South Africa: Fleetwood, George Henry Harrison, St. Helena, Forfarshire & Umhlali shipwrecks

SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage

Eduard Bohlen shipwreck in Namibia

September 15:

“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”

1846: Fleetwood, this wooden sailing vessel wrecked in Struisbaai in the Western Cape after its anchor cables parted.

1851: The strong south easterly gale that started on the 13th of September in the Eastern Cape raged on into this day, moving west, claiming a further two vessels, both in Plettenberg Bay in the Western Cape:

• George Henry Harrison, this wooden sailing schooner had been put into Plettenberg Bay to escape the storm on the 14th. However, whilst leaving the next morning, the remnants of the gale drove it ashore onto the rocks, where it wrecked.

• St. Helena, this wooden sailing schooner was also driven ashore close to, and in the same manner as the George Henry Harrison.

1864: Forfarshire, this wooden sailing vessel wrecked between Whale Rock and Robben Island in Table Bay in the Western Cape. The captain had died from a lung ailment and the choice was made to head into the nearest port. They were not carrying any chart for Table Bay, which resulted in the vessel striking an unknown rock near Whale Rock and wrecking.

1909: Umhlali, this steel steam-powered passenger/cargo ship wrecked on Albatross Rock at Olifantsbos Point in the Western Cape. Reports on the number of casualties varies by newspaper, however, in the official enquiry it states that only one of the lifeboats capsized and all the passengers were rescued, except for a three-year-old boy.

1952: Mount Anderson, a SAA Douglas DC-3 (registration no. ZS-AVI) became lost due to faulty navigation between Livingstone airport in Zambia and Palmietfontein in Gauteng, with it crashing after its wheel struck a rocky outcrop at Carolina Airport, near Ermelo in Mpumalanga. Electrical storms created much radio interference and the captain had set an incorrect course with poor visual identifications being made en-route. A landing attempt was made at an unknown, unlit aerodrome (Carolina) with unknown altitude and the wheels struck a rocky outcrop on approach with the plane crash landing at the airport, suffering irreparable damage. All 19 on board the plane survived.

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South Africa: Alfred, Minerva, Sir Henry Pottinger, Il Travatore, Sedan, Aristea, Panther & Fong Chung No. 11 shipwrecks

SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage

July 4:

“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”

1830: Alfred, this wooden British barque was condemned after it was driven ashore in a north-westerly gale at Woodstock Beach in Table Bay in the Western Cape.

1850: Minerva, this wooden British frigate wrecked on a reef after its cables parted in a south-easterly gale in Durban in KwaZulu-Natal. Although none of those on board lost their lives, one of the rescuers from another vessel lost his life. The Minerva was bringing 280 British immigrants to settle in the area.

1860: Sir Henry Pottinger, this British barque wrecked in Table Bay in the Western Cape.

1870: Il Travatore, this vessel wrecked near the Groen River mouth in the Northern Cape. Very little is known about this vessel.

1879: Sedan, this German barque caught alight and foundered about 20 km off Bird Island in Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape.

The Aristea (1945) is an awesome sight, with its massive boiler and remains slowly rusting away

1945: Aristea, this South African steam-powered trawler wrecked near Hondeklip Bay in the the wrecking, the captain was too drunk to navigate the waters around Hondeklip Bay and ran it aground accidentally. One of the crew of 24 lost his life. The remains make for an interesting sight.

The sign that used to be at the wreck site of the Aristea (1945) in about 2009. It is believed that this sign is no longer there having succumbed to the elements

1947: Panther, this South African whaler was towed out to sea and scuttled off Durban in KwaZulu-Natal. It served as a whaler, a tug, a fishing vessel, as well as a pleasure boat over its nearly 50-year lifespan.

What remained of the Fong Chung No. 11 (1975) at Robben Island in 2014

1975: Fong Chung No. 11, this Taiwanese tuna boat struck a rock in fog and was ran aground on Robben Island in Table Bay in the Western Cape where it became a wreck. Its remains are still visible.

Comments:

Mike Klee

The Sedan lies in about 18 meters of water off Port Elizabeth. It is nowhere near Bird Island.

She was carrying a cargo of railway sleepers, which sleepers clearly show evidence of the terrible fire that took the life of this ship.

Lying on a sandy bottom, the wreck is remarkably intact and is a paradise for crayfish and other marine life.

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South Africa: Royal Albert, Rosebud, Ellen Maria & Rosalind shipwrecks

SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage

June 25:

“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”

1662: An unknown wooden sailing vessel supposedly wrecked on this day on Robben Island in Table Bay in the Western Cape. This is according to Zacharias Wagenaer’s journal, who was the only German Governor of the Dutch Cape Colony from 1662-1666.

1850: Royal Albert, this wooden British barque wrecked near the Military Hospital in Table Bay in the Western Cape. Its cables parted during a north-westerly gale on the night of the 24th and it wrecked in the early hours of the morning.

An illustration of the wrecking of the Royal Albert (1850) from the Cape Archives

1859: Rosebud, this wooden schooner wrecked near Lamberts Bay in the Western Cape.

1868: Ellen Maria, this wooden British cutter wrecked on the rocks at Green Point in Table Bay in the Western Cape.

1869: Rosalind, this wooden British brigantine wrecked at night near Port Nolloth in the Northern Cape.

1943: An RAF Consolidated Catalina (registration no. FP265) crashed into Lake St. Lucia near Charters Creek Camp in KwaZulu-Natal with the loss of eight of the nine lives that were on board. Only the flight engineer survived with the rest of the crew having been buried at the Stellawood Cemetery in Durban. It is currently believed that the wreck lies buried underneath the silt.

1946: A SAAF Douglas C-47B crashed at the Swartkop Air Base in Gauteng. Very little is known about it.

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South Africa: Nightingale, Hercules, Queen of the West, L'Aigle, Bernicia, Snorre Straulassen, Umzimkulu, Columbine & Arosa shipwrecks

SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage

June 16:

“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”

1722: Nightingale, this British East Indiaman, along with nine other vessels, broke adrift from its moorings in a north-westerly gale in Table Bay in the Western Cape. It was the only vessel that wrecked on this day after beaching near the castle, with the other nine vessels wrecking the next day. Although it was carrying 140 people, only one person died during the wrecking.

1796: Hercules, supposedly, this American East Indiaman sprang a leak and lost its rudder in a fierce gale, causing it to be run ashore and wrecking somewhere along the Eastern Cape shoreline. Possible locations include near the Birha River, the Kieskamma River, or another theory is that this wreck never occurred and was actually a fabrication as the captain’s narrative appeared dubious when he reported the loss.

1850: A south-easterly gale near Cape St Francis in the Eastern Cape claimed two vessels:

• Queen of the West, this wooden Canadian ship wrecked near the Tsitsikamma River. There were no survivors, with 30 bodies eventually being found washed up on the shore.

• L'Aigle, this wooden French barque wrecked on rocks about 4 km west of Klippen Point. The captain as well as one passenger and seven of the crew drowned whilst 10 people survived.

1861: Bernicia, this wooden British barque wrecked in a north-westerly gale off Robben Island in Table Bay in the Western Cape. Seven lives were lost because of the wrecking.

1875: Snorre Straulassen, this Norwegian brig wrecked in a south-westerly gale when its anchor cables parted near Port Alfred in the Eastern Cape.

1883: Umzimkulu, this British coaster, while crossing the bar to leave the Breede River in the Western Cape, wrecked after three successive big waves toppled it.

1937: Earl of Caledon, this South African Airways Junkers Ju 52 (registration no. ZS-AKY) suffered a loss of power to both engines after taking off from the Rand Airport in Gauteng, resulting in it crashing and the plane being engulfed in flames. Although everyone made it out of the wreckage, one female passenger later succumbed to injuries sustained during the crash. According to our records, this is the second plane to have ever wrecked in South Africa, and the first to have a loss of life associated with it.

1944: Columbine, this South African steam-powered merchant ship was torpedoed and sunk at night by the German submarine U-198, 40km off the Vredenburg Peninsula in the Western Cape.

The Columbine (1944) under one of its former names "Admiral Laws" in Vancouver

Of the 52 people on board only 29 survived. It sank so suddenly that no distress call was sent out and its fate was only discovered some days later when a lifeboat was picked up.

The Arosa (1976) on the 30th of June, still stuck on the reef. There were apparently a few attempts made at refloating it

1976: Arosa, this Cyprian freighter wrecked on rocks between Hondeklip Bay and Kleinsee in the Northern Cape.

What remained visible of the Arosa (1976) after a few years

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South Africa: Farleton, Jane, Pacquet Real, Rambler, Thorne, Courier, Oostewal & Perelberg shipwrecks

SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage

Shipwreck, Skeleton Coast, Namibia

May 18:

“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history” 

1818: A north-westerly gale blew into Table Bay in the Western Cape resulting in the wrecking of 4 vessels:

• Farleton, this British sailing brig was driven ashore, becoming a wreck and eventually breaking up.

• Jane, this British sailing snow was driven ashore near the castle, where it wrecked.

• Pacquet Real, this Portuguese brig (a slaver) was driven ashore and wrecked. It was on a voyage from Mozambique to the Bahamas with 167 enslaved people on board when it was put in quarantine in Table Bay. The gale drove it ashore where it broke up rapidly with a heavy loss of life. During the 1950s an excavation at Fort Knokke revealed a mass grave containing approximately 19 skeletons. These remains were analysed in 1996 and were thought to have been victims of this wreck.

• Rambler, this wooden British sailing schooner was driven ashore to become a wreck in Table Bay.

1831: Thorne, this wooden British sailing vessel wrecked after encountering thick fog near Robben Island in Table Bay in the Western Cape.

1852: Courier, this wooden British sailing schooner ran ashore and wrecked near Imhoff Battery in Table Bay in the Western Cape after its cables parted in a north-westerly gale.

1954: Two motor-powered whalers, the Oostewal and Perelberg were driven ashore to become wrecks near Meeuw Island in the Langebaan Lagoon in the Western Cape. They were stationed at Donkergat before the whaling operations ceased.

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South Africa: Pigot, Barrys 2, Bulli, Tantallon Castle, Natal, Sneeugans & Ingrid shipwrecks

SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage

May 7:

“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”

1785: Pigot, this French East Indiaman was lost off Cape St. Francis in the Eastern Cape. Very little is known about it.

1857: Barrys 2, this South African sailing schooner wrecked after its engine room flooded during a south-westerly gale while crossing the bar at the Breede River mouth in the Western Cape. The captain and two women were lost.

1884: Bulli, this Australian steam-powered ship wrecked on Paternoster Point in the Western Cape in dense fog.

The Tantallon Castle (1901), date and location unknown

1901: Tantallon Castle, this steam-powered British mail ship ran aground on Robben Island in Table Bay in the Western Cape in thick fog on a flat sea.

The Tantallon Castle (1901) after running aground on Robben Island

Although reversing was attempted to get it off, it started listing to starboard, so a signal gun was fired and all 120 of its passengers were taken off. Several tugs tried to tow it off without success. Two days later, after the holds started flooding, its cargo was rescued and by the 15th of May, its masts and funnel had disappeared with only bits of the hull still left to be seen.

The Tantallon Castle (1901), a few days after wrecking, the sea started breaking it up

1916: Natal, this steam-powered British-South African fishing vessel (probably finishing its life as a whaler) ran ashore and wrecked near Cape Hangklip, whilst trying to enter Stony Bay in the Western Cape. It had a long life, first serving as a passenger tender and tug in Durban. Thereafter it was used by the Caste Line to carry mail between Durban and East London. It then served in the Boer War in Cape Town ferrying passengers and goods because of the congestion in Cape Town harbour. After the war, it returned to Durban, now under the African Boating Company, and after 12 years of service it was sold to the Cape Town City Steamers where it was renamed Sir Fred and used in Cape Town as a pleasure steamer. Its final owner, Alfred James Parker, reverted its name to Natal and it was used as a fishing vessel, possibly a whaler, when it ran ashore and wrecked.

1993: Sneeugans, this motor-powered South African fishing vessel foundered about 3 km from the Gansbaai harbour in the Western Cape after its engine room flooded.

1998: An Eswatini registered Antonov An-32B (registration no. 3D-DRV), crashed on a small airstrip about 30 km outside of Vaalwater in Limpopo. Smoke had appeared behind the pilot’s seat and an emergency descent finished with the left wing striking a tree and the nose gear collapsing. The four people on board were unharmed but the plane was damaged beyond repair.

2014: Ingrid, this South African yacht wrecked during storm near Oyster Bay in the Eastern Cape.

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South Africa: Robert, Mary Ann, Cilicia & Nideras shipwrecks

SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage

February 12:

“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”

1847: Robert, this British ship sprang a leak and had to be run ashore near the Lourens River mouth at Strand in False Bay in the Western Cape, where it wrecked. Some of the houses in the area were reportedly built with its main cargo of teak from Burma.  

1888: Mary Ann, this wooden barque came into Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape for the captain to receive medical attention and for repairs to the vessel on January 6th. However, on the 5th of February the vessel was condemned and put up, to be sold on the 16th of February. This was not to happen, as on this day, it slipped its anchor cable in a south-easterly gale and was wrecked on North End Beach. 

1917: Cilicia, this British steel steam-powered freighter struck a mine laid by the German raider, SMS Wolf, about 8 km south of Dassen Island in the Western Cape.

The Cilicia (1917) depicted on a French postcard, date and location unknown

The tugs Ludwig Weiner and J W Sauer towed it towards Cape Town, but it foundered near Robben Island. All on board were saved.

The minefield laid by the SMS Wolf on the 16th January 1917 that claimed the Cilicia (1917)

1929: Nideras, this South African iron steam-powered fishing vessel was lost in the passage of Bird Island in Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape during thick fog after attempting to change its fishing grounds. One of its crew perished during the wrecking.

2002: J&D Aviation HS-125-400B (registration no. ZS-JBA), this business jet was written off after rolling into a ditch at Lanseria Airport in Gauteng. The hydraulic accumulator was not pressurised and after the co-pilot removed the chocks, braking attempts failed.

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South Africa: Dageraad, Otto & Florence Brierley shipwrecks

SAHRA Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage

January 20:

Suiderkus wreck in Namibia

“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”

1694: Dageraad, this VOC Cape packet ran aground in thick mist and wrecked on the west side of Robben Island in Table Bay in the Western Cape. It was returning from the west coast, where it had picked up survivors from the wreck of the Gouden Buys were it also assisted in its salvage. When the Dageraad wrecked, 16 men drowned. Daniël Silliman survived the wrecking of both ships and went on to write a book about these experiences when he returned to the Netherlands.  

1860: Otto, this Russian sailing barque wrecked in Otter Bay at Struispunt, just south of Arniston/Waenhuiskrans in the Western Cape. An anchor which was found on the beach nearby is presumed to have come from the wreck and was moved to the Bredasdorp Museum in 1995. 

1958: Florence Brierley, this South African steam-powered fishing trawler was scuttled by the SA Navy about 14 km west of Slangkop Lighthouse in the Western Cape.

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