South Africa: Nautilus, Columbine, Emma, Lord Elgin & Knysna shipwrecks

SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage

March 31:

“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”

1826: Nautilus, this wooden sailing brig wrecked in Table Bay in the Western Cape.

1829: Columbine, this wooden sailing vessel wrecked north of the Cape Columbine Lighthouse off the west coast in the Western Cape. The lighthouse, which was built in 1936, is named after this wreck.

Cape Columbine Lighthouse: the Cape Columbine Lighthouse’s namesake is the nearby wreck of the Columbine (1829). Interestingly, another vessel, the Columbine (1944), a steam-powered merchant ship, was torpedoed about 40 km from this lighthouse on the 16th of June by U-198.

1888: Emma, this wooden sailing vessel wrecked in the Mpekweni River, north of the Fish River lighthouse in the Eastern Cape.

1904: Lord Elgin, this British steel barque struck a rock and foundered in Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape.

1952: Knysna, this motor-powered fishing vessel was scuttled at Cape Recife in Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape.

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South Africa: Reliance, William Pitt, Amsterdam, Albatross & Rainbow shipwrecks

SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage

December 16:

“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”

1809: Reliance, this American wooden sailing vessel was broken up in Table Bay in the Western Cape. Very little is known about it. 

1814: William Pitt, this British East Indiaman wrecked somewhere between Algoa Bay and St Francis Bay in the Eastern Cape. It was only known to have wrecked from items washing ashore with no survivors having been reported. The Stag searched for evidence of its wrecking and found further proof, such as a medicine chest lid with the name ‘William Pitt’ on it. 

1817: Amsterdam, this 80-gun Dutch man-of-war wrecked at the eponymous Amsterdamhoek at Bluewater Bay in the Port Elizabeth in Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape.

Part of the display on the Amsterdam (1817) at Bayworld Museum in Port Elizabeth

The captain made the decision to run the warship ashore after having sprung a leak in a storm. Three men lost their lives and the survivors travelled to the nearest town, which at the time was Uitenhage/Kariega, before eventually making their way back to the Netherlands. Bayworld Museum has an exhibit on this vessel.

Display on the Amsterdam (1817) at Bayworld Museum in Port Elizabeth

1881: Albatross, this German sailing barque’s anchor cables parted during a south-easterly gale and it wrecked along the bight in Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape.

1896: Rainbow, this Norwegian wooden barque wrecked at Stalwart Point, between the Great Fish and Mpekweni rivers.

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