1840: Adney/Udney Castle, this British wooden sailing brig/snow wrecked near the Greenpoint Lighthouse in Table Bay in the Western Cape. This 287 ton vessel was built in 1839 at Sunderland and commanded by Captain Turnbull. She had entered Table Bay on her votage from Liverpool with a cargo of coal. No lives were lost.
1863: Swallow, this British sailing schooner of 179 tons was wrecked near the Van Stadens River Mouth in the Eastern Cape. Under Captain Scott the Swallow was wrecked 32km of Cape Recife whilst on a voyage from Table Bay to Shanghai with a cargo of coal. No lives were lost.
1909: Ourimbah, this steel steam-powered ship, whilst in ballast to be delivered to Sydney from Glasgow, wrecked in fog at Chelsea Point near Cape Recife in the Eastern Cape. This British steel screw steamer of 696 tons, built in 1909 by the Ardrossan Dry Dock and Shipbuilding Co, and commanded by Captain R. Stewart was wrecked whilst on her maiden voyage from Adrossan, Scotland to Sydney via Natal in ballast.
The 24 strong crew were all saved by the tug Sir Frederick. She was intdened for coastal trade in Australia and now lies scattered in a shallow gulley directly inshore from the Queenmoor (1934).
1983: St Gerard, this South African motor-powered fishing vessel foundered about 40km west of Dassen Island off the West Coast in the Western Cape.
2015: Baratz – On the 26th of November 2015 the 29m steel crayfish boat, Baratz started taking in water. All 25 crew on-board were rescued by the NSRI in 5m swells and easterly winds of up to 20 knots. She is lying in 25m of water and has already attracted schools of fish and marine life, making for an interesting dive.
On 02.12.2015 Neville Noble from the South African Maritime Association (SAMSA) instructed the Tactical Task Force to enforce a no go area of two nautical miles around the Cape Recife Lighthouse. Any vessel found within the area ran the risk of being confiscated along with any equipment. If convicted in a court of law the operators could also receive a large fine and be banned from any commercial operations along the Eastern Cape coast.
The Tactical Task Force Commander, Tom Swartz, confirmed on the day that one vessel had already been escorted out of the area.
The hazards from the wreck include the seepage of 70 tons of diesel and an unknown quantity of oil, 30 tons of bait which makes for wonderful shark bait and tons of 20 mm rope slowly uncoiling and rising to the surface.
According to side and sonar scans the Baratz is upright on her keel and has sunk about 1 metre into the reef.
The approximate position of the wreck is 34°01’0.14″S 25°43’0.3″E.
More Information, Images and Video here: Baratz Wreck
