SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage
June 8:
“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”
1552: São João, this wooden Portuguese carrack wrecked with a heavy loss of life, most likely near Port Edward in KwaZulu-Natal. Initially, Port St Johns derived its name from the assumed wreck location of the vessel, however later studies on the shipwreck survivor’s camps placed the wreck site near Port Edward instead. The actual wreck site however remains unknown with the northern beaches of Port Edward often having washed up carnelian beads. Of the approximately 600 people that were on board, about 120 perished during the wrecking and many more on the arduous 6-month journey overland to Delagoa Bay (modern day Maputo in Mozambique) as reports indicate that only 25 people from this wreck finally arrived there.
A monument erected in Port Edward in honour of those that perished with the loss of the São João (1552)
1682: Joanna/Johanna, this wooden British East Indiaman wrecked on a reef east of Quoin Point near Die Dam in the Western Cape. The exact number varies by reports, but between nine and 24 people died during the wrecking with 104 people surviving after constructing a makeshift raft and being rescued by Khoe people who provided food and guides to get them to the Cape. In the 1980s the wreck site was subject to salvage under a National Monument’s Council permit, but sadly the team focused on recovering silver from the wreck as opposed to focusing on the archaeological aspects of the site. Several artefacts are now housed at the Iziko Social History Centre.
1757: Voorzichtigheid, this Dutch East Indiaman was driven ashore in a north-westerly gale and wrecked near the Salt River mouth in Table Bay in the Western Cape.
1874: Minnie, this South African sailing schooner wrecked near the Breede River in the Western Cape.
1884: Seine, this sailing barque was lost near the Great Fish River in the Eastern Cape.
1896: Greystoke Castle, this Iron-hulled British ship wrecked because of a chronometer error, at Marthapunt north-east of Arniston/Waenhuiskrans in the Western Cape.
1897: Trygve, this wooden Norwegian barque was abandoned by its crew in heavy seas in the mouth of the Zinkwazi River in KwaZulu-Natal. Whilst trying to land the lifeboat on the beach, it capsized, and six of the nine crewmembers drowned. Shortly thereafter the abandoned Trygve ran ashore and became a wreck.
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