Shipwrecks around the Western Cape coastline

The Western Cape coastline has a high concentration of shipwrecks due to strong currents, winter storms, early trade routes, and limited natural harbours. Over centuries, this made the Cape of Storms one of the most dangerous maritime routes in the world.

This page lists known shipwrecks around the Western Cape, arranged chronologically, with links to nearby towns, rivers, lighthouses, and museums where records exist. Some wrecks are well known, while others are recorded only in historical archives.

Shipwrecks along the Western Cape coast have occurred since the earliest voyages of exploration. Records of these incidents began with the arrival of European navigators and continue through the age of sail and into the modern era. Research shows that most shipwrecks resulted from a combination of natural hazards, human error, and, to a lesser extent, technical failures. The history of shipwrecks around the Cape reflects not only the dangers of the sea but also the region’s importance as a major maritime route linking Europe, Africa, Asia, and later the wider world.

Treasure stories 

 

.  Some of the hundreds of wrecks have become quite famous, such as the Arniston and The Birkenhead, and others have just sunk into the crowded ship’s graveyard within the South African waters.

Records of shipwrecks around the Western Cape coast go back 500 years. Portuguese navigator Bartolomeo Diaz first rounded the Cape in 1488. However, only very few of these could be said to be true “treasure ships” that carried large amounts of gold and silver coins or other treasures.

Coins or jewellery recovered from shipwrecks were mostly personal possessions carried by wealthy passengers and officers. However, the Birkenhead was said to have been carrying a military payroll of £240,000 in gold coins. The gold coins are thought to have been intended as payment for soldiers fighting in the Eastern Cape border wars.

One of the best-known shipwrecks that yielded a lot of gold coins was the Merenstein. It hit the reefs on 3 April 1702  near Saldanha. Only 99 of the 200 people aboard the ship survived. There were several chests of silver coins intended for trade in the East Indies.  Salvage plans were immediately undertaken, but the area was difficult to dive, and all attempts were abandoned. However, the wreck was discovered in the early 1970s, and around 15,000 Dutch silver Ducatoons from the 1600s were found. It is believed that this was only part of the treasure that was aboard the ship.

Coastal inhabitants recorded vessels in their rock art. For example, near Porterville, a rock painting depicts a sailing ship, showing how ships were observed long before formal records existed.

Ghost ship 

According to legend, in 1641, a Dutch ship commanded by Captain van der Decken was sailing back to the Netherlands. After a successful trip to the east, the ship was returning via the Cape of Good Hope. A storm was brewing, but the captain was determined to press on. The ship was wrecked on submerged rocks.

Legal Protection of Shipwrecks

Some people have made an interesting hobby of diving shipwrecks, and some even make a living from these unfortunate stories. There are even enterprises that do guided dives. Where a ship has wrecked more than 60 years ago, the artefacts are off limits as the vessel and anything connected with it become the property of the state. No salvage or commercial exploitation is allowed at the historical wreck sites within 24 nautical miles of the coast. There have, however, been interesting artefacts that have washed up onto the beaches, which hint at the treasures that lie on the seabed.  The Shipwreck Museum in Bredasdorp has collections on display of some of these treasures.

Weather

The weather patterns that give rise to storms around the Cape originate at 40 degrees South (known as the Roaring Forties), where the winds circle the Earth in a westerly direction. The reason these winds become so strong is that there is not much land to slow them down.  From time to time, a low-pressure system circulates, breaks off the 40s, and heads towards the western coast of South Africa, causing large waves and thick fog. The storms lash at the coast, causing the seas to become treacherous. This was the reason that the Dutch East India Company developed a safe harbour in Simon’s Town, where ships would overwinter.

Navigation

Ships often had to choose between hugging the coastline and risking submerged reefs, or sailing further offshore and extending their voyage by several days.

The number of wrecks along the Western Cape coastline attests to unfortunate choices and often sheer bad luck. See the glossary of shipping terms

Shipwrecks around Robben Island

The waters around Robben Island have proved particularly treacherous. More than 70 documented shipwrecks lie around the island, most on the rocky western shore exposed to prevailing winds and swells. Robben Island is the exposed summit of a submerged mountain connected to the mainland by an underwater ridge. Hidden reefs, strong currents, winter storms, and poor visibility made navigation difficult for early sailors, and many vessels were wrecked while attempting to enter or leave Table Bay.

Life After the Wrecks

 In times gone by, when ships wrecked close to the shore, the salvaged goods were often auctioned on the closest beach. There is a beach named Smits Winkel (Smits shop), possibly from this time. Many early houses along the coast were furnished with salvaged goods such as sailcloth and ship’s furniture, and roof trusses were made from packing crates and parts of the ship hull. See Arniston (Kassiesbaai, “Crates Bay”). Sometimes, surviving sailors made their homes with the indigenous people and often married into the district; their knowledge and heritage are reflected in building styles adopted by the locals, such as the whitewashed and thatched fisherman’s houses that can be seen in various villages along the coastline.

Modern Shipping and Environmental Risks

The sea route around the Cape is still the main route for the transportation of oil from the Middle East to Europe and North America.  It is estimated that over 30 million tons of crude oil pass these shores. Wreckages of these ships can cause environmental havoc, and SANCCOB is an NPO that has been set up to rescue seabirds impacted by oil spillage.

Below is a list of shipwrecks, most of which (but not all) are recorded by the South African Heritage Resources Agency. The list is long and is one of the most comprehensive publicly available lists of shipwrecks along the Western Cape coast. Many more ships have been lost off the Southern Cape coast; around 3000 have been noted. Some of the wrecks listed do not have exact dates recorded, but notable, however, are some significant dates. There was a disproportionate number of wrecks listed that happened on New Year’s Day (I counted 17), whether this is due to bad luck or sailors’ hangovers, there is no record.  Some years seem to have been unluckier than others. There were some spectacular storms in some years when multiple ships were wrecked on the same day, 1722 being the worst.  1879 was a bad year with 7 wrecks recorded.1861, 1871, 1874 and 1877 saw 5 wrecks each, four in 1965, three the year the Birkenhead sank, and there were 6 in 1996. December seems to be the safest month in which to travel by ship around our coastline, May and June being more risky, of course, there is January! 56 wrecks happened in January, according to the records I found.

Read about the recent exposure of a very old wreck after wild storms in Plettenberg Bay

 

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See the story of shipping insurance, Lighthouses around the Western Cape coast and the glossary of shipping terms

 

Chronological List of Shipwrecks in the Western Cape

1505 The Soars wrecked in Mossel Bay; it was the first Portuguese shipwreck in the Cape, as well as the first recorded shipwreck in the area. When the remains of the ship were discovered some time after, the crew and cargo were nowhere to be found. (1)

Shipwrecks by Date

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1600–1700

1611, Yeanger of Hoorn. The first recorded shipwreck in Table Bay on the northern shore of Robben Island was a Dutch commercial sealer. (1)

1618: French jacht Jaeger (ex Prinsens Jagt, wrecked near Woodstock beach during a northwest gale, on 27 July (1)

1644: Dutch ship Mauritius Eylant ran aground on the rocks at Mouille Point on 16 February. It was refloated and then run ashore at the mouth of Salt River, where the cargo could be salvaged. (1)

1647     Nieuw Haarlem was a Dutch ship that ran aground in Table Bay on 25 March. All the crew survived and made cordial contact with the local people, leading to the establishment of a refreshment station at the Cape. (1)

1660,    The Schapenjacht, a Dutch vessel, was wrecked near Robben Island. It was completely dismantled, and no trace remains. The French ship La Maréchale was wrecked in Table Bay near the Salt River on 19 May, in a northwest gale. (2)

1668:     Dutch hoeker Schollevaar, wrecked on 31 May just north of Bokpunt It was run ashore where it was wrecked by a drunken skipper in a north-westerly gale near Yzerfontein Cape. Two people drowned.(1)

 1680   The Ternate, a Dutch wooden sailing vessel, wrecked at Hangklip on 1 July. (1)

1682   The Joanna, a wooden sailing vessel (East Indiaman), was wrecked 19km west of Cape Agulhas (Near Asfontein) on 8 June. It was the first East Indiaman to be wrecked off the South African coast. A considerable amount of gold was on the ship. (1)

                       

                                                                                      Schooner

1686    The Jupiter 1 was a Dutch wooden sailing vessel (Yacht) that wrecked at Struisbaai, Cape Agulhas, on 1 January 1686. The Nossa Senhora dos Milagros was a Portuguese wooden sailing vessel (East Indiaman) also wrecked on April 16 at Struisbaai. (2)

1691:    Portuguese warship Sarpine wrecked near Hottentot’s Holland during a southeast gale. (1)

1692:     Dutch pinnace Goede Hoop, wrecked near the Salt River mouth on 5 June during a northwest gale, the same day the English East Indiaman Orange, also wrecked close by, and the Dutch Jacht Hogergeest, wrecked in Table Bay on 10 June. (3)

1693   The Gouden Buys  A Dutch East India Company ship bound for Batavia was decimated by scurvy. Drifting off the West Coast, it eventually wrecked in St Helena Bay on October 19. Only two crew members survived. (1)

1694:     The Dutch  Jacht Dageraad, which was carrying the treasures of the Goude Buys, was wrecked on Robben Island on 20 January. (1)

1697:     Dutch vessel Oosterland, wrecked in Table Bay on 24 May in a northwest gale, and the Dutch ship Waddinxveen, also wrecked on that same day near the Salt River mouth. (2)

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1701–1750

1702     The Merenstein, A Dutch East Indiaman built in 1693, was a Dutch pinnace wrecked on April 3. The Dutch East India Company vessel struck a reef off the southwestern point of Jutten Island in Saldanha Bay (1)

1722        On 16 June, a violent north-west gale struck Table Bay, causing one of the most destructive maritime disasters in the history of the Cape. The night of 16–17 June 1722 saw a severe north-westerly gale strike Table Bay. Around 10 ships were recorded as wrecked, including vessels of both the Dutch East India Company and the English East India Company. Contemporary and later sources consistently describe it as an exceptional storm with a very heavy loss of life. losses of cargo and specie belonging to the VOC and English merchants at sea.  Numerous vessels of the Dutch and English East India Companies were driven ashore or wrecked in the bay and along the nearby coastline. Among the losses were Cape brigantine Amy, a swift 16-gun ship, which ran aground in Table Bay; the English East Indiamen Addison, Chandos, and Nightingale; the Dutch East Indiaman Rotterdam; the Dutch ships Standvastigheid, Zoetigheid, Lakenman, Gouda, and Schotse Lorrendraaier. Several wrecks occurred near the Salt River mouth and Woodstock Beach, while others were lost in Table Bay itself. Although some cargo, guns, and stores were recovered, the storm remains one of the worst single-day shipwreck events recorded at the Cape. Part of the cargo from the Zoetigheid was later recovered by the pioneering salvage diver John Lethbridge in 1727. At Woodstock Beach, The Schoonberg was a Dutch wooden sailing vessel (East Indiaman) that sank at Northumberland Point on 20 December that year (11)

1728: Dutch vessel Middenrak, wrecked in Table Bay on 3 July in a northwest gale near the Salt River mouth, and the Dutch ship Stabroek, wrecked close by on the same day. Some of the cargo was salvaged by divers, also the Dutch ship Haarlem, wrecked in Table Bay also near the Salt River mouth on 4 December. (3)

 1729  The Saxenburg, a Dutch wooden sailing vessel (Provision Ship), wrecked at Cape Agulhas on 9 January. (1)

1734     Huijs Te Marquette was an East Indiaman that was damaged in a storm in June. Extensive repairs were carried out, and she returned to Holland. (1)

1736      Dutch brigantine Fijenoord of 160 tons, wrecked on 1 July in Table Bay near the Salt River mouth. (1)

1737: On 21 May 1737, a powerful north-west gale struck Table Bay, driving numerous Dutch vessels ashore and causing one of the largest shipwreck disasters of the 18th century at the Cape. Ships lost during the storm included the Dutch East Indiamen Duinbeek, Lepenrode, Paddenburg, Flora, and Westerwijk, as well as the Dutch vessels De Buis, Goudriaan, Rodenrijs, and the brigantine Victoria. Most of the wrecks occurred near the mouth of the Salt River and along the shores of Table Bay, with several vessels being driven onto the beaches at present-day Woodstock. The disaster highlighted the dangers of Table Bay’s exposed anchorage, where ships riding at anchor were vulnerable to sudden winter storms and strong north-westerly winds. (9)

1747     Ship Reigersdaal wrecked at Silwerstroomstrand on 25 October. The  Dutch East Indiaman was built for the Amsterdam chamber of the Dutch East India Company in 1738. (1)

1740     Dutch ship Vis, wrecked in Table Bay at night on 6 May, a short distance south of Green Point lighthouse. (1)

 1750    The Le Centaur, a French wooden sailing vessel (East Indiaman), sank at the Ratel River mouth on  19 January (1)

1750    The Elephant was a Danish ship that ran ashore close to the Gourits River while on a homeward-bound voyage from Tranquebar, India, on 8 August. She was trying to reach Mossel Bay but was deliberately wrecked to save the lives of the desperately ill crew. No lives were lost; the crew of 65 managed to walk to Cape Town. (1)

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1751–1799

1752     Kron Princess van Denmark was a Danish East Indiaman that was damaged in a storm. It  put into Mossel Bay on 9 June 1752, but was abandoned after its cargo had been saved. (1)

1756     French slave ship La Cybelle of twelve guns wrecked a little north of Bloubergstrand, 19 March, on a voyage from Guinea to Mauritius with a cargo of slaves and the Cape vessel Schuilenberg wrecked near Camps Bay on 3 June. (2) 

1757   Dutch provision ship Voorzichtigheid, wrecked in Table Bay on 18 June at the Salt River mouth in a northwest gale. (1)

1763     La Fortune was a French man-of-war that wrecked opposite the freshwater spring near Kanonpunt in Vleesbaai in the Gourits area on 11 September. It was on a voyage from Reunion. None of the crew of 441 soldiers and sailors was lost. They travelled overland to Cape Town. A cannon from the ship is wedged in the rocks and can be seen at very low tide. All valuables were removed from the wreck at the time. The area name ‘Fransmanshoek’ honours the Frenchmen who survived the wreck. (1)

 1766    The Meermin, a Dutch Wooden Sailing Vessel (Hooker – Cape Packet), wrecked at Cape Agulhas on 22 February. (1)

1773      Die Jonge Thomas at Paarden Island on 1 June. This was where Wolraad Woltemade drowned, attempting to rescue the passengers and crew. (1)The

1776    Dutch East Indiaman Nieuwe Rhoon was badly damaged when it struck Whale Rock during a south-easterly gale on 31 January. It was towed to the Castle Jetty and beached to salvage the cargo, and the French ship La Ceres, wrecked in Table Bay during a northwest gale on 15 October, near the Salt River mouth. (2)

1778,  the Colebrooke wrecked in False Bay. It was a three-decked British ship that was intentionally grounded on 25 August off Kogel Bay beach after sustaining severe damage from an impact with Anvil Rock at the mouth of False Bay East India fleet. (1)

  1780   The Mentor was a Dutch wooden sailing vessel (East Indiaman) that wrecked at Cape Agulhas on  5 January. (1)

1782      French corvette Le Victor of 16 guns, wrecked in Table Bay on 24 September near the Salt River mouth during a northwest gale. (1)

  1783       The Nicobar, a Danish wooden sailing vessel (East Indiaman), wrecked at Ratel River Mouth on 11 July 1783. (1)

1784    French 64-gun ship Sévere wrecked at Bloubergstrand in Table Bay on 27 January on a voyage from Mauritius to France with a regiment of soldiers. Everyone survived the Dutch fluyt Hoop, wrecked in Table Bay at Mouille Point on 30 June. (2)

1785     The Brederode, a Dutch wooden sailing vessel (East Indiaman), struck a reef off Cape Agulhas on 3 May.(1)

1786      Dutch ship HMNS Holland of 68 guns, wrecked on 11 March at night near Olifantsbos, Cape Point. French brig La Rozette wrecked on 19 August at Platboom south of Olifantsbos after a mutiny. and Dutch hoeker Katwijk aan den Rijn was driven ashore in a gale in Simon’s Bay on 7 October without loss of life. (3)

1788      Dutch East Indiaman Avenhorn, wrecked during a northwest gale in Table Bay on 17 May, and French frigate La Penelope wrecked at Muizenberg beach on 16 October. (2) 

1789        The Dutch ship Drietal Handelaars was wrecked on the rocks at Swartklip in False Bay on 16 May after dragging anchors in a southeast gale. The HMS Guardian was a 44-gun Royal Navy Roebuck-class ship that was badly damaged by an iceberg. It sailed 1900 km to the Cape, where it was deliberately scuttled on 24 December. (2) 

1790      Danish East-Indiaman Erfprins van Augustenburg was driven ashore by a gale and wrecked in Table Bay on 12 April, and the Italian barque Maria was wrecked the same day. (2)

1792       Dutch fluyt Drie Gebroeders of 828 tons, beached in Simon’s Bay on 2 June due to a leak in the hull. (1)

1793     Dutch East Indiaman Zeeland and the Dutch hoeker Sterreschans, which was bought by the Amsterdam yard, wrecked in Table Bay during a northwest gale on 22 May. (2)

1794   La Jardiniere was a French wooden sailing vessel that sank at Zoetendalsvlei Struis Bay on  1 January, and theSão José Paquete Africa was a Portuguese slave ship that was wrecked on the rocks off  Cape Town. on 27 December. Over 200 slaves drowned. The wreck was rediscovered in the 1980s but was only positively identified in 2015. (2)

 1796     The Lord Hawkesbury was a British wooden sailing vessel (Whaler) that wrecked at Zoetendalsvlei (Struisbaai)on 26 May. The Swedish East Indiaman Gothenburg wrecked at Green Point on  8 March, and the American vessel Columbia, wrecked in Table Bay on  4 June. (3)

1798       Jefferson, a wooden American sailing vessel, was wrecked in Table Bay on 9 May. (1)

1799        On 5 November 1799, a violent north-west gale swept across Table Bay, causing one of the deadliest maritime disasters of the period. Vessels wrecked or driven ashore included the American ship Anubis, the American brig Hannah, the Dutch ship Oldenburg (64 guns), the British whaler Sierra Leone, and HMS Sceptre, a 64-gun third-rate ship of the Royal Navy. Hannah was driven ashore near the Castle, while HMS Sceptre was blown onto the rocks in Table Bay with heavy loss of life. (5)

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1800–1850

1800: British sloop Benjamin lost with all hands at Gordon’s Bay on 20 September. (1)

 1803      The John, a British wooden sailing vessel (Brig) that wrecked at De Kelders on 16 September. (1)

1805   The Brunswick was driven aground in a storm on 25 September after losing three anchors off Long Beach. French frigate L’Atalante, wrecked during a northwest gale in Table Bay at the Charlotte battery on 3 November. That same day, the American ship Hunter also wrecked in the bay, and the French privateer Le Napoléon was driven ashore at Olifantsbos on the Cape Peninsula on Christmas Day after a chase by the frigate HMS Narcissus. (4)

                                                                                                 Brigantine

1806    The Staaten Generaal, a Batavian republic, was renamed Bato. On returning to the Cape, she was found to be in a bad condition and turned into a gun platform and anchored in Simon’s Town to guard the approach. In January, after the Battle of Blaauwberg, she was scuttled to prevent her from falling into enemy hands. The ship Bato burned and ran aground in Simon’s Town. After years of sea adventures, it was declared unseaworthy, and it was burned at anchor off Long Beach on 8 January to prevent it from falling into enemy hands. The French frigate Atalante was also wrecked at Simon’s Town during the British attack on the Cape on 10 January. Although she had previously been driven ashore by a storm near the Cape in November 1805 and was later refloated and repaired, British reports state that she was ultimately destroyed after being run aground during the conflict. The 12-gun privateer Fame was at Green Point on 15 September when a squall carried away rigging, including the topmasts. The vessel ran aground and broke up on Robben Island. No lives were reported lost, and a large portion of the cargo was saved. (4)

1807    Ganges, a British East Indiaman, foundered south of Cape Agulhas It was just off the Cape of Good Hope when it sprang a leak.

1809       The Edward, a British wooden sailing vessel, sank at Zoetendalsvlei Agulhas, and the French prize vessel Pénélope, a wooden sailing schooner, was chased into Table Bay on 16 April by HMS Olympia. It ran aground and wrecked near Milnerton. (2)

1810       British ship Feniscowles  wrecked at Green Point on 21 October (1)

1815       Arniston was a British wooden sailing vessel (Barque) that wrecked North of the village of Arniston (Named after the ship that wrecked) on 30 May (1)

1816       Wooden-hulled sailing vessel Discovery, wrecked on Woodstock beach on 29 July; the same storm wrecked the Vessel Young Phoenix, wrecked in Table Bay the same day. The Brig Camille wrecked at Muizenberg beach on 18 October, and the British wooden ship Woodbridge, wrecked in Table Bay on 5 November. (4)

1817        French ship L’Alouette, hit Albatross Rock in a heavy fog, and sank on 6 June, and the coasting brig Winifred & Maria, wrecked in Table Bay next to the wharf in late August.(2)

1818       166 ton British snow Malta, wrecked in Table Bay at Paarden Eiland in March, the British ship Tarleton, wrecked in Table Bay near the Castle on the 17 April and the next month the British snow Jane, built in Denmark in 1806 wrecked near the Castle on 18 May the storm also claimed Portuguese slaving brig Pacquet Real, in Table Bay near the wharf  British ship Anne of wrecked at Paarden Eiland in July that year and the Dutch ship Vrouw Ida Alida wrecked at Muizenberg near St. James on the 10 November. (6)

1819      Portuguese brig Nossa Senhora D’Guia, wrecked in Table Bay during a northwest gale on 2 May. On 26 July, Dutch brig Prins Willem I wrecked in Table Bay after being struck by lightning. British 500-ton vessel Elizabeth, wrecked on 7 October near Paarden Eiland. (3)

1821       British ship Emma and Dorah wrecked in Table Bay at Paarden Eiland on  4 January in a northwest gale. Then, on the night of 5 February, the French ship L’Éclair was wrecked on the north-east side of Table Bay. On the night of 10 March, a 372-ton British ship, Cerberus, wrecked at Blouberg. On 25 October, the British wooden brig Waterloo wrecked at Fish Hoek. It was a sailing merchant that was driven ashore, luckily, with no loss of life, on November 17^, early in the morning. The Dutch wooden sailing schooner Flora was wrecked in the shallows at the southern tip of Robben Island. Schooner John Jwrecked at Blouberg on 4 December.  It was a schooner wrecked at Blouberg on 4 December when she missed stays after a voyage from Plettenberg Bay with a cargo of spice and coffee, which was saved. No lives were lost. (7)

1822      The Grace, a British wooden sailing vessel, wrecked Near Ratel River Mouth on 1 January. The  British wooden ship Fame was wrecked just south of Graaf’s Pool during a northwest gale on 14 June. British ship Sarah, built at Bristol in 1810, wrecked in Table Bay on 9 July near the Salt River mouth; British snow Adriatic, wrecked in Table Bay during a northwest gale on 20 July. The gale continued into the next day, the Coastal schooner Good Intent and the British snow Lavinia wrecked in the bay on the same day. (6)

1823         Wooden sailing schooner HM Schooner Cockburn wrecked on Muizenberg beach, dates not certain 4,5 or 6 April. Later that month, on  16 April, the Wooden sailing ship Apollo was wrecked below the Mouille Point Battery (2)

1824        The Mary was a British ship of 547 tons, built of teak in 1813, that wrecked in Mossel Bay on 9 July after putting in for water en route from Calcutta and Madras to London. The cargo included indigo dye, and the brig San Antonio wrecked in Table Bay on 9 August during a gale. (2)

1826       The Martha was a British wooden sailing vessel (Brig) that wrecked at Martha Point, Arniston on 24 September. British brig Gondolier was wrecked on Robben Island on 7 February. (Some reports say it happened in 1936)Then the British ship Perseverance, built in 1825, was wrecked on 12 March on Whale Rock near Robben Island, and the British brig Nautilus, built in 1812, wrecked in Table Bay on 31 March. (4)

1828     The Meridian was a British wooden sailing vessel (Brig) wrecked East of Silverstrans Bay on 19 May. The wooden sailing barque Walsingham, wrecked on Woodstock Beach on 14 June, Importer, a wooden British brig ran ashore at night on Woodstock Beach and the Dutch ship Padang, wrecked on  29 June on Muizenberg Beach on a voyage from Padang, Sumatra, to Antwerp with a cargo of coffee and spices. (3)

1829       The Phoenix was a Dutch East India merchant vessel that was wrecked near Simon’s Town on 19 July after a voyage from Ceylon carrying passengers, none of whom were lost. The Jessie, a British wooden sailing vessel, sank near Ratel River on  7 October the same year. (2)

1830  The Silence,  aBritish brig struck a submerged wreck in Table Bay. It was thendriven ashore near the south wharf, a hole was discovered in the hull and it was condemned  The wooden barque Alfred, wrecked in Table Bay on 4 July in a northwest gale, and the British snow Singapore, wrecked near the Mouille Point lighthouse on 1 December.(2)

1831      The George was a wooden sailing vessel (Cutter) that wrecked at Dyer Island on 13 May, and the British ship Thorne, wrecked on Robben Island in thick fog on 18 May.  British brig Calpe and the Brig Sir James Saumarez wrecked in Table Bay during a northwest gale on 16 July. The storm continued, and the next day, the British barque Candian also wrecked in the bay. (5)

                                                                                Cutter

1833    Schooner Flamingo, caught fire and wrecked in Buffels Bay near Cape Point on  16 August two crew members of the crew drowned,but the rest of the crew abandoned the burning ship safely in a lifeboat. (1)

1834      The Linnaeus was a British wooden sailing vessel (Barque) that hit a Reef off Dyer Island on 16 January. The Locust was a South African wooden sailing vessel (Brig) that sank at the Breede River Mouth on 2 September. French whaler L’Aigle ran aground on 15 February near Slangkop. (3)

1836 The Gondolier, a British brig, was wrecked near Robben Island on 7 February. The Skerne, a wooden sailing vessel (Brig), ran aground on an inside bar on the Breede River on  14 June. The Doncaster, a British Barque, sank at the Ratel River mouth on 17 July, and a French brig, La Camille, wrecked at Strandfontein on 18 October. (4)

1838    Irish ship Dunlop, built in 1806, wrecked on Woodstock beach on the night of 24 December. (1)

1837      British ship Royal William, wrecked near Mouille Point on 20 September and British schooner Antelope, wrecked on 18 August in Table Bay near the jetty. (2)

 1838    The Duke of Northumberland, a British wooden sailing vessel (East Indiaman), was wrecked at what is now named Northumberland Point Struisbaai on 25 August. (1)

1839    French whaling brig Le Protee wrecked at Strandfontein on 10 January, and theBarque Juliana wrecked near the Mouille Point battery on 19 January. British wooden ship Trafalgar ran ground and wrecked at Rocklands Bay in Sea Point on 21 February, and Barque Admiral Cockburn wrecked at Muizenberg beach on 27 July. The vessel was built in the US in about 1809. The British captured the ship in 1814, and it was sold as a prize. In 1829, it became a whaler and was wrecked at Muizenberg Beach when returning to London from its third whaling voyage. (4)

  1840    The Venerable was a British wooden sailing vessel (Brig) that wrecked off Struisbaai on  22 February. The La Lise was a French wooden sailing vessel (Cargo Ship) that sank near St Mungo Point, Struisbaai on 9 March. The Malton was a British wooden sailing vessel that sank at Walker Bay near Hermanus on 18 October. The Paragon, wrecked on 1 April west of Green Point during a northwest gale on 16 July, British barque Howard, wrecked in Table Bay in a northwest gale near the Castle.  British brig Palmer, wrecked near Mouille Point on the night of 19 August. The convict ship Waterloo wrecked on August 28. British barque Bengal, wrecked near Blouberg Beach after entering the bay at night on 17 September. Wooden barque Catharine Jamieson, wrecked at Mouille Point on the night of 19 September. British snow Udny Castle, wrecked at Green Point near the lighthouse on 26 November. (10)

1841    The Sir William Heathcote was a British wooden sailing vessel (Brig) that hit a sandbank (opposite Mrs Dunn’s House) on  15 April 1841. No information on where Mrs Dunn’s house was. Wooden schooner Felix Vincidor was driven ashore at night and wrecked at Muizenberg beach on 18 July, and the British barque Prince Rupert was wrecked at Mouille Point on 4 September. (3) 

1842        The slaving brig Saint Antonio was wrecked in Chapman’s Bay on 29 March. The British wooden barque Helen was wrecked at Mouille Point while attempting to enter Table Bay on 29 May, and the British schooner Speedy was wrecked in Table Bay near the Imhoff Battery on 13 July when anchor cables parted during a northwest gale. The British convict ship Waterloo was driven ashore in Table Bay on 28 August during a northwest gale, while the British wooden three-masted troop ship Abercrombie Robinson was also blown ashore at Salt River Beach the same day after her anchor cables parted, with no loss of life. The American barque Fairfield was wrecked in Table Bay on 9 September when her cables parted in a northwest gale. On the same day, the British ship John Bagshaw was wrecked near the South Wharf in Table Bay, and the British brig Reform was wrecked at the Imhoff Battery. Later that year, on 3 November, the German ship Mary Stewart was wrecked in Table Bay between the lighthouses. (9)

1843     The Don-La-Toinla was a wooden sailing vessel that sank at Taljaners Bay, Arniston, on 1 January (1)

1844    The Flamingo, a wooden sailing vessel, sank at Schoonberg Bay (Struisbaai on  3 September.  The John and James was a British wooden sailing vessel (Barque), wrecked at Danger Point on 1 September. The St Mungo, a British wooden sailing vessel, sank at St Mungo Point, Cape Agulhas, on 20  September. (3)

1845   The Port Fleetwood, a British wooden sailing vessel (schooner), wrecked at Struisbaai on 5  January.  The Martha was a Brig that wrecked 3 km from Mossel Bay in the evening of 30 August. She was en route from Sydney to Table Bay with 20 immigrants and a large cargo of mail. No lives were lost, and the mail was saved. (2)

 1846        The Gentoo was an American wooden sailing vessel that sank at Northumberland Point, Struis Bay on  29 April. The  Fleetwood, a British sailing vessel, sank at Struisbaai on  15 September. The Galatea was a British wooden brig built in 1829 at Chepstow. It wrecked on the rocks of Mossel Bay early on 10 October. Four people drowned.(2)

 1847 The Geortryder wrecked at Cape Agulhas on the 15^th of March. The Isaac was a sloop that sank off Struisbaai on 6 March.Gentana, a brigantine wrecked in a north-westerly gale in Table Bay on June 6

 1848  The  Harriet Lee, a British Schooner, hit a sandbank on the side of the Breede River on 8 March. The Nancy was a schooner that was wrecked in Mossel Bay on 5 April. One seaman drowned, and the Maid of the Thames was a wooden sailing vessel that sank at Skipskop on 1 January that year. The Bittern, a British snow or brig, wrecked off Robben Island on 18 January.  on June 6 Chieftain, a British brig, wrecked after drifting onto rocks just west of the Mouille Point lighthouse(4)    

   1849  The Claudine, a British barque, sank at Martha Strand near Ryspunt  Arniston on  21 February. The Kate was a schooner that wrecked in Mossel Bay on the night of 16 July. No lives were lost. She lies in the same spot as The Mary (1853). (2)

  1850      The Duchess of Buccleugh, a British barque, sank near the Ratel River Mouth on the 13^th of June. (1)

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1851–1899

1851 The British wooden ship Chartley Castle was wrecked at Milnerton on 8 October at night after a voyage from London to Table Bay with a cargo of coal. No lives were lost.(1)

   1852 The Herschel was a British wooden snow wrecked near Rietvlei in Table Bay on 24 January after a voyage from Dundee with a cargo of coal. No lives were lost.  The Birkenhead was a British iron paddle steamship/frigate that wrecked on a submerged rock near Gansbaai on  26 February.   The Juno was a Dutch sailing vessel that wrecked at Cape Agulhas directly below the lighthouse on 2 March, and the Montgomery was an American vessel that sank at Cape Agulhas on the same day. The Bodiam Castle, a British wooden sailing vessel (Schooner), was wrecked at Struis Point on 13  August and the  Kingston, an American barque, was wrecked off Robben Island on  23 December. (6)

1853     The Mary was a Schooner that wrecked in Mossel Bay on 16 February. One seaman drowned. She lies in the same place as Kate.   The Barbara Gordona, a British wooden sailing vessel, was wrecked at the Ratel River on  5 May. The Sophia was a British wooden sailing vessel /Schooner that wrecked at Witsand two days later. The Sandwich was a British wooden brig wrecked 3 km north-east of the Salt River near Rietvlei in Table Bay on 10 August after entering the bay while on a voyage from Burma to London with a cargo of rice. One man died of exposure in the lifeboat. (4)

 1854      The Arfron was a German sailing vessel (brig) that wrecked at the East bank of the Breede River Mouth on 7 January. Basuto Coast a motor-powered South African coaster ran aground during a storm at the swimming pool pavilion in Sea Point. The vessel was cut up and removed within a few weeks.

The Chancellor, a British wooden sailing vessel, sank at Martha Strand Arniston on  12  September, and The Drei Thurne was a German Brig that sank at Struis Point on 30 December that year. (3)

1855   Elvira, a wooden British sailing barque, struck Robben Island during the night of May 20 and then drifted onto the beach, where it wrecked.

 1856  The Equator was a British sailing vessel that wrecked at Struisbaai on 7 February. The two wooden sailing vessels, both wrecked on the Southern Cape coast, Barrys 1 at Struisbaai on  4 April 1848 and Barrys 2 on a Bar of Breede River Mouth on 5 July 1857. Kent, a wooden-hulled sailing barque, wrecked near the Salt River Mouth in Table Bay after its cables parted and it was driven ashore. Japarra was a Dutch barque that sank off Quoin Point on 3 October. The Sea Eagle, an American ship, on 22 December and the Timor, a Dutch barque, on 16 November, wrecked off Robben Island that year (5)

 1857  On  1 February 1857, the  Albert, a South African wooden sailing vessel/ Schooner, wrecked off Danger Point,  The Defence was a British ship that wrecked between the Salt River mouth and Rietvlei, opposite the salt pans, on 5 March after entering Table Bay at night while on a voyage from manila to Cork with a cargo of 20 000 bags of sugar and 1 500 bags of Manila hemp. No lives were lost, and the Peacock, a sailing vessel/cutter, sank at the Uilenkraal River in May.Ellen Rawson, a British barque, wrecked in Table Bay during a severe northwesterly gale on June 14 near Mouille Point, Barry’s 2 on a Bar of Breede River Mouth on 5 July and on July 11, William Bayley, a wooden-hulled brig, had to be run ashore after its cargo spontaneously burned near Plettenberg Bay (3)

 1858   The Onward was a sailing vessel/schooner that sank near Zoetfontein, Cape Agulhas, on 14 January. The Rastede was a barque that wrecked at Rietvlei in Table Bay on 5 March during a south-east gale after entering the bay while on a voyage from Newcastle with a cargo of coal. No lives were lost. The Malabar was a Sardinian ship that wrecked at Rietvlei in Table Bay on 4 November while on a voyage from London to Aden with a cargo of coal, and The Arago was a German barque that wrecked at Rietvlei in Table Bay on 30 November during a south-easterly gale while on a voyage from Memel to Batavia with a cargo of timber. No lives were lost. .(4)

 1859   The Atlas was a Dutch wooden sailing vessel/barque) That wrecked at Atlas Reef near Martha Duinen Arniston on 18 January, and The Osmond was a Danish brig that sank at the Breede River on 1 June.(2)

1860      The Otto was a Russian sailing vessel that wrecked near Otter Bay, Struisbaai on the 20^th of January, and  The Oste was a German brigantine wrecked at Whitesands near Blouberg, on 20 March at night during a south-east wind while on a voyage from Hanover to Sydney, Singapore and China with a cargo of tar, window-glass and sundries The Scotland was a British ship, wrecked at Montgomery Point, Cape Agulhas on 27 June. The Argyle was a Barque carrying bags of linseed and bales of cotton that ran aground in July, and the Underley wrecked between Agulhas and Quoin Point on 24 December. (5)

1861        The Gleaner wrecked at Struis point The Port Beaufort hit the bank of the Breede River and  The Ellen a British wooden sailing vessel/barque wrecked at Struis Point all on 1 January, The Miles Barton a British wooden sailing vessel wrecked on what is now called Miles Barton Reef near Arniston on 8 February and  The Star of the East a British wooden sailing vessel wrecked at Ryspunt, Struis Bay on 10 April, no lives were lost. The Bemicia, a British barque Wrecked off Robben Island on 16 June that year and the Waldensian was a British iron screw steamship/coaster that wrecked at Bulldog Reef, Struis Point on  13 October. (6)

1862       The A.H. Stevens, an American clipper ship, was wrecked off Robben Island on 7 February.  Valleyfield, a British barque, struck the rocks just off Green Point Lighthouse in heavy seas and thick fog. The Perekop wrecked at Struis Bay on 14 July, and The Melbourne, a wooden ship on the way from Shanghai to London, struck rocks near the Gourits River Mouth on 4 November. She carried valuable cargo, including silk, wool, copper, tobacco and spices. Three lives were lost. (3)

1863   The Rover was a South African brig that was wrecked. The Willem de Zwyger was a Dutch wooden sailing vessel/barque that wrecked off Martha Point near Arniston on  30 March, and The Evelyn, a South African Wooden Sailing Vessel/Schooner, hit Sunbeam Rock on 18 December. ked at Whitesands near Blouberg on 22 February in thick fog while leaving the bay. No lives were lost.  The Akbar was a British wooden wrecked at Rietvlei in Table Bay on 12 January 1863 during a south-east wind while on a voyage from Siam to London with a cargo of rice, cassia, sticklac and Japanese wood. No lives were lost (4)

1864        The Lucy, a South African rock sailing vessel/brig, wrecked at Birkenhead on 16 February. The Sappho was a British wooden ship that wrecked at Blouberg Beach at night on 15 March during a south-east gale after entering Table Bay while on a voyage from Shanghai to London with a cargo of 600 tons of tea. No lives were lost. The Forfarshire, a British ship wrecked off Robben Island on 15 September, and the Dennia was an English brig that was wrecked at Mossel Bay on a journey from London with general cargo.19 October. (4)

1865,    the Rubens was a British wooden ship wrecked near Rietvlei on 10 May at night during a south-east gale after entering Table Bay while on a voyage from Liverpool to Algoa Bay with a general cargo. No lives were lost.

1865: The Great Gale on 17 May, a severe storm blew through Table Bay, at least 15 vessels were believed to have been wrecked, and many lost their lives. Alacrity, a British sailing barque, wrecked beyond the military hospital, no lives lost. RMS Athens, an iron British steam-and-sail-driven mail ship (barque), wrecked between Mouille Point and Green Point. 30  people died    • Benjamin Miller, a sailing schooner, wrecked with no loss of life. • City of Peterborough, a British barque, was wrecked at the Royal Cape Yacht Basin, and many people died. Clipper, a wooden sailing schooner, wrecked with no loss of life.  Deane, a British sailing barque, wrecked with no loss of life.  Esther, a German sailing brig, wrecked on Woodstock beach with no loss of life.  Fernande, a Danish sailing schooner, wrecked near the castle, with no loss of life. • Isabel, a British sailing schooner, wrecked near the castle, with no loss of life. • Jane, a British sailing brig, wrecked opposite the castle.  Kehrweider, a German sailing brig, wrecked with a cargo of timber, with no loss of life.  Royal Arthur, a British sailing barque, wrecked with a cargo of timber, with no loss of life. Stag, a British steam-powered cargo ship, was lost whilst assisting other vessels in distress, with the loss of 12 lives.  Star of the West, an iron British sailing barque, wrecked with no lives lost. Water Kelpie, a sailing cutter, wrecked with no lives lost. Eastern Province, a British iron screw steamship, sank near Ratel River Mouth on  26 June. The Kadie, a South African iron screw steamship, ran aground on the West bank of the Breede River on  17 November, and the Ethelrida, a British sailing vessel/barque, sank at Skipskop on 30  November. (17)

                                                                          Iron screw vessel

1866         Ruby, previously called Figilante, was a British schooner of 75 tons that was wrecked at Mossel Bay on 13 January during a strong gale. She was sailing from Algoa Bay to Cape Town with a cargo of rice. No lives were lost. (1)  260

 1868      The  Borderer, a British Iron vessel, struck the Middle Blinder of a Reef off Struis Point on the 27^th of October. (1)

1869    The Eastern Empire wrecked at Struis Bay on 26 June 1869. The Sparfel was a French schooner that wrecked off Struis Point on  4 September, and The Amersham, a British sailing vessel/barque, wrecked West of Struis Point on 19 September. (3)

1870     The Hemba was an iron vessel that wrecked off Struis Bay on  14 of September 

1871     The Queen of the Thames was an Australian iron screw vessel/sailship wrecked at Ryspunt/Skipskop Arniston on 18 March. La Souvenance, a French wooden sailing vessel, sank off Quoin Point on  19 May. The Convenance wrecked at Struis Bay on  22 May 1871. The Hecuba wrecked off Northumberland Point, Struis Bay, on  17 July, and  The Mackay, a British barque, sank at De Mond 1.5km from Heuningnes River on  12 September.(5)1872    The Maggie wrecked West of De Mond, Struis Bay, on 1 January, and the Annie Benn was a schooner of 50 tons, built in Knysna in 1867, wrecked in Mossel Bay on 27 November 1872. She had been carrying a full cargo bound for Cape Town, and Susan Pardew was a wooden barque wrecked at Mossel Bay on 28 April. No lives were lost. Erin was a barque wrecked at Mossel Bay on 27 November. She had just loaded part of her cargo destined for London. (9)

1872    The Maggie wrecked just west of De Mond on 1 January. The Stella wrecked at Port Beaufort on 30 May, 1872. The Telegraph, this wooden schooner foundered off Cape Hangklip .and The North East, a British iron sailing vessel, wrecked on December 31 at Ratel River(3)

1873   Elizabeth A Oliver, an iron-framed barque, was beached and wrecked on 14 January.  at Die Plaat at the Cape Nature Walker Bay (1)

 1874    On 24 March, the Albatross, a Norwegian sailing vessel/schooner, wrecked off Danger Point. The Minnie was a South African sailing vessel, wrecked at the Breede River on 8 June. Santos was a German schooner bound for Cape Town with a full cargo of skins, dried fruit and wool. It wrecked on Santos Beach after her cables parted during a heavy swell on 18 July. No lives were lost. The C P was a French barque that wrecked at Struis Bay on  5 October. The Cospatrick was a British wooden 3-masted full-rigged sailing ship that caught fire and sank on  17 November, just South of the Cape. 369 lives were lost. The Momina Zino was an Italian sailing vessel/barque that wrecked at Klippestrand, Arniston, on 25 November. (5)

1876       The Edie Waters, an American schooner that wrecked off Celt Bay on 10 of January. The iron steam troopship SS Saint Lawrence was wrecked on Great Paternoster Point. Bound for Cape Town. She was carrying the 2nd Battalion of the 3rd Buffs. Fortunately, no lives were lost. The Knysna Belle was a Cape wooden wrecked at Rietvlei in Table Bay on 19 June. No lives were lost. (3)

1877        The Emelia was a British schooner that sank North-east of Dyer Island on  3 February. The R P Buck was an American barque that sank West of Agulhas on 4 April. The Charmer is a British wooden sailing vessel/full-rigged ship.  wrecked at the North West Point of Dyer Island on 24 August. The Piccadilly was a British wooden sailing vessel that wrecked at Celt Bay (near the cave) on 5  November, and so did the Eddie Waters, a British brig, wreck there on the same day, and  The Marie Elise was a French sailing vessel that sank 3 days later on  8 November at Ryspunt.(6) 

1878      The River Plate was a schooner that sank at Buffeljags River Mouth on 13 May.(1)

1879     The Mathilda was a schooner that ran aground at Port Beaufort on 1 January. The Racer was a British Brigantine that sank 9 miles off Quoin Point on 27 January. The Eagle Wing was a British schooner that sank off Quoin Point on  22 February and The Clyde was a British iron screw steamship that hit a reef 1km north of Dyer Island on  3 April  The Elise was a German schooner that sank at Struis Bay on 12 June 1879  The Contest sank at Cape Agulhas on 1 July and The Pisa was an Italian Barque that wrecked at the Bot River Mouth on  18 August that year.(7)

 1880      Philia was a British wooden snow type of brig with square sails on both masts that wrecked at Mossel Bay on 11 January. No lives were lost, and Wilhelmine was a German schooner that wrecked at Mossel Bay on 17 March. She had been sailing from Rio de Janeiro with a cargo of coffee. The vessel and her cargo were sold for £75,000. The Bates Family was a steamship that wrecked southwest of Agulhas on 2 September, and The Lady Pryse was a British wooden brigantine that wrecked in Mossel Bay during a gale on 6 November. No lives were lost.(4)

1881    The Elizabeth Oliver wrecked at Struis Bay on January 14. The Zara was a British yacht that sprang a leak near Agulhas, but managed to reach Mossel Bay. She was wrecked in Munro’s Bay in July and declared a total loss. The Ellen, a British barque, sank at Struis Point on 1 September, and so did The Cape of Good Hope, a South African sailing vessel that sank at Port Beaufort on 24 November. That year, The Phoenix was found stuck on the rocks at Noetzie Beach. The ship was deserted, and the last entry in the logbook had been written five years previously. It had been abandoned out at sea and somehow blown or brought in on the tides to the beach. There is no information known about what happened to the crew.(4)

1882        The Louisa Dorothea was a German three-masted schooner of 227 tons. Wrecked in  Mossel Bay on 29 May during a gale. It had sailed from Adelaide carrying wheat and flour. Three crew members drowned, but the Rocket Crew rescued five. She lies near the Lady Pryse (1880) and The Louise Scheller, a German barque, wrecked at Hangklip on 6 June. The Gloria Deo, an Italian barque, sank at the Ratel River  Mouth on 29 June. (3)

1883      The Kolstrop, a German schooner, sank off Dyer Island on  11 May. The Hansa was a German sailing vessel that sank off Granger Bay on  3 June, and the Umzimkulu was a British iron screw steamship/coaster wrecked at the Breede River mouth on  16 June. (3)

1884     The Asiatic was a steamer with sails. 2,084 tons. She ran aground in dense fog at Fish Bay on 25 April but was later refloated.(1)

1885      The Wigtonshire, a British iron sailing vessel/barque, wrecked off Atlas Reef, Klippestrand  Arniston on  7 January 1885. The Princeport Reef was a British sailing ship that wrecked off Dyer Island on  19 March. The Mazeppa, a British/South African cutter wrecked in bad weather near Port Beaufort . Nazareno, an Italian barque, wrecked off Robben Island on 2 December (3)

1886     Seagull was a Norwegian three-masted wooden schooner that wrecked on the beach below de Bakke on 11 March. after a voyage from Rio de Janeiro via Table Bay with a cargo of coffee. Divers found her in 1983, and timbers, copper nails and iron knees were found.(1)  The Ispahan, a British iron sailing vessel, wrecked at Holbaai Point on 8 October(2)

1888       The Trevelyan was a British emigrant ship that wrecked South-west of Agulhas on 6 May, and The Adele, a South African sailing vessel/schooner, was wrecked at Dyer Island on 21 May. The Elida, a Norwegian sailing barque, was wrecked on 4 June. Rosebud was a British three-masted wooden schooner that was wrecked on Diaz Beach on 30 August during a storm. No lives were lost. (3)

 1889     The Mary was a British cutter that wrecked at Storms River Mouth on 8 July, and The South American, a wooden sailing vessel, sank at Struis Bay on  17 September. (2)

1890    The Onni was a Russian wooden wrecked at Blouberg on 7 February at night in fine weather after entering Table Bay while on a voyage from West Hartlepool with a cargo of coal for the Gas Light Company. No lives were lost.(1)

1892      The Galina, a sailing vessel, sank at Danger Point on 1 January. On 28 February, The Alcestis, a British steel screw steamship, wrecked at Agulhas. The Galera was a Norwegian wooden barque wrecked during a gale in the big gully on the west side of Mossel Bay on 25 August. No lives were lost. (3)

1894       Wooden sailing schooner Crystal Wave capsized in Hout Bay in a violent squall. 27 January. It is assumed that it foundered after capsizing, but this is uncertain. (1)

1895        The Dundrennan, a British iron vessel, sank at Struis Point on the 6^th of April. (1)

1896     The Atlas was a Norwegian wooden ship wrecked on Blouberg Beach, 9 October, while on a voyage from Rangoon to the English Channel with a cargo of teak. No lives were lost. The Greystoke Castle, a British iron vessel, sank at Martha Point on 6  June. (2)

1897    Fredheim: Norwegian wooden barque wrecked on the Knysna Heads rocks during a north-westerly gale after failing to enter harbour for over a week. Misread shore signals and was driven onto the rocks. All but one crew member survived. Its creosote cargo caused pollution lasting 18 months.

1899      The steel steam-powered freighter, Thermopylae, wrecked on 11 September at Greenpoint Lighthouse in Table Bay in the Western Cape on the eponymous Thermopylae reef. It wrecked on a bright moonlit night because of an error in judgment, being much closer to land than was thought. (1)

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1900–1950

1900      The Kakapo was a British 665-ton schooner-rigged steamship built in 1898 by the Grangemouth Dockyard Company and wrecked at Noordhoek on 25 May. The Cumeria was a British steel steamship that wrecked off Quoin Point on 2 July. (2)

1901   Tantallon Castle, a British mail steamer, wrecked off Robben Island on  7 May. Hermes, a Houston liner, was en route from the Argentine to Cape Town with a large consignment of forage, livestock and government stores. The harbour was full, so she had to anchor in Table Bay until a berth became available. Soon after dropping anchor, a north-westerly wind sprang up and by nightfall, it was blowing a gale. The ship ran aground broadside to the beach with waves breaking over her as she rolled in the surge of the sea. The wreck lies a little north of the Milnerton lighthouse. (2)

1902    The Clan MacGregor, a British iron screw vessel, sank off Martha Point near Ryspunt on 30 May. the same day  Ryvingen, a Norwegian iron barque drove its bows into the side of the submerged wreck of the America during a north-westerly gale in Table Bay  The Armenia, an Italian barque, ran ashore during a storm on 9 June after she had collided with a vessel at the start of a voyage from Table Bay to Delaware. No lives were lost. The Gustav Adolph was a Norwegian wooden sailing vessel/barque that sank off Kleinmond on  28 June. The Verona was also a Norwegian sailing vessel that wrecked off Danger Point on 11 August.  British iron screw steamer City of Lincoln was damaged at the Salt River mouth on 14 August, and the Poseidon, another Norwegian wooden barque, wrecked in Mossel Bay during a south-easterly gale on the night of 2 September. (6)

1903.     The Rex, an iron steam-powered trawler, wrecked on 3 October in a south-easterly gale, where the Kalk Bay Harbour was built 10 years later. During low tides, some of the remains are still visible within the harbour.  King Cenric was a Norwegian wooden sailing ship that wrecked near Diaz Beach on 14 November with a cargo of Baltic timber. No lives were lost.(2)

 1904      The Lawhill was a South African sailing vessel/4-masted barque that sank near Cape Agulhas on  1 July (1)

1905,     John Paterson, a wooden British steam-powered paddle-tug, ran out of coal in False Bay On 15 June, it rammed and sank the Boela and Sea Star . The Boela was a fishing vessel that sank off Danger Point. (1)

1906      The George T. Hay sank south of Cape St Blaize on 29 March. The Oakburn was a steam-powered British cargo ship that wrecked on the 21st May in thick fog and a strong current near Duiker Point in the Western Cape. The Oakburn lies at a depth of about 22 metres, with many sections of the bow and boilers still visible amongst the more modern wreckage of the BOS 400. The John Patterson was a British wooden paddle steamship/tug that wrecked off Kogel Bay on  1 June (sources differ). The Star of the Peace, a British steel steamship/trawler, wrecked at Quoin Point on  16 November. (4)

                                                                              Paddle steamer

1908, The Star of the Isles, a British steamship/trawler, wrecked off Quoin Point on  7  February (1)

1909      The Maori was a Shaw Savill Line steamship that was wrecked near Llandudno.  Mabel, a British cutter capsized in Saldanha Bay. on 23 May. Three people drowned. (1)

1910 Seier, a wooden Norwegian barque struck a rock near Knysna and was beached two hours later in Buffalo Bay. It was carrying creosote which caused damage to marine life from Sedgefield to Knysna. The SS Lisboa, a Portuguese twin screw steamship en route from Angola to Cape Town, ran aground on Soldiers Reef near Paternoster on October 10. There were 300 people on board with just 7 casualties. There was a cargo of olive oil and wine. Many of the barrels of wine were washed overboard. A number of these barrels washed ashore. Locals quickly buried them before customs officials could claim them. (1)

1911      The Shaw Savill steamer Aotea ran aground about 100 m off Green Point on 21 January. It was refloated after about two months and towed to Cape Town.) The Lusitania, a Portuguese 5557-ton twin-screw ocean liner, wrecked on Bellows Rock, Cape Point. On  20 April, on the way back from Mozambique, a mist descended, obscuring the light of the lighthouse. This wreck was the reason a new lighthouse was constructed. The Lyndhurst was a barque that foundered off Mossel Bay in August. (2)

1912      The Bellona was a British steel screw steamship that wrecked at Stony Bay on 10 June.  Mosvalla, a Norwegian whaler that vanished with 10 crew after leaving Saldanha Bay during a storm. Last seen near Vondeling Island; only a few pieces of deck planking were recovered after searches. The Tasmania was also a British steel steamship (whaler) that wrecked on the 13 of October 1912 near Danger Point (2)

1913 SS Haddon Hall, a British steel cargo liner, was wrecked on 1 February. The Hektor was a Norwegian steel steamship that wrecked just South of Dyer Island on 23 March, and the Camphill, a British steel screw steamship, wrecked West of the Cape Agulhas lighthouse on  27 March. (3)

1914      Natal, a  Norwegian steam whaler, wrecked off Robben Island on 24 May.(1)

1916     Robben Island packet Magnet was wrecked at Hout Bay Harbour on 31 January while passing through the entrance in a gale and a large swell, and was carried onto the shore by the tide. British twin screw 465 ton steam liner Rangatira, built in Belfast in 1910, wrecked at the northwest of Robben Island on 31 March in dense fog.. St Ebba, a British steam-powered whaler was driven ashore near Plettenberg Bay and wrecked with the loss of one life. (3)

1917  Matheran, a steel steam-powered cargo liner was the first ship to be sunk by mines in South Africa after having struck two mines close to Dassen Island off the west coast  on 26 January. The Tyndereus was a   British steamship/troopship that wrecked off Danger Point on  2 June, and the C.de Eizaguirre, a Spanish mail steamer, wrecked off Robben Island on 26 May. The Bia, a steel Swedish ship wrecked near Cape Point on 17 September.(3)

1919      The Edderside was a Norwegian iron sailing vessel/barque that wrecked at Cape Agulhas on  5 July 1919. (1)

1920  The Imp was a South African motor vessel that wrecked at Hangklip on 4 June. (1)

1922       The tanker Texanita wrecked 23 miles southeast of Stillbaai on 7 May 1922.(1)

1923       British steam trawler (or coaster) Golden Crown ran aground and wrecked in heavy fog at the northwest of Robben Island (1)

1925       The Sceptre was a British steel steamship/cargo ship that wrecked at Northumberland Point, Struis Bay on 22 May. (1)

1928     Kingfisher was a fishing trawler that broke her moorings and drifted onto Santos Beach on 14 April. She was declared a total loss.(1)

1929        The Una was a South African wooden fishing vessel/Trawler that was wrecked at  Stony Point on 5 January, and the Hypatia, a British cargo steamer, was wrecked off Robben Island on 29 October. (2)

 1930     The SS Malmesbury was a British cargo ship that ran aground and was wrecked near St Helena Bay on 9 September. She was travelling in ballast from Barry, Wales, to Table Bay, Cape Town. (1)

1932       On April 5, SS Haliartus, previously called ‘Dennistoun’, was a Houston Line steamer wrecked in dense fog near Ystervark Point, west of the Gourits River Mouth, on 3 May with a cargo of 1,200 cases of whisky, 40 cars and other goods. Some of the cargo was salvaged (2)

1933      the SS Haleric struck rocks and sank near Cape St. Martin, just southwest of the lighthouse.

1934      On July 28, the Winton wrecked on Milnerton Beach. It was en route from Port Lincoln in South Australia to Liverpool, England, with a cargo of 6 000 tons of wheat.(1)

1935       The Anker, a South African wooden trawler, wrecked at Bulldog Reef on 11 February. (1)

1936          British steam whaler Solhagen wrecked at Robben Island on 11 September.(1)

1938       The Eclair was a fishing trawler that went aground at Kanon on 12 February. Most of the crew were rescued by the local Rocket Brigade; however, one life was lost. (1)

1941     The Hannington Court was a steel motor vessel (Cargo Ship) that wrecked 10 Miles off Dyer Island on 14 July.(1)

1942      The Thomas T Tucker was a Houston-built munitions carrier that ran ashore on Oliphantsbos near Cape Point on 27 November. (1)

1943      The Queen Anne wrecked at Cape Agulhas on  1 January. The Sabor was a British cargo boat that was torpedoed by a U-boat on 9 March. Six crewmen were killed, and the survivors were brought to Mossel Bay. The Jimmy Le Roux wrecked at Dyer Island on 28 April, and on  25 May, Agwimonte, an American ship, wrecked at Cape Agulhas. (4)

1946      The City of Lincoln,a British steamer, first damaged in 1902, was involved in a second incident and it wrecked at Quoin Point, British, on 9 November. The Swona, a South African salvage motor vessel, wrecked Near  The city of Lincoln on 8 December. The Fynd was another South African motor vessel/salvage vessel that wrecked at Quoin Point on 18 December.(4)

1947        Greek steamer SS George M. Livansos, wrecked and burned close to the Green Point lighthouse on 1 April. The HMS Thames, a former Royal Navy Mersey-class protected cruiser that became famous when it was renamed as SATS General Botha. When it retired as a training ship, it reverted to its original name and was scuttled in False Bay near Simon’s Town to be used as a target on 13 May 1947.(3)

1948      The Esso Wheeling was an American motor vessel/oil tanker wrecked at The Point on  5 November. The King Emperor foundered in Table Bay 3.5 km northwest of Green Point lighthouse, after taking on water during heavy seas on 22 July.(2)

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1951–1999

1951  Firefly was a 24-ton fishing vessel driven onto Santos Beach in a storm on 30 September. It was a total loss.(1)

1953          On  10 May, the William Hooland, which was a South African Motor vessel trawler, wrecked West of Quoin Point. (1) 400

1956          The Adelfotis, a Costa Rican steamship, wrecked 1km south of Quoin Point.(1)

1957       The Steenbok was a motor vessel wrecked at Cape Agulhas on  24 June, and The  Delver, a self-propelled bucket dredger built in Scotland in 1912 for the government of the Union of South Africa to maintain and improve the Victoria Basin of Cape Town’s harbour, was scuttled in Table Bay. (2)

 1959       The Zuiderkruis, a South African motor vessel/fishing vessel, wrecked off Walker Bay near Hermanus(1)

1960      The Cape Matapan sank after a collision with another trawler, the Bulby, in Table Bay on 20 April while it was anchored in fog. The steam side trawler sank about 1.8 km north-northeast of Green Point lighthouse. (2)

1961      The Diana was a motor vessel that wrecked at Quoin Point. On 26 January. Southern Author , a South African whaler wrecked on Dassen island. The Nerine was scuttled in Table Bay on 7 July. The steel side trawler was built in Aberdeen in 1925. The vessel was stripped of useful parts before being scuttled 6.5 km southwest of Robben Island lighthouse. (2)

1964  Ship Mooivlei, a steel side trawler built in Yorkshire in 1935, was scuttled in Table Bay on 25 February. The Debonair was a motor vessel that wrecked at Cape Infanta on  27 October, and The Alice, a motor vessel, wrecked off Arniston on  22 May (2)

1965       The Malgas was a motor vessel that wrecked at Struis Bay on  1 January. The steam-powered I&J fishing trawler Bluff ran aground and wrecked on 31 January in heavy fog at Camps Bay, just south of Bakoven. It served as a minesweeper for the South African Navy during World War II. The Mary Ann was a motor vessel that wrecked at Cape Infanta on  27 February. The Nolloth was a Dutch coaster carrying a cargo of liquor. It struck a submerged rock, most likely Albatross Rock off Olifantsbos in April, and the  Dolphon was a motor vessel that wrecked 3 miles off Quoin Point. on  23 September that year. SAS Fleur, a steam-powered defence vessel, was scuttled in the middle of False Bay in the Western Cape on 8 October during a gunnery exercise. (6)

1966       Trawler Blomvlei scuttled on 11 February in Table Bay. It was a steel side trawler built in Yorkshire in 1935. scuttled in Table Bay, northwest of Green Point lighthouse. The Jeanette was a motor vessel that wrecked at Quoin Point on 6 June.(2)

1967    Minesweeper SAS Bloemfontein was scuttled on 5 June in False Bay. When the ship was no longer needed, it was stripped of useful equipment before being sunk as a target in False Bay. The Plato was a motor vessel that wrecked at Cape Agulhas on the 25^th of August. The Disa sank in Table Bay on 27 September. It sank after a collision with another trawler 8.4 km northwest of Green Point lighthouse. (3)

1968,     The Dirkie Uys, a motor vessel, wrecked at Cape Infanta on 11 March. The steel side Trawler Bulby, built in 1945 in Beverley, Yorkshire, was scuttled 2.4 km south of Sunrise beach, Muizenberg, as an artificial reef in December. (1)

1969     Gilia The side trawler built in Aberdeen in 1946 was scuttled in Table Bay, 2.3 km southwest of Robben Island lighthouse, at the end of its useful life on 24 November. (1)

1970    Trawler Godetia scuttled in False Bay on 18 August. It was a steel-sided trawler built in Aberdeen. It was sunk by SAAF aircraft as part of a training exercise. (1)

1971      Trawler Borella scuttled on 1 March in False Bay. Borella was a steel side trawler.The ship was stripped and scuttled as an artificial reef by the SA Navy in False Bay, 2.4 km south of Sunrise Beach, Muizenberg, as part of an artificial reef.   The Wafra was a Liberian motor vessel/oil tanker wrecked off Cape Agulhas on 12 March 1971, causing a large oil spill. It was later refloated, towed out to sea and re-sunk to prevent further contamination of the coastline.(2)

1972:     Trawler Groote Schuur scuttled on 3 February in Table Bay. It was a steel side trawler built in Beverley, Yorkshire, in 1955. It was stripped and scuttled on 3 February 1972, 6.9 km southwest of Robben Island.(1)

 1973,   The Felicia II was a motor vessel that wrecked at Danger Point on 4 January 1973.(1)

1974,    The Dorak was a motor vessel that wrecked on 1 January. The Oriental Pioneer was a Chinese motor vessel that wrecked at Northumberland Point (Struis Bay) on 22 July. The Bella Gambi, a South African motorised ore-oil carrier, wrecked at Cape Infanta on 1 August. The Shian Feng Chang: Steel fishing boat stranded at Woodstock beach around 26 August, and the Cape Hangklip was a trawler belonging to Irvin & Johnson’s. Wrecked near the Gourits River  Mouth on 11 September. No lives were lost. (4)

1975    Two ships wrecked on 1 January: Stromgans, a motor vessel, wrecked near Danger Point and The Frontalini, a motor vessel, also wrecked at Danger Point. The Amsterdam, a motor-powered fishing vessel wrecked in the Gourits River on May 5. Fong Chung No.11, a 200-ton Taiwanese tuna fishing boat, ran aground on 4 July on Whale Rock in dense fog and  The L.M. Gemsbok, a buoy tender ship built in the Netherlands in 1965. foundered in Table Bay on 2 September.  It capsized, flooded and sank while transferring a replacement anchor and chain to a tanker in Table Bay. (4)

1976     The Highly 302, a Taiwanese motor vessel/Trawler, wrecked between Randfontein and Walle on 9 June. Goel No.1, the Canadian hydrographic ship, was wrecked in a southeast gale on the southern tip of Robben Island on 27 January (2)

1977    Tug T.S. McEwan scuttled in Table Bay on 9 June. This was a steam tug. At the time it was built, it was the most powerful tug in the world. After 50 years of service, it was scuttled in Table Bay southwest of Robben Island lighthouse. Then the two ships, Antipolis and Romelia, were bound for the scrap heap in Taiwan. A Japanese tugboat named the Kiyo Maru 2 was hauling them from Greece. A strong northwesterly gale hit as they approached Robben Island. The tow cable attached to the Antipolis snagged on the seabed, and the Romelia made the situation worse by moving ahead of the Kiyo Maru 2 and getting the cable stuck under the tug boat’s hull. Both tankers were blown ashore near Llandudno on 28 July. The remains are still visible under the right conditions. (3)

1978       The ship Tristania was scuttled in Table Bay on 22 February. It was built as HMS Bay, a Tree-class trawler/minesweeper for the Royal Navy. It was refitted, and it served as the main transport between South Africa and the islands of Tristan da Cunha. Also, the Ship Katsu Maru No. 25 sank in Hout Bay on 7 August. It was a fishing vessel built in Namikata, Japan. Length 50.39 m, beam 8.23 m, 299 tons, powered by a diesel engine, with a speed of 11.5 knots. It sank on 7 August, 1.5 km south of the harbour in Hout Bay on the Cape Peninsula after a collision. The ship Boston Typhoon was scuttled in Table Bay on 4 November. After an engine-room fire in April, the vessel was written off. The Ship Good Hope was transferred to the SAN before completion in 1944 and renamed as HMSAS Good Hope. The ship was assigned to convoy escort duties in 1945, but did not encounter any enemy ships before the end of the war. She was scuttled in Smitswinkel Bay, and the Pantalis. A. Lemos was a bulk carrier that sank near Saldanha (5)

1979      The Shela, a motor vessel, wrecked at Skuins Bay on the 30^th April 1979. Benguela Astra, a motor-powered South African fishing vessel, foundered south of Cape Point. The Ship Arum that sank in Table Bay on 19 June was a steel side trawler built in Beverley, Yorkshire, in 1960. It sank southwest of Robben Island after a collision. The ship Ker Yar Vor was scuttled off the Cape Peninsula on 10 August. It was a 292-ton motor fishing vessel built in Ostend, Belgium, for the rock lobster fishery.(4)

1981    Trio–Triomf was a wooden-hulled Irvin & Johnson fishing trawler that ran onto the reef near Kanon in heavy seas on 8 July. The crew was rescued by helicopter.(1)

1982      The Jung Tai was a motor vessel that sank just West of Cape Agulhas on 1 January. The SAS President Kruger, a South African navy frigate, sank in deep water after a collision with its refuelling ship, the SAS Tafelberg, on 18 February. Cape Point was a 24-meter Irvin & Johnson trawler. Ran onto rocks near the Gourits River Mouth on 14 March. It was a total loss and the Meisho Maru 38, a fishing motor vessel/trawler, wrecked beyond the Agulhas lighthouse on  16 November. (4)

1983     The Seal was a fishing trawler owned by Da Gama Fisheries. Lost her anchor and sank near Danabaai on 5 May 1983, with the loss of one life.(1)

 1984      The Otori Maru 8 was a motor vessel that wrecked Near Quoin Point on 19 March.(1)

1985     Princess Royal, a motor-powered fishing vessel, was scuttled in 3.5 km deep water off the west coast.(1)

1986           Daeyang Family, a Korean vessel carrying 180,000 tons of iron ore, dragged her anchors in a storm and went onto the reef near Robben Island on 30 March. This shipwreck remained fairly intact until the great gale of 1994, which left the wreck almost in half. It is not visible from the shore. The whalerTheresa III was scuttled on 1 February for target practice off the Cape Peninsula by the South African Navy. The South African yacht Chanson de la Mer ran aground on Robben Island, and the Harvest Capella, a Steel motor fishing boat, wrecked on the Oude Schip headland.  Peter S was a trawler belonging to the Mariette Fishing Company. It sprang a leak and went aground 6 kilometres west of the Gourits River Mouth on 26 August. It was a total loss.1986 Maranata was a privately owned trawler that got stranded on the rocks near the Gourits River Mouth on 5 September after springing a leak. The local N.S.R.I rescued the crew.(6)

1988,  The Ship Gelderland was scuttled off the Cape Peninsula. On 21 December, SAS Gelderland was built as the Ford-class seaward defence boat HMS Brayfort in Glasgow in 1954. It was scuttled in Leeugat Bay, 630 m northwest of Duiker Point.(1)

 

                                                                               Fishing Trawler

1990      The An-Hung 1 was a Taiwanese motor vessel/trawler wrecked at Holbaai on 22 May, and The Perekop was a motorised fishing vessel wrecked at Struis Bay on 14 July. (2)

1993       The Augusta, a South African motor fishing vessel, wrecked East of Cape Agulhas on 12 April. The Afrikaner sank in Table Bay. It was a stern trawler of 860 tons, built in Cape Town in 1970. It sank on 11 October while under tow in Table Bay, 3.4 km southwest of Robben Island lighthouse, due to damage caused by grounding on Whale Rock.(1)

1994      SAS Pietermaritzburg, a former South African Navy minesweeper originally built as HMS Pelorus during World War II, was scuttled near Miller’s Point near Simon’s Town to create an artificial reef. The wreck is now a popular dive site.   The British Peer, a three-masted iron sailing ship, ran aground off the Cape coast.   On 16 October, the South African fishing vessel Andre Hugo was wrecked approximately 11 km south of Cape Agulhas.   On 26 June, the French derrick barge BOS 400 broke free while under tow during a storm and ran aground at Duiker Point near Hout Bay. Also, in June, the bulk ore carrier Apollo Sea sank near Dassen Island, causing an oil spill that affected thousands of African penguins. (6)

1997       The Aster, the motor-powered fishing vessel, was scuttled by the Western Province Diving Union on 9 August 1997, to create an artificial reef next to the wreck of the Katsu Maru 25 in Hout Bay in the Western Cape. The vessel lies level in the sand at a depth of 30 metres. (1)

1998       Sea Challenger, a motor-powered South African salvage vessel, attempted to pull off the Han Cheng 2 from the rocks on Robben Island. It also ran aground, and its engine room flooded. No casualties occurred, and the Taiwanese fishing trawler ran aground on the northern side of Robben Island. (2)

2000     The Treasure was a Panamanian bulk ore carrier that developed a hole in its hull and sank under tow northwest of Table Bay. It leaked about 400 tons of bunker oil into the sea. This oil spill was and remains to date South Africa’s worst environmental disaster. The oil spill killed around 2,000 endangered African penguins. (1)

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2000–today

   2001 The Ikan Tanda was a cargo ship that ran aground near Cape Town in 2001. It was refloated and scuttled 320 kilometres offshore. (1)

  2009      The MV Seli 1 stranded in Table Bay on 8 September. It was a Turkish bulk carrier operated by TEB Maritime of Istanbul, en route to Gibraltar. It was driven aground off Bloubergstrand.(1)

2013       Kiani Satu, travelling from Hong Kong to Ghana with a shipment of rice, ran aground and sank off the coast of Buffels Baai (1) 474

See also the story of the Flying Dutchman

See more Colourdots historical articles

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