South Africa: Annabella, Matheran, Diana & Blesbok shipwrecks

SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage

January 26:

“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”

1856: Annabella, this sailing barque wrecked in Durban in KwaZulu-Natal. It struck the bar whilst entering Durban harbour and wrecked. The bar was renamed from Lee Bank to Annabella bank after this event. Today, the North Pier stands on top of this sandbank.

1917: Matheran, this steel steam-powered cargo liner was the first ship to be sunk by mines in South Africa after having struck two mines close to Dassen Island off the west coast in the Western Cape.

SS Matheran (1917), location and date unknown

The mines were laid by the legendary German raider, SMS Wolf, which had managed to claim three further ships in South African waters with its mines. 

The minefield laid by the SMS Wolf on the 16th January 1917, of which the Matheran (1917) struck two on this day

Of the Matheran’s crew of 97, one person lost their life whilst the rest had made it to the boats.

1961: Diana, this motor-powered vessel wrecked off Quoin Point in the Western Cape.

Blesbok

1971: Blesbok, this steam-powered dredger wrecked off the East London coastline in the Eastern Cape.

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South Africa: Diana, Francis Spaight & Wigtonshire shipwrecks

SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage

January 7:

“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”

1846: A strong north-westerly gale claimed two ships and 21 lives in Table Bay, in the Western Cape:

• Diana, this Portuguese wooden sailing barque had operated as a slaver when it was captured and taken as a prize by the HMS Mutine. It was lying in Table Bay when the gale drove it ashore, wrecking at Imhoff Battery on Woodstock beach; 

• Francis Spaight, this British wooden sailing barque parted from its anchor during the gale and struck the Papendorp Rocks below Craig’s Tower on Woodstock beach, becoming a wreck. A surf boat and a whale boat were launched from the shore to attempt a rescue.

A painting by Alexander Turnbull depicting the Francis Spaight (1846) at Hokianga Harbour, New Zealand.

The whale boat managed to reach the ship, and whilst attempting to run a line after reaching its side, 15 of the 16-man crew of the Francis Spaight jumped on board and swamped the whale boat. The result being the drowning of the four rescuers and all 15 members of the crew that jumped onto the whale boat. Two further surf boats were launched to rescue those in the water, but they also capsized resulting in the drowning of a further two rescuers. The carpenter, who had refused to get on the whale boat and remained on board until the storm had calmed enough, was the only person to have survived the ordeal from the crew of the Francis Spaight.

The wrecking of the Francis Spaight (1846) as depicted in the London News at the time

About ten years before the wrecking, the Francis Spaight, on return from Canada to Ireland with a cargo of timber encountered heavy gales and it became stuck on its beam ends. The crew resorted to cannabilism to survive after two weeks at sea and were finally rescued after three weeks. Although the Francis Spaight was badly damaged, it was repaired in England and returned to service, to wreck 10 years later in Cape Town. 

1885: Wigtonshire, this iron sailing barque wrecked on Atlas Reef of Klippestrand at Arniston/Waenhuiskrans in the Western Cape.

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