation |author = Australian Government |date = 2009 |work = Australian Honours |publisher = Governor-General of Australia |accessdate = 25 August 2010 |url-status = dead |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20110126013653/http://www.gg.gov.au/res/File/PDFs/honours/bd71/Media%20Notes%20-%20Group%20Bravery%20Citation.doc |archivedate = 26 January 2011}}

The Macquarie Island station, normally designed to accommodate 32 expeditioners, had to accommodate over 100 people until their rescue. At the time of the accident, Icebird, another vessel chartered by the Australian Antarctic Division, was returning to Hobart from Davis Station in Antarctica. Icebird was immediately diverted to Macquarie Island to pick up the personnel and crew from Nella Dan. She arrived at Buckles Bay on 8 December 1987.

Scuttling

Within four days of the accident, the owners of Nella Dan, the Danish Lauritzen company, had chartered an oil rig tender, Lady Lorraine, which left Victoria carrying company representatives as well as insurance assessors, a team of divers and salvage experts. To protect the ship from further damage while awaiting possible salvage, the vessel deliberately took on sea water as ballast. This was intended to add sufficient weight to the hull to hold it in position on the rocks and prevent further damage or movement back out to sea. Although having a list of about 11 degrees, the ship was kept in a stable position and was also secured with cables to the shore. When the storm abated all remaining expedition equipment was removed from the ship.

Although plans were initially made to salvage the vessel, the decision was eventually made to scuttle her. At 5.42 pm on 24 December 1987, she was sunk in deep water off Macquarie Island. To continue supporting the expedition program the Australian Antarctic Division chartered the Canadian vessel Lady Franklin, an ice-strengthened cargo vessel, for the remainder of the summer season.

References

References

1. Australian Government. (2009). "Australian Bravery Decorations Honours List (17 August 2009)". Governor-General of Australia.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::