SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage
May 19:
“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”
1660: La Maréchale, this wooden French sailing sloop wrecked in Table Bay in the Western Cape. It arrived on the 9th of May, but by the 16th, a north-westerly picked up which turned to a gale by the 18th. Then, on this day, all three of its anchor cables parted and it ran aground near the Salt river mouth. Although attempts were made to launch its boats and rafts, these were carried away as soon as they hit the water. A cask floated ashore containing letters which begged the VOC for help. Van Riebeeck sent assistance and by the following day, all on board were brought to safety and its cargo salved, with its cannons being used at the Castle. Some of its timbers were salved and used for construction before the remainder of the remains were burned on the 5th of March 1662. All members of the crew joined the service of the VOC and some of the passengers spent an entire year at the Cape before finding passage back to Europe. As far as we are aware, this is the only 17th Century French wreck on our coastline.
1828: Meridian, this wooden British sailing brig was lost on the East side of Silversand Bay, in Betty’s Bay in the Western Cape. It had come into Simon’s Bay for repairs and when it left for Table Bay, it somehow managed to wreck on the other side of False Bay.
1871: La Souvenance, this wooden French sailing barque wrecked on a reef near the Ratel River mouth in the Western Cape. After searching for several days for the wreck, it was eventually found after bodies had started to wash up on the nearby beaches. Not one survivor of the 420 people that were on board was found.
1954: Basuto Coast, this motor-powered South African coaster ran aground and wrecked during a storm at the swimming pool pavilion in Sea Point in the Western Cape.
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| The Basuto Coast (1954) after it ran aground |
The vessel was cut up and removed within a few weeks. The wrecking resulted in the loss of one life, a fireman who fell off a ladder and drowned whilst trying to rescue those on board.
