History

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

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

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

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

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

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

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