South Africa: Fairfield, Henry Hoyle, John Bagshaw, Reform, Active, Queen of the Nations, Courland, Hartfield & Malmesbury shipwrecks

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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South Africa: Brunswick, Locust, Luna, Lakme, Poseidon, Klipbok & Gemsbok shipwrecks

SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage

Otavi shipwreck in Namibia

September 2:

“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”

1805: Brunswick, this wooden east Indiaman, which was a French prize ship at the time of its loss, wrecked on Long Beach in Simon's Bay in the Western Cape during a south-easterly gale. What remains of the wreck lies between 5-9 m in depth, just north of Long beach. The wreck has been formerly studied on at least three occasions, from the 90s, up until most recently in 2014.

1824: Locust, this wooden South African brig was abandoned to sink after incurring damage to its keel near the Breede River mouth in the Western Cape.

1881: Luna, this two-masted German brig wrecked after its cables parted in a south-easterly gale on Back Beach in Durban in KwaZulu-Natal.

1896: Lakme/Lakome, this wooden Norwegian barque struck Thunderbolt reef and foundered shortly after near Cape Recife in the Eastern Cape with the loss of one life.

1902: Poseidon, this wooden Norwegian barque dragged its anchors and was driven ashore to become a wreck in Mossel Bay in the Western Cape during a south easterly gale.

1970: Klipbok, this South African fishing vessel was swept out to sea on the 28th of August and was driven ashore near Bat’s Cave in East London in the Eastern Cape on this day to become a wreck.

1975: Gemsbok, this South African salvage vessel capsized and sank in Table Bay in the Western Cape. It was transferring an anchor chain with a cargo vessel when the chain snagged, and its weight dragged the vessel under. Eight lives were lost during the wrecking, and a few of their bodies were recovered by divers afterwards. It now makes for a popular technical dive site, lying at about 60 m in depth and being well intact, lying on its starboard side.

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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: Luna, Scotland, Mincio, Weol-Mi No. 303 & BOS 400 shipwrecks

SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage

June 27:

“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”

1830: Luna, this wooden British brig wrecked just outside of the Knysna Heads in the Western Cape. It left Knysna on this day and despite a smooth bar and fair wind, it had ran aground on the sandbank outside the bar and within two days, drifted into the surf. The crew had abandoned it by this point and it wrecked.

1860: Scotland, this British sailing ship was lost at Montgomery Point at Cape Agulhas in the Western Cape.

1908: Mincio, this Dutch tug either ran aground and was refloated or wrecked at Port Nolloth in the Northern Cape.

1968: Weol-Mi No. 303, this South Korean fishing vessel wrecked on rocks near the Mkambati River mouth in the Eastern Cape.

What remained of the Weol-Mi No. 303 (1968) in 2016

1994: BOS 400, this French crane barge ran aground on the rocks in Maori Bay near Hout Bay in the Western Cape. The barge was being towed to Cape Town by the Russian tug Tigr when its cables parted during heavy seas, and it drifted onto the rocks. The crew of 18 were rescued by helicopter. Numerous attempts were made to tow it off the rocks, but it could not be saved and was declared a total loss.

The NSRI at the wreck of the BOS 400 in Maori Bay, in early 2021, responding to an emergency in which a teenager became injured after jumping off the wreck

It lies partially on top of the wreck of the Oakburn (1906) and as the BOS 400 breaks apart, the wrecks of the two vessels are becoming mixed. The BOS 400 is a popular tourist attraction with many people enjoying the hike along the coast to view it. There are lots of instances of people climbing onto the wreck to explore the inside and to jump from the wreck into the sea below. However, as the BOS 400 continues to deteriorate the site is becoming much more dangerous, so it is advisable to admire the wreck from a distance instead.

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South Africa: Noord, Linnaeus, Atlas, Arab, Luna, Shin Yung & Madame shipwrecks

SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage

January 16:

“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”

1690: Noord, this VOC wooden sailing galiot wrecked at Klippen Point near Oyster Bay in the Eastern Cape. The Noord was on its second voyage to search for survivors of the Stavenisse, when it found three of them at the Bay of Natal. It crossed the bar there and was the first recorded ship to have moored in the Bay of Natal. On its way back to Cape Town it struck Klippen Point and wrecked. The entire crew survived the wrecking and reportedly abandoned the stricken vessel during low tide without even getting their feet wet. After unloading some cargo, the choice was made to head to Cape Town overland on foot. The survivors split into smaller parties and only five of the 19 ever made it back to Cape Town, with the rest believed to have lost their lives along the way.

1834: Linnaeus, this wooden sailing barque wrecked on a reef off Dyer Island in the Western Cape.

1859: Atlas, this wooden sailing barque wrecked on the eponymous Atlas Reef, about 10km north-west of Arniston/Waenhuiskrans in the Western Cape. It was on a return trip from Batavia with sugar, rice, nutmegs, hides, and sundries.

1891: Arab, this British iron steam-powered ship wrecked after striking an unknown rock near the Great Fish River mouth in the Eastern Cape. 

1901: HMS Sybille, this British Naval cruiser was used as a patrol boat at Lamberts Bay on the west coast in the Western Cape during the Anglo Boer war when it was lost.

SAHRA interpretive signage in Lamberts Bay detailing the HMS Sybille (1901) wreck

A north-westerly gale forced part of the crew that were on board to leave the anchorage at Lamberts Bay and to battle the heavy seas. In the early hours of the morning, unaware that their position was more southerly than they expected, they struck a reef opposite the farm Steenbokfontein whilst steaming back to Lamberts Bay.

A British officer's sketch ( J Nash) of the HMS Sybille (1901) wrecking event. Date unknown.

The City of Cambridge had just left Lamberts Bay and spotted the incident so could render assistance as the wrecking unfolded. One life was lost during the event. In recent years the wreck was the subject to some salvage work. One of the propellers was donated to SAHRA and is now on display at the Sandveld Museum in Lamberts Bay.

The one surviving propeller of the HMS Sybille (1901) after being transported from the wreck site to Lamberts Bay before being prepared for display

1945: Luna, this South African coaster was mysteriously lost off Hondeklip Bay with all eight that were on board.  

1972: Shin Yung, this Taiwanese motor-powered fishing vessel foundered about 80 km west of Saldanha Bay off the west coast in the Western Cape.

1973: Madame, this Australian yacht wrecked during misty weather on Saxon Reef, just off Arniston/Waenhuiskrans in the Western Cape.

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