Brazilian research ship Barão de Teffé

Thala Dan

History
Operator	J. Lauritzen A/S Lines Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions
Identification	IMO number: 5357680
Fate	Sold to Brazilian Navy, 1982
Brazil
Name	Barao de Teffé
Acquired	1982
Identification	IMO number: 5357680
Fate	Scrapped, October 2007
General characteristics
Type	Icebreaking cargo-passenger ship
Tonnage	1,400 DWT
Length	81 m (266 ft)
Beam	13.72 m (45.0 ft)
Draft	6.275 m (20.59 ft) (fully loaded)
Installed power	Burmeister & Wain 2,020 ihp (1,510 kW)
Capacity	50 passengers

MV Thala Dan was one of a fleet of icebreaking cargo-passenger ships operated by the Danish J. Lauritzen A/S Lines, and chartered to, inter alia, ANARE (Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions). Others in the fleet included Kista Dan and Nella Dan.

Overview

Operating out of Melbourne and later Hobart, Tasmania in the southern summer of each year from the 1957 to 1982, this ship was used to re-supply the Australian bases at Macquarie Island, Mawson Station, Davis Station, Wilkes Station and Casey Station, for occasional visits to Heard Island, the Russian Mirny Station, the French Dumont d'Urville Station and other exploration.

In 1982, Thala Dan was sold to the Brazilian Navy, which renamed her to Barao de Teffé and used her for Antarctic expeditions until 2002. Along with two other Lauritzen ships (Kista Dan and Nella Dan), she was featured on an Australian Antarctic Territory postage stamp in 2003.

Thala Dan was apparently also used for sailings to Quebec in the first three months of the year in the 1960s. In 2007, Barao de Teffé was reported awaiting wrecking in Rio de Janeiro. After failed Australian attempts to purchase and turn Thala Dan into a museum ship, she was scrapped in Rio de Janeiro in October 2007.