SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage
South West Seal wreck in Namibia
September 9:
“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”
1842: A strong north-westerly gale parted the cables of and resulted in the wrecking of four vessels in Table Bay in the Western Cape:
• Fairfield, a wooden sailing barque wrecked near the Hospital Lines at Woodstock Beach. It now lies beneath reclaimed laid.
• Henry Hoyle, a wooden sailing brig became stranded near the Hospital Lines at Woodstock Beach. It was condemned after refloating attempts failed.
• John Bagshaw, a wooden sailing barque wrecked on the South Wharf.
• Reform, a wooden sailing brig wrecked in front of the Imhoff Battery on Woodstock Beach.
1845: Active, this wooden sailing schooner wrecked in Plettenberg Bay in the Western Cape. It was en route from Knysna, bound for Table Bay, when it had to enter Plettenberg Bay on the 6th of September, leaking badly. On the morning of this day, its master had to run it ashore as the leak became completely unmanageable, and it wrecked during this event.
1889: Queen of the Nations, this wooden sailing barque was found abandoned on the 6th of June and towed to East London in the Eastern Cape by the Clan Alpine. After its 90 tons of cargo were removed, it was driven ashore near Bats Cave on this day and became a wreck. Another report suggests that instead its tow cable parted, and it was driven ashore and wrecked.
1891: Courland, this iron steam-powered ship wrecked east of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal. Very little is known about this vessel.
1895: Hartfield, this iron sailing barque caught alight and was abandoned over 400 km west of Table Bay in the Western Cape. Its crew was initially thought to have been missing but were later brought in having been picked up by the Luna. The vessel is presumed to have foundered after burning down.
1930: Malmesbury, this steel steam-powered freighter wrecked in heavy fog on Jacobs Reef, south of Cape Columbine on the West Coast in the Western Cape. It was on its maiden voyage, bound for Cape Town with a cargo of maize when it struck the reef and flooded. Its crew were picked up by the tug T S McEwan.
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