1871: Edith Smith, this wooden sailing brig wrecked on the North Patch of Bird Island in Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape. Edith Smith was a Cape wooden Brig of 171 tons, built in 1862 by Gough, Bridgewater and owned by I.O. Smith, Cape of Good Hope. Edith Smith was on a voyage from East London to Algoa Bay with a cargo of 340 bales of wool, some hides and 30 tons of mealies. She had called at Bird Island to land provisions for the guano party.
1882: Adonis, this 406 ton British sailing schooner (which also had minor steam capacity) wrecked on the northern bank of the Mzimvubu River in Port St Johns in the Eastern Cape. Attempts to refloat it were futile and by the 7th it was declared a loss. SS Adonis was built by Barrow Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Barrow-In-Furness and owned by Little J. & Co.,, Hull.
1885: Il Nazerino Savona, this 938 ton Italian sailing barque wrecked on a reef off Shell Bay on Robben Island in Table Bay in the Western Cape. Il Nazerino was commande by Captain G. Rassi on her voyage from Cardiff to Table Bay with a cargo of 1 500 tons of coal.
1939: Watussi, this steam-powered 9 521 ton German passenger ship was scuttled about 130km south of Cape Point in the Western Cape. It was in port in Mozambique when World War II broke out and the decision was made to try and round the Cape to an unknown destination in attempts to get home to Germany whilst flying the Union-Castle Line colours. It was intercepted by the South African Air Force who dropped bombs to divert the ship to Simons Town for capture. The crew instead set the ship alight. The British aircraft carrier Ark Royal and cruiser Renown got all those that were on board off and then the Renown sunk the ship by gunfire. Located in the port of Mozambique on the ourbreak of war and sheltered there . 22,11.1939 : left the port to an unknown destination with 155 passengers and 43 crew members in the direction of the Atlantic. 02.12.1939 : Intercepted by the British navy and aviation , was burned by her crew. The cruiser Renown recovered personnel and sank the ship by gunfire. Built in 1928 by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg with engines by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg, Watussi was owned by the Deutsche Ost-Afrika Linie – DOAL, Hamburg.
1948: John Bull, this Durban registered 15 ton fishing vessel foundered with the loss of all four lives that were on board after a 9m wave crashed over the vessel just off Isipingo in KwaZulu-Natal.
1986)
