Southern Actor

Southern Actor is a former whale catcher, currently a museum ship based in Sandefjord, Norway and owned by Sandefjord Museum. It is the only whale catcher from the Modern Whaling Epoch still to be in its original working order.[2][3][4][5] Over 100,000 hours have been spent on restoring the vessel.[6]

Southern Actor at Sandefjord harbour
History
United Kingdom
Name	Southern Actor
Owner	Christian Salvesen Ltd
Builder	Smiths Dock
Launched	1950
Fate	Sold to Norway
Norway
Name	Southern Actor
Owner	Sandefjord Museum
Acquired	1989[1]
Identification	IMO number: 5335228 MMSI number: 257015900 Callsign: LGYC
Fate	Museum Ship
General characteristics
Type	Whaler
Tonnage	439 GRT
Length	158 ft 9+1⁄2 in (48.400 m) (LOA)
Beam	27 ft 6 in (8.38 m)
Draft	15 ft 6 in (4.72 m)
Installed power	Triple expansion steam engine

Southern Actor was built in 1950 at Smiths Dock, Middlesbrough, England, for the whaling company Christian Salvesen Ltd in Leith, Scotland. Many of Salvesen's employees were Norwegian mostly from Vestfold. The ship was in Norway for maintenance in the summer.

In 1995, Southern Actor was fully restored, as authentically as possible in relation to the way the boat was originally constructed. That same year she was declared worthy of preservation by Riksantikvaren, the Norwegian Directorate of Cultural Heritage. Southern Actor is in working order and can be chartered for excursions.[7]