SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage
August 22:
“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”
1883: Fratelli Arecco, this wooden-hulled barque wrecked on Back Beach in Durban in KwaZulu-Natal. It had a skeleton crew of 13 at the time because of desertions at a previous stop in Sri Lanka. It sprung a leak whilst crossing the Indian Ocean and had to be put into Durban for repairs. Some of its cargo of rice was sold to pay for the repairs, however either during the repairs or soon thereafter an east-north-easterly gale sprang up and one of its anchor cables parted. The master, being ashore at the time saw a signal from his vessel and purchased a new anchor and anchor chain but three hours later, its second anchor cable parted, and it was driven ashore on Back Beach. All those on board were saved by the rocket crew but after a few days the rotting cargo started a stench that resulted in the decision to blow the vessel up with dynamite so that the ocean would carry the rotting cargo away.
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| Gertrud Woermann II - wrecked in Namibia |
1903: Gertrud Woermann, the steel-hulled steam-powered coaster wrecked in a dense fog, about 19 km south of Port Nolloth in the Northern Cape. The wreck lies at a depth of about 10 m. Ironically, the vessel meant to replace it, the Gertrud Woermann II, wrecked the following year 30 km north of Swakopmund in Namibia, also in a dense fog.
Aerial photo/video service/inquiries: info@traveltonamibia.com
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