South Africa: Fanny, Breidablik, Grace Peile, Princess Alice, Trinculo, Luna, Bjorviken, John Dickenson & Arum shipwrecks

SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage

Simferopol in Namibia

July 30:

“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”

1851: Fanny, this wooden-hulled sailing brig wrecked in a north-westerly gale on Woodstock beach in Table Bay in the Western Cape. It now lies beneath reclaimed land.

1872: A north-easterly gale in Durban in KwaZulu-Natal led to the grounding of the Breidablik, Grace Peile, Princess Alice, and the Trinculo. All the vessels were flung high and dry and buried in the sand, with all undergoing repairs and attempts at refloating. Two of these were successful, meaning that two vessels were lost on this day: 

• Grace Peile, this wooden-hulled barque wrecked after its cables parted and it was driven onto Back beach.

• Princess Alice, this wooden-hulled sailing schooner wrecked, possibly also on Back beach. 

1880: Luna, this sailing schooner foundered near Salamander Point in Saldanha Bay in the Western Cape. It was transporting hides between Hondeklip Bay and Cape Town when it started leaking. The crew abandoned it whilst trying to enter Saldanha Bay. 

1893: Bjorviken, this wooden-hulled sailing barque struck the bar of the Buffalo River in East London in the Eastern Cape and was subsequently condemned.

1948: John Dickenson, this whaler wrecked opposite the Sea Sands Hotel, north of Umhlanga Rocks in KwaZulu-Natal. One source lists a John Williamson, a fishing vessel, to have wrecked in the same location also on this day, and that it is still visible. More research is required to determine whether or not these are two different vessels. 

1957: Arum, this fishing vessel was scuttled in Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape. Very little is known about it.

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South Africa: Nicobar, Fanny, Flora & William Bayley shipwrecks

SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage

Fukuseki Maru No. 7 shipwreck in Namibia

July 11:

“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”

1783: Nicobar, this Danish East Indiaman was on its way from Copenhagen to the far east when it wrecked off Quoin Point in the Western Cape after encountering a north-westerly gale. Only 11 people survived. It was stripped at the time by local farmers after permission was given by the local Swellendam commandant, Jacob van Reenen. In 1987, two spear-fishermen found the remains whilst fishing. Today, its 12 cast iron cannons can still be seen at the site. 

1810: A storm off Plettenberg Bay in the Western Cape resulted in the wrecking of two vessels: 

• Fanny, a wooden-hulled brig trading wood; and

• Flora, a wooden-hulled transport vessel 

1857: William Bayley, this wooden-hulled brig had to be run ashore after its cargo spontaneously combusted, and so it was wrecked in Plettenberg Bay in the Western Cape. 

1985: A Beechcraft B58 Baron (registration No. 9Q-CJR) went missing on this day in severe weather between Robertson and Cape Town in the Western Cape. The pilot had lied about his instrument rating to Approach Control the previous day as he would not have been allowed to fly on visuals given the severe mist. It is assumed that the plane either crashed into a remote part of the mountains in the Western Cape between Robertson and Cape Town or that the pilot’s bearings were completely off, and the plane instead flew over the ocean and ran out of fuel before being able to make it back to land on visual flight alone. To this day, the location of the plane is unknown.

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