South Africa: Bodiam Castle, Wanderer, Henry Douse, Kosmopolit, Penguin, Uni 12, Swazi Coast & Oranjeland shipwrecks

SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage

Kolmanskop wreck in Namibia

August 13:

“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history” 

1852: Bodiam Castle, this wooden-hulled schooner wrecked at Struispunt, just south of Arniston/Waenhuiskrans in the Western Cape. The captain, 4 men, and a boy lost their lives.

1856: Wanderer, this schooner wrecked near Plettenberg Bay in the Western Cape.

1867: Henry Douse, this wooden-hulled brigantine wrecked in a south-easterly gale near East London in the Eastern Cape.

1880: Kosmopolit, this sailing barque was abandoned at sea after it sprang a leak near Cape St. Francis in the Eastern Cape. All were rescued by the barque Empire and it is assumed that it foundered shortly after.

1904: Penguin, this iron-hulled steam-powered coaster foundered 12 km offshore from Richards Bay in KwaZulu-Natal.

1954: Uni 12, this steam powered whaler wrecked after losing its propeller and being driven ashore, out of control, near Umdoni Point in KwaZulu-Natal.

1958: Swazi Coast, this steam-powered coaster was pulled from service, hulked, and then scuttled several years later on this day about 6 km west of Hout Bay in the Western Cape.  It was used as a target for the SA Air Force Shackletons to practice airdropping depth charges.

1974: Oranjeland, this motor-powered freighter wrecked after running aground in front of the East London esplanade in the Eastern Cape shortly after exiting the harbour in a north-westerly gale and suffering complete power failure. It had no reason to enter East London other than dropping off the crew of the Produce, which was rescued two days earlier from Aliwal Shoal. It was visible for several months and was quite the sight from the esplanade. By 1975, after many attempts to pull it off, its back broke and it was abandoned. In 1989 it was extensively salvaged, with approximately 3000 tons of granite being salved from the wreck. It was eventually cut to pieces, and today the outline of its hull is only rarely visible from the surface during a spring tide with its deepest part lying at about 9 m in depth.

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South Africa: Triangle, Camperdown, Verona, William Porter, Rooiberg & Produce shipwrecks

SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage

Zeila shipwreck south of Henties Bay in Namibia

August 11:

“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history” 

1822: Triangle, this wooden-hulled sailing vessel was condemned and broken up in Table Bay in the Western Cape.

1890: Camperdown, this iron-hulled sailing ship was last seen on this day whilst leaving Simon’s Town in the Western Cape for Newcastle in New South Wales in Australia. It was never seen or heard from again and is presumed to have foundered shortly after leaving False Bay.

1902: Verona/Varuna/Varjuna, this sailing barque was abandoned in a sinking condition and was driven ashore during a north-westerly gale, wrecking off Danger Point in the Western Cape.

1906: William Porter, this iron-hulled steam-powered tug was being towed by the SS Ingerid from Walvis Bay in Namibia to Cape Town in the Western Cape when its tow cable parted during the night, and it foundered off the Northern Cape coast with two casualties.

1936: Rooiberg, this steel-hulled steam-powered whaler wrecked after striking Cap Rock in Saldanha Bay in the Western Cape in hazy weather.

1974: Produce, this Norwegian bulk carrier wrecked on Aliwal Shoal in KwaZulu-Natal on a clear day in fine weather. It rolled over and disappeared beneath the water after a few days. When the crew was rescued by the Oranjeland, they claimed they did not know that the reef was there despite it being marked on all charts.

Today, the wreck is a popular dive spot; however, it is always vulnerable to strong currents, so caution is advised. It lies at its deepest at about 30 m and rises to 14 m at its stern with much of it having been removed by salvors over the years. Because of the size of the wreck, it has been described as quite an eerie dive as the current along with its huge plates creak quite often. However, being such a large vessel on Aliwal Shoal means that it is home to an abundance of marine life, from moray eels to scorpion fish and the rare harlequin goldie. The wreck is also home to a hydroid that causes a herpes simplex rash, which has been humorously described as “easy to explain to your diving buddy, but not your non-diving spouse”.

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