SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage
February 13:
“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”
1830: Lady Holland, this wooden vessel struck a reef north-east of Dassen Island off the west coast in the Western Cape and wrecked. Its passengers and crew made it onto Dassen Island using the boats before being rescued.
1850: Childe Harold, this sailing vessel wrecked on the south-eastern point of Dassen Island off the west coast in the Western Cape just after midnight. The captain was the only casualty, who drowned trying to swim a line to shore.
1981: Otto Siedle, this tug was scuttled by the SA Navy about 100km north west of Cape Town in the Western Cape in about 2.5 km deep water.
A view of Dassen Island from the north. SAHRA database contains 24 entries for wrecking events near the island, with the earliest recorded wrecking being in 1734 and the most recent in 2002
The tug was decommissioned, stripped of all valuable material, and then donated to the SA Navy who used it for torpedo target practice for the SAS Maria van Riebeeck. The tug had served for 43 years in various roles, most commonly on the modern-day Namibian coastline where it assisted many stricken vessels.
The tug Otto Siedle (1981), date and location unknown (suspected Cape Town)
There is also a story that tells of the tug’s master playing a practical joke on the Italian liner Europa’s passengers by rigging a skeleton to make it appear as though the tug was being steered by the skeleton as it pulled up alongside the Europa in Walvis Bay in Namibia.
Aerial photo/video service/inquiries: info@traveltonamibia.com
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