Sarah Baartman (ship)
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use South African English
Template:Infobox ship imageTemplate:Infobox ship careerTemplate:Infobox ship characteristicsSarah Baartman is a South African environmental protection vessel—of the Damen Offshore Patrol Vessel 8313 class.<ref name=DefenseWeekly2008-10-10> Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=DamenSarahBaartman> Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=DamenOPV8313> Template:Cite news</ref> The Sarah Baartman was commissioned on 10 January 2005.<ref> Template:Cite news
</ref> Named after Khoikhoi woman, Sarah Baartman, she was built by Damen Group, of the Netherlands, at one of its Romanian shipyards, and was designed to be capable of patrolling South Africa's entire EEZ, including the area around the southerly Prince Edward Islands.<ref name=IndependentOnline2007> Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Iol2007-09-29> Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=Iol2006-05-18> Template:Cite news</ref>
On 3 October 2007 the Sarah Baartman took custody of two men accused of murdering a fellow crew member of the South African icebreaker S. A. Agulhas.<ref name=Iol2007-10-10> Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=TristanTimes2007-10-03> Template:Cite news</ref>
The South African government has been criticized for chartering the Sarah Baartman to support offshore oil drilling.<ref name=IndependentOnline2008-08-29> Template:Cite news</ref>
The vessels carry limited equipment for enclosing and skimming oil spills, and fire-fighting water cannons.<ref name=DamenOPV8313/>