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 … [Read more...] about 26 November Shipwreck List
Wrecks
25 November Shipwreck List
1857: Lady Kennaway, this wooden sailing vessel wrecked in the mouth of the Buffalo River in East London in the Eastern Cape. On the 23rd, the 231 immigrants that were on board had disembarked and then, while the vessel was lying in anchor, a south-easterly gale drove it onto a sandy spit/the bar at the mouth of the Buffalo River, 300-400 m east of the lighthouse, where it wrecked. It was left there for a few months before the wreck was blown up to clear the passage. This ship of 584 tons … [Read more...] about 25 November Shipwreck List
24 November Shipwreck List
1838: Dunlop, this Irish wooden sailing barque wrecked at an unknown location in Table Bay in the Western Cape whilst entering the bay. 1881: Cape of Good Hope, this sailing schooner/brigantine wrecked at Port Beaufort at the Breede River mouth in the Western Cape whilst trying to cross the bar in heavy seas. 1928: Cariboo, this British steel steam-powered ship struck a submerged object and wrecked just off the mouth of the Mgwalana River at Mgwalana in the Eastern Cape. The … [Read more...] about 24 November Shipwreck List
23 November Shipwreck List
1966: Cape Hermes, this motor-powered fishing vessel foundered near mouth of the Chalumna River near Kayser’s Beach in the Eastern Cape with the loss of ten of the 13 that were on board. It had been rammed by the Souli, a Liberian ore carrier, before it foundered. 1992: Frota Norte, this motor-powered bulk carrier was on tow to Karachi in Pakistan when its tow rope broke in heavy seas and the ship broke in two off Mossel Bay in the Western Cape. Both sections were later scuttled. 1992: … [Read more...] about 23 November Shipwreck List
22 November Shipwreck List
1823: Jane, this sailing vessel wrecked in a south-easterly gale in Table Bay in the Western Cape. 1957: Joan of Arc, this motor-powered vessel wrecked somewhere between Vondeling Island and St Helena Bay off the West Coast in the Western Cape. Very little is known about this vessel and the event. 2015: Clifton, this South African yacht foundered west of Saldanha Bay in the Western Cape. At the time the NSRI reported; "At 20h54 on Sunday the 22nd of November, NSRI Mykonos duty crew were … [Read more...] about 22 November Shipwreck List
21 November Shipwreck List
1914: Clan Stuart, this steel turret-decked steam freighter wrecked on Mackerel Beach in Simon’s Bay in False Bay in the Western Cape. It was caught out in a south-easterly gale and dragged its anchor before running aground at Glencairn beach. The tug Ludwig Wiener pulled it off and towed it into Simon’s Town harbour for repairs, but it was refused entry as there were fears that it would founder in the approach channel. It was then run ashore on Mackerel Beach. For four months attempts were made … [Read more...] about 21 November Shipwreck List
30 November Shipwreck List
1734: De Hoop, this wooden sailing galiot wrecked during a north-westerly gale on Dassen Island off the west coast in the Western Cape. 1858: Arago, this German sailing barque of 630 tons was wrecked in a strong south-easterly gale at Rietvlei in Table Bay in the Western Cape. The court enquiry at the time found that the captain - Captain JC Koling - was drunk. The Arago was on a voyage from Memel (a fortified Prussian sea-port to Batavia with a cargo of timber. No lives were lost. 1865: … [Read more...] about 30 November Shipwreck List
20 November Shipwreck List
1722: Schoonenberg, this wooden sailing east Indiaman wrecked on a reef off Northumberland Point in the epynomous Schoonenberg Bay in the Western Cape. The captain was found guilty of negligence, and the cargo was later removed, with some of it having been stolen by that point, and the ship was burned down to the waterline. A legend emerged from the wrecking stating that the captain had conspired with local farmers and that a precious part of the cargo had been hidden at Vergelegen farm. This … [Read more...] about 20 November Shipwreck List
19 November Shipwreck List
1870: Benefactress, this American sailing barque struck a rock of Cape Agulhas and managed to sail into False Bay where it was beached, and subsequently wrecked at the Lourens River mouth at Strand in the Western Cape. 1874: Lyttelton, this sailing barque wrecked in a south-easterly gale on North End Beach in Gqeberha/Port Elizabeth in Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape. 1937: Outeniqua, this iron steam-powered coaster ran aground near Cape Recife in Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape. Attempts at … [Read more...] about 19 November Shipwreck List
18 November Shipwreck List
1874: Midge, this wooden sailing schooner wrecked in a south-easterly gale in Plettenberg Bay in the Western Cape. The resulting investigation found the anchor chain being badly corroded and the captain guilty of neglect. 1880: Emma, this sailing brig wrecked during a south-westerly gale at Eastern Beach in East London in the Eastern Cape. 1936: Kildalkey, this steam-powered tanker wrecked on Seven Blinders in Saldanha Bay in the Western Cape. It was originally one of the Q/Kil class … [Read more...] about 18 November Shipwreck List
17 November Shipwreck List
1821: Flora, this wooden sailing schooner wrecked in the shallows in the early hours of the morning on the southern point of Robben Island in Table Bay in the Western Cape. The survivors were isolated on Robben Island as there had been a cholera epidemic in Batavia. After a few days in isolation, they were brought to Cape Town on board the Perseverance. 1865: Kadie, this iron steam-powered coaster wrecked on the West Bank of the Breede River in the Western Cape. On the day of the loss, … [Read more...] about 17 November Shipwreck List
16 November Shipwreck List
1906: Star of Peace, this steel steam-powered fishing trawler wrecked in dark and hazy weather at Jessie se Baai, near Quoin Point in the Western Cape. It struck a submerged rock and immediately foundered, with the crew safely getting to Gansbaai in the lifeboat. 1982: Meisho Maru No 38, this motor-powered fishing trawler wrecked about 1km north-west of the Southern Tip of Africa, at L’Agulhas/Cape Agulhas in the Western Cape. It is still visible from the shore today, although it is breaking … [Read more...] about 16 November Shipwreck List
15 November Shipwreck List
1845: Charles, carrying 140 tons of guano this wooden sailing schooner under Captain G Guilbert, struck a blinder in 37m of water just off Bird Island in Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape and wrecked. All sailors escaped in a boat to Bird Island. 1967: Ibishu, this motor-powered crayfishing vessel foundered in rough seas about 50km east of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal. … [Read more...] about 15 November Shipwreck List
14 November Shipwreck List
1856: Sea Eagle, this sailing barque missed it stays in a south-easterly gale between Robben Island and Blouberg and wrecked in Murray’s Bay on Robben Island in Table Bay in the Western Cape. 1857: Puntado, this vessel wrecked on the west bank of the Buffalo River in East London in the Eastern Cape. Very little is known about it. 1887: Idomene, this iron sailing schooner wrecked on a reef during bad weather, north-east of the Xora River Mouth in the Eastern Cape. The ship broke up too … [Read more...] about 14 November Shipwreck List
13 November Shipwreck List
1969: Tracyjon, this motor-powered fishing trawler foundered at sea, about 160 km north of Cape Town, somewhere along the West Coast, in the Western Cape with all eight that were on board being lost. 1996: Cordigliera, this motor-powered cargo vessel foundered, with the loss of life of all 29 that were on board, near Port St Johns in the Eastern Cape. Only three bodies were recovered. The wreck caused major oil pollution on the nearby beaches at lies at a depth of 90m. Cordigliera was … [Read more...] about 13 November Shipwreck List
