Wednesday 14 February 2024

South Africa: Centaur, Juliana, Henry H Crape, Frigga, Araminta, Northern Isles, Oceana Point & Lezandi wrecks

SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage

January 19:

Ulan wreck, Walvis Bay, Namibia

“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”

1750: Le Centaure/Centaur, this French East Indiaman was on a return trip from Mauritius to France when it ran aground and wrecked between Cape Agulhas and the Ratel River mouth at Die Walle in the Western Cape. All 300 crew and 100 passengers survived the wrecking and managed to salvage some of the cargo and provisions. They made the journey to Cape Town on foot. In 1984 a salvage company found its remains and, under a National Monument’s Council permit, started excavating the wreck. Only a moderate number of artefacts were recovered including the ship’s bell. The ship was recorded as carrying a cargo solely consisting of peppercorns which was evident during the salvage operation as the peppercorns clogged machinery and were seen everywhere.

1839: Juliana, this wooden sailing barque wrecked near Mouille Point in Table Bay in the Western Cape. The barque was bound for Sydney, Australia, with UK immigrants on board. The cause of the wrecking was found to be due to negligence as it wrecked on a perfect-weather-day and the captain was found to have no knowledge of Table Bay’s bathymetry. The 50 or so odd passengers eventually found passage to Australia aboard the Morayshire and the Mary Hay.

1857: Henry H Crape/Crapo, this American sailing barque presumably foundered at sea off the KwaZulu-Natal coast with the captain and one other survivor being found floating in a raft. Very little is known about this vessel and the event.

1862: Frigga, this Danish sailing barque wrecked in a south-easterly gale north of the Salt River Mouth either at Milnerton Beach, Salt River Beach, or Blaauwberg Beach in Table Bay in the Western Cape.

1889: Araminta, this British sailing barque wrecked in a south-easterly gale on North End Beach in Port Elizabeth in Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape. 

1945: Northern Isles, this anti-submarine vessel (converted fishing trawler) ran aground and wrecked at the Bluff in Durban in KwaZulu-Natal.

1992: Oceana Point, this South African fishing vessel foundered off Lamberts Bay off the west coast in the Western Cape. 

2016: Lezandi, this South African fishing vessel foundered about 20 km south-west of Cape Point in the Western Cape.

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