SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage
April 26:
“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”
1872: Nant-Y-Glo, this wooden British barque wrecked on the eastern side of the Buffalo River in East London in the Eastern Cape with the loss of one life.
1887: Finland, this British steam-powered cargo ship ran ashore and wrecked near the Great Fish Point lighthouse in the Eastern Cape at 18:30. All the cargo was auctioned off over the coming months and the only thing that could not be saved was the hull.
The Finland (1887) after it ran aground
1941: President Burgers, this Lockheed Lodestar (registration no. ZA-ATH), a twin engine aircraft, was being delivered and whilst landing at the Wingfield Airport in Cape Town, it crashed upon landing, being damaged beyond repair. The crew of three were uninjured.
1970: Silver Ocean, this Liberian oil tanker experienced an explosion on board and a fire broke out, with it breaking in two and the fore section sinking on the 17th of April, and the aft section sinking on this day, about 200 km northeast of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal. Fourteen crew members lost their lives.
1984: Rubicon, this yacht disappeared off the east coast during the Vasco da Gama race to East London with its entire crew being lost. A 60 knot westerly started blowing that would go on to claim a further three vessels during the race.
2005: Anemone, this South African fishing trawler was scuttled, off Grotto Bay, off the west coast in the Western Cape.
2014: Starfish, this South African fishing vessel sprang a leak and foundered off Plettenberg Bay in the Western Cape.
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