Thursday, 21 November 2024

South Africa: Schapenjacht & Amwell shipwrecks

SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage

Henrietta Spasheti wreck in Namibia

August 15:

“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”

1660: Schapenjacht, this wooden Dutch sailing vessel (which was built at the Cape), wrecked in a north-westerly gale on Robben Island in Table Bay in the Western Cape.

1852: Amwell, this British sailing brigantine wrecked in a south-easterly gale in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape.

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Wednesday, 20 November 2024

South Africa: Carrie Wyman, City of Lincoln, Highfields & Barge 530 shipwrecks

SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage

Benguela Eagle wreck in Namibia

August 14:

“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”

1886: Carrie Wyman, this wooden-hulled barque wrecked in front of the Eastern Training Wall at the mouth of the Buffalo River in East London in the Eastern Cape.

1902: A north-westerly gale in Table Bay in the Western Cape resulted in the grounding of the Brutus (which was refloated) and the loss of two vessels:

• City of Lincoln, this iron-hulled steam-powered ship wrecked on Salt River beach in Table Bay in the Western Cape.

• Highfields, this steel-hulled barque came into Table Bay after losing most of its sails in a severe storm off the Cape. It collided with the steamship Kaiser which was anchored just outside of the harbour wall, and sank within 5 minutes. At least 19, but some sources claim as many as 23, of the crew lost their lives. The wreck site, although partially in the harbour approach lane, makes for a rewarding dive at about 20 m in depth.

1985: Two iron-hulled barges, Barge 530 and Barge 531, were scuttled by the SA Navy off Ifafa Beach in KwaZulu-Natal.

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Tuesday, 19 November 2024

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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Monday, 18 November 2024

South Africa: Crescent, Krimpenerwaard, Martlet & Iona 2 shipwrecks

SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage

August 12:

“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history” 

1796: Crescent, this wooden-hulled sailing vessel wrecked in Simon’s Bay in False Bay in the Western Cape. Very little is known about it.

1867: Krimpenerwaard, this Dutch sailing barque wrecked during a south-easterly gale near the Baakens River mouth in Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape. It now lies beneath reclaimed land.

1870: Martlet, this British wooden-hulled sailing brig wrecked on the rocks at the end of Eastern Pier in Port Alfred in the Eastern Cape. The wrecking was attributed to the captain becoming impatient and attempting to enter the river without a pilot.

1980: Iona 2, this South African fishing vessel foundered north of Port Nolloth in the Northern Cape.

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Sunday, 17 November 2024

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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Saturday, 16 November 2024

South Africa: Sandwich, City of Athens & Ker Yar Vor shipwrecks

SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage

August 10:

“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”

1853: Sandwich, this wooden-hulled sailing brig wrecked near the Rietvlei lagoon in Table Bay in the Western Cape. One man died of exposure whilst on a lifeboat.

1917: City of Athens, this steel-hulled steam-powered ship sank after it struck two mines laid by the German commerce raider, Wolf, between Dassen Island and the west coast mainland in the Western Cape. Nineteen people lost their lives when a lifeboat capsized.

1979: Ker Yar Vor, this fishing vessel was scuttled on the remains of the Jo May off Duiker Point in the Western Cape. In December 1978, whilst refuelling in Hout Bay harbour, it exploded because of a lit cigarette. The explosion killed the ship’s engineers as well as the refuelling truck driver who had lit the cigarette.

Parts of the vessel’s superstructure were blown hundreds of meters into the sea. Over the following months it was stripped of valuables and then towed and scuttled atop the Jo May to form an artificial reef at 22 m in depth just outside of Maori Bay. Over the time the structure has collapsed, and its max depth is around 28 m now.

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Friday, 15 November 2024

South Africa: Marietta, Shepherd & Aster shipwrecks

SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage

Zeila shipwreck in Namibia

August 9:

“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”

1862: Marietta, this sailing brig wrecked on Woodstock Beach in Table Bay in the Western Cape in the same north-westerly gale that claimed the Kate and the Crystal Palace the day before.

1874: Shepherd, this wooden-hulled sailing barque wrecked after striking the newly constructed Breakwater in Table Bay in the Western Cape.

1997: Aster, this motor powered fishing vessel was scuttled by the Western Province Diving Union to form an artificial reef next to the wreck of the Katsu Maru 25 in Hout Bay in the Western Cape. It lies level in the sand, with its deepest point at about 30 m.

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Thursday, 14 November 2024

South Africa: Elephant, Le Cygne, Swiftsure, Kate, Crystal Palace, Buffalo, Natalia & Fontao shipwrecks

SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage

Zeila shipwreck in Namibia

August 8:

“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”

1750: Elephant, this wooden-hulled Danish East Indiaman wrecked at the Gouritz River mouth in the Western Cape. The crew experienced hardship on the return journey from the East, with many falling ill. It was eventually decided to attempt to get the vessel to Mossel Bay but it was instead run aground at the mouth of the Gouritz River. The crew of 65 were all rescued by local farmers, and they travelled overland back to Cape Town.

1840: Le Cygne, this French wooden-hulled brigantine entered Table Bay late at night and ran aground near Paarden Island in the Western Cape and was later condemned. One man died because of the wrecking.

1847: Swiftsure, this wooden-hulled schooner wrecked during a strong north-westerly gale in Plettenberg Bay in the Western Cape.

1862: A north-westerly gale in Table Bay resulted in the fouling of several vessels and the wrecking of three. On this day, two wooden hulled barques wrecked, and the following day would see another vessel wrecked:

• Kate, wrecked near the Salt River mouth.

• Crystal Palace, wrecked on Woodstock beach.

1889: Buffalo, this iron-hulled paddle-driven steam-powered tug wrecked after striking the sand bar in the Kowie River in Port Alfred in the Eastern Cape whilst trying to assist the USS Saxon. The remains are often visible about 3 km up the river at ‘Buffalo Bend’.

1955: Natalia, this motor-powered fishing vessel was scuttled in Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape.

1963: A SAAF Avro Shackleton MR 3 (registration no. 1718/K) crashed on this day in the Stetteynskloof Valley just north east of Franschhoek in the Western Cape with the loss of all 14 crew. It was on its way to conduct a military exercise with the Royal Navy submarine HMS Alliance, having flown into, as the investigation board described, atrocious weather conditions, with a low icing height. The board held the captain solely responsible as he disobeyed direct orders by routing overland instead of oversea as was decided in the flight briefing. The crash site was discovered the following day as the weather made searches incredibly difficult.

1991: Fontao, this fishing vessel was scuttled south of the Umhlanga Lighthouse in KwaZulu-Natal by the Oceanographic Research Institute to form an artificial reef to study the rate at which wrecks are colonised by marine organisms. The remains are claimed to make for one of the best dives in South Africa with the deepest section lying around 27 m in depth and the top at about 17 m.

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Wednesday, 13 November 2024

South Africa: Sabina, Teutonia, Alpi, Carlotta B, Nukteris, Harvest Del Mar & Katsu Maru 25 shipwrecks

SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage

Old rusty machinery in Sperrgebiet (Restricted diamond area) in Namibia

August 7:

“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”

1842: Sabina, this wooden-hulled Spanish frigate wrecked at Cape Recife, almost opposite D’Urban Rock (where the Cape Recife lighthouse was built), in the Eastern Cape in the early hours of the morning. It was in leaking condition and trying to make it into Algoa Bay with its master assuming that they were much further from the coast. In total 22 people either drowned or were crushed by the breaking vessel with 45 survivors making it to shore. All of those who died were buried in the Roman Catholic section of the cemetery on Russel Road. Many of its artefacts were excavated under a National Monument’s Council permit in the 90’s and are now housed in the Bayworld Museum.

1869: Teutonia, this German sailing barque wrecked after its cables parted in Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape.

1879: Alpi, this Italian sailing barque was abandoned after losing its rudder off Mossel Bay in the Western Cape and is presumed to have foundered.

1886: Carlotta B, this wooden-hulled sailing barque struck Albatross Rock off Olifantsbos Point in the Western Cape in the morning and was then driven ashore at Platboom Point to become a total wreck.

1897: Nukteris, this wooden-hulled schooner wrecked after its cables parted in a heavy gale whilst taking on lime at Buffels Bay beach near Cape Point in the Western Cape. Four lives were lost because of the wrecking. 

1973: Harvest Del Mar, this South African fishing vessel sank after colliding with the Spanish motor tanker Mostoles about 72 km northwest of Saldanha Bay in the Western Cape. All 15 that were on board lost their lives.

1978: Katsu Maru 25, this Japanese fishing trawler had its port side holed after striking an unidentified object and while being towed to Hout Bay harbour in the Western Cape, it flooded at the entrance to Hout Bay and sank. The Aster was scuttled near it and these two vessels make for a great diving experience together. The Katsu Maru 25 lies on its starboard side and with a maximum depth of 29 m makes for an enjoyable dive pending the intensity of the swell. However, a recent sewerage pipe that exists near these wrecks has made diving more dangerous over the years.

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Tuesday, 12 November 2024

South Africa: Anne Jane, Kent, Elise, Magdala, Pemba & Castillo de Bellver shipwrecks

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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