SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage
The Winston wreck in Namibia
April 19:
“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”
1839: Betsy and Sarah, this wooden Dutch sailing barque wrecked at Cape Padrone, near Cannon Rocks in the Eastern Cape. The captain had died at sea alongside a further 18 people. The remaining 32 people on board miraculously made it to shore but their vessel wrecked in the process.
1863: Munster Lass, this South African schooner sailing wrecked during a strong south westerly gale at the Knysna Heads in the Western Cape.
1875: Jupiter T, this Austrian sailing barque ran aground 1km from the shore, approximately 3 km east of Cape Padrone in the Eastern Cape. A navigational error placed the barque near Cape St Francis when it was actually at Cape Padrone. In the morning, the lookout spotted breakers, but the vessel could not be turned fast enough, and they struck a submerged reef. The mainmast broke and with a panicked crew, two boats were launched, one of these with only one young boy on board and the other with only two people on board. These two boats drifted away before anyone else could board and they were never seen again. The following morning the seas were too rough because of a storm. By evening it had calmed enough for two further boats to be launched. All those reaming on board reached the beach safely, except for one man who drowned when one of the boats overturned. The vessel and the cargo were sold off and it was easily salvaged during the calmer days that followed.
1883: Florence, this sailing schooner drifted from its anchorage whilst the crew was loading guano at Bird Island in Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape. It struck Stag Island and wrecked.
1966: “Barge 1”, this iron barge was scuttled by the SAS President Kruger in False Bay in the Western Cape during a naval exercise.
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