1686: Stavenisse, this Dutch East Indiaman of 544 tons wrecked at what is presumed to be near the Mzimkulu River mouth at Port Shepstone in KwaZulu-Natal resulting in the loss of eleven lives from the crew of 71. The rest of the crew encountered survivors of the Good Hope (1685) and the Bona Ventura (1686). They worked together to build the boat ‘Centaurus’ which was officially launched on the 17th of February, 1687. On the first of March 1687, they safely arrived at the Cape of Good Hope and the Cape Governor at the time, Simon van der Stel, had the Centaurus refitted and sent back to look for more survivors of other wrecks.
This East Indiaman was bulity by Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie – VOC for the Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie – VOC and commanded by Captain Kuif Willem with a crew comp,iment of 148.
1713: Bennebroek, this Dutch East Indiaman wrecked near the Mtana River near Hamburg in the Eastern Cape. The vessel was disabled in a gale while homeward bound from Ceylon. It ran aground in broad daylight and began to break up immediately. Of the 150 lives on board, only 57 Europeans and 20 enslaved people from Malabar (south-western India) managed to reach the shore. The survivors started walking to the Cape, but most turned back after reaching an unfordable river. Of those that continued, only one (although some sources suggest up to five) person(s) reached the Cape alive on the 26th of February 1714, more than a year after the wrecking. Those who turned back lived near the wreck until June 1713, trading iron and copper for food with the local people, who treated the survivors with kindness. When this supply was exhausted the survivors made another attempt to reach the Cape, but after several weeks the survivors, now reportedly only consisting of 7 Europeans, found refuge with another friendly group of local people. On the 4th of September 1714, an English decked boat reached the Cape from Delagoa Bay with 4 of these 7 survivors on board. They had been found living in a local village near the mouth of a river. A subsequent six-month search by the galiot Postlooper for the wreck and remaining 3 survivors was unsuccessful. Although there are some reports that claim in 1716 three Englishmen were reported to be living on that coastline with wives and children and it is possible that these three men were those last three survivors. The wreck was excavated in 1985 under a National Monument’s Council permit.
Bennebroek was an ‘East Indiaman’- a large sailing vessel. This type of sailing vessel’s were built from in the 16th to the 19th Century for the trade between Europe and Southern Asia. The first were Portuguese and Dutch vessel’s. English Indiamen appeared late in the 16th Century and eventually came to dominate the trade. The ships varied in size from about 400 to 1,500 tons and more; often they were larger than Men-of-war vessel’s. The Man-O-War is a naval ship that was designed for combat and not for merchant service. It was typically heavily armed and often avoided by the pirates. Of course sometimes such ship were used to transport treasure or acted as escort to merchant ships.
1850: Amelia Mulholland, this British wooden barque wrecked at Gqeberha/Port Elizabeth in Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape after its cables parted in a south-easterly gale. No lives were lost
1853: Mary, this schooner wrecked in Mossel Bay in the Western Cape during a south-easterly gale after its cables parted. One life was lost during the event. British ship of 547 tons, built of teak in 1813, and commanded by Captain Ardlie. Wrecked after putting in for water while on a voyage from Calcutta and Madras to London with a cargo that included indigo and dye.
1864: Lucy, this vessel wrecked during a south-easterly gale, at night, on Birkenhead Rock at Danger Point near Gansbaai in the Western Cape.
1878: A south-easterly gale claimed two vessels on this day in East London in the Eastern Cape:
• Elise, a wooden barque wrecked near the mouth of the Buffalo river,
• Olive, an unknown vessel type, wrecked on East Beach with the loss of all six of the crew.
2019: Ankoveld, this South African fishing vessel capsized near St Helena Bay off the west coast in the Western Cape. All 10 that were on board were rescued.
According to the SAMSA Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC) in Cape Town, the incident of the sinking of the fishing trawler, registered as Ankoveld/ZR4388, occurred early on Saturday morning at a position some 28.5 nautical miles west north west of Cape St Martin and same distance from the closest land point.
The MRCC said the vessel’s skipper who was among the 10 rescued crew confirmed that the Ankoveld experienced difficulties after it had begun to take water in the engine room, following to which it capsized and sank.
After being alerted to the incident, the MRCC through the rescue sub-rescue centre in Saldanha mobilized a vessel nearest the incident, the Atlantic Leader, which successfully rescued the sunken fishing vessel’s 10 member crew that had already abandoned ship to life rafts.
The centre said a navigational warning had been promulgated warning other vessels sailing in the vicinity of the sunken vessel. SAMSA officials in Saldanha Bay were on the case to conduct an investigation into the incident.
Meanwhile, the 10 member crew of the sunken fishing vessel were also confirmed to have since landed safely with the Atlantic Leader rescue vessel at Laaiplek harbour.
The Ankoveld was a 24-meter fishing vessel flagged in South Africa. Both vessels involved are owned by the same company, a diversified conglomerate based in Laaiplek.
