SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage
Snowgoose wreck in Namibia
August 6:
“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”
1856: Anne Jane, this vessel wrecked on Woodstock Beach in Table Bay in the Western Cape. Very little is known about the vessel as well as the event.
1856: Kent, this wooden-hulled sailing barque wrecked near the Salt River Mouth in Table Bay in the Western Cape after its cables parted and it was driven ashore.
1863: Elise, the wooden-hulled brig wrecked near Mouille Point in Table Bay in the Western Cape.
1897: Magdala, the wooden-hulled sailing barque left Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape on this day, destined for Delagoa Bay (modern day Maputo) in Mozambique. However, the vessel and those that were on board were never seen or heard from again.
1926: Pemba, the steel-hulled steam-powered ship foundered south-east of Port St Johns in the Eastern Cape after being swamped in heavy weather. Although the crew took to the boats and landed on the beach, one man lost his life.
1983: Castillo de Bellver, the Spanish super tanker foundered about 70 km west of Dassen Island in the Western Cape, after a fire broke out onboard the vessel. Although the crew were saved, three members could not be accounted for and were presumed to have perished in the fire. The ship burnt intensely, and eventually bad weather broke its back, with the stern section sinking. The bow section remained afloat upturned, and divers were dropped on it by helicopter to secure a tow rope. The tug John Ross towed it further out to sea, and it was scuttled using explosives in deeper waters. It was carrying 252,000 tons of crude oil at the time and it is believed that approximately 60,000 tons were released into the ocean and/or burned during the event. The oil spill initially looked as if it was going to wash up on the coast which would have caused a massive marine disaster however the wind eventually blew it out to sea where it dispersed. It is believed that both its bow and stern sections are releasing oil to this day.
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