Shipwrecks of Table Bay

A notorious stretch of coastline with centuries of maritime losses

Table Bay has witnessed centuries of shipping, trade and exploration, but its waters have also claimed an extraordinary number of vessels. Strong winds, powerful swells, shifting sandbanks and the hazards around Cape Town’s coastline made the bay a dangerous place for ships, particularly before modern navigation. This extensive collection records the shipwrecks of Table Bay, from early sailing vessels to more recent losses, preserving the stories of the ships and the people connected to them.

Deliberately Scuttled & Sunk (Open Atlantic / Deep Bay)

    • HMS Guardian (1789) – Deliberately scuttled after hitting an iceberg.
    • Clyde (1842) – Caught fire and scuttled under emergency.
    • Nerine (1961) – Purposely scuttled in deep water.
    • Mooivlei (1964) – Purposely scuttled in Table Bay.

    • Lys de Bretagne (1967) – Foundered near Salt River mouth.
    • Gilia (1969) – Deliberately scuttled in open bay.
    • L.M. Gemsbok (1975) – Sunk deep inside the bay.
    • Gamtoos (1976) – Purposely scuttled in deep bay.
    • Boston Typhoon (1978) – Deliberately scuttled in deep water.
    • Otto Siedle (1981) – Scuttled deep in the open Atlantic.
    • Afrikaner (1993) – Foundered and sank in the deep bay.
    • Treasure (2000) – Foundered and sank during tow.

 Salt River Mouth & Paarden Eiland (The Graveyard Reefs)

    • Waddinxveen (1697) – Broke its anchors at river mouth.
    • Orange (1692) – Smashed ashore at Salt River mouth.
    • Goede Hoop (1692) – Driven ashore at Salt River mouth.
    • Middenrak (1728) – Smashed near the Salt River mouth.
    • Stabroek (1728) – Smashed near the Salt River mouth.
    • Haarlem (1728) – Grounded near the Salt River mouth.
    • Fijenoord (1736) – Smashed near the Salt River mouth.
    • Rodenrijs (1737) – Wrecked near the Salt River mouth.
    • Westerwijk (1737) – Grounded near the Salt River mouth.
    • Flora (1737) – Grounded near Salt River mouth.
    • Paddenburg (1737) – Smashed near Salt River mouth.
    • Victoria (1737) – Wrecked near Salt River mouth.
    • Goudriaan (1737) – Wrecked near Salt River mouth.
    • Die Jonge Thomas (1773) – Smashed ashore at Paarden Island.
    • Le Victor (1782) – Smashed onto Salt River mouth.
    • Maria (1790) – Smashed onto the Salt River mouth.
    • Anne (1818) – Stranded hard at Paarden Eiland.
    • Malta (1818) – Wrecked at Paarden Eiland shore.
    • Elizabeth (1819) – Grounded hard at Paarden Island.
    • Sarah (1822) – Grounded at Salt River mouth.
    • Le Cygne (1840) – Grounded near Paarden Island.
    • Papineaux (1840) – Smashed at Salt River mouth.
    • Abercrombie Robinson (1842) – Driven aground near river mouth.
    • Theresa (1847) – Wrecked at Salt River mouth.
    • Israel (1847) – Smashed onto Salt River Beach.
    • Cockburn (1850) – Wrecked at Salt River Beach.
    • Nimrod (1851) – Wrecked at Salt River mouth.
    • Sandwich (1853) – Smashed ashore at Salt River.
    • Kent (1856) – Grounded at Salt River Mouth.
    • Defence (1857) – Smashed at Salt River Mouth.
    • Frigga (1862) – Smashed at Salt River Mouth.
    • Kate (1862) – Grounded at Salt River mouth.
    • Jeanne (1878) – Grounded hard at Salt River.
    • City of Lincoln (1902) – Grounded near the Salt River mouth.

 Woodstock Beach & The Old Wharves

    • Concord (1816) – Grounded heavily on Woodstock Beach.
    • Discovery (1816) – Grounded on Woodstock Beach.
    • Leander (1822) – Smashed onto Woodstock Beach.
    • Walsingham (1828) – Grounded hard on Woodstock Beach.
    • Importer (1828) – Smashed onto Woodstock Beach.
    • Calpie (1831) – Grounded on Woodstock Beach.
    • Rambler (1831) – Wrecked on Woodstock Beach.
    • Emperor Alexander (1835) – Smashed at Woodstock Beach.
    • Antelope (1837) – Grounded on Woodstock Beach.
    • Dunlop (1838) – Wrecked on Woodstock Beach.
    • Fairfield (1842) – Grounded on Woodstock Beach.
    • Henry Hoyle (1842) – Smashed onto Woodstock Beach.
    • Reform (1842) – Grounded on Woodstock Beach.
    • John Bagshaw (1842) – Smashed into the South Wharf.
    • Diana (1846) – Grounded on Woodstock Beach.
    • Francis Spaight (1846) – Wrecked on Woodstock Beach.
    • Fanny (1851) – Smashed onto Woodstock Beach.
    • Anne Jane (1856) – Grounded on Woodstock Beach.
    • Crystal Palace (1862) – Grounded on Woodstock Beach.
    • Lucy Johnson (1862) – Grounded on Woodstock Beach.
    • Marietta (1862) – Stranded on Woodstock Beach.
    • Grahamstown (1864) – Grounded on Woodstock Beach.
    • Esther (1865) – Stranded on Woodstock Beach.
    • Etta Loring (1878) – Smashed onto Woodstock Beach.
    • Redbreast (1878) – Grounded on Woodstock Beach.
    • Caledonian (1879) – Grounded on Woodstock Beach.
    • Alice (1801) – Smashed onto Woodstock Beach.
    • America (1900) – Grounded on Woodstock Beach.
    • Shian Feng Chang (1974) – Stranded at Woodstock Beach.

 Castle Battery & Old Fort Lines. Imhoff battery / Amsterdam battery and Granger battery

    • Jane (1818) – Wrecked heavily near the Castle.
    • Bella Angela (1844) – Grounded near the Castle.
    • Chartley Castle (1851) – Grounded near Amsterdam Battery.
    • Courier (1852) – Grounded at Imhoff Battery.
    • Christabel (1857) – Smashed near Imhoff Battery.
    • Gitana (1857) – Smashed near Imhoff Battery.
    • Newport (1857) – Grounded at Imhoff Battery.
    • Rory Brown (1857) – Grounded at Imhoff Battery.
    • Isabella (1857) – Wrecked at Amsterdam Battery.
    • Helena (1857) – Grounded at Granger Bay.
    • Piscataqua (1865) – Grounded at Granger Bay.
    • Hansa (1883) – Wrecked at Granger Bay.

Bloubergstrand, Milnerton & Northern Reaches

    • Nieuwe Haerlem (1647)Ran aground near Blouberg
    • La Cybelle (1756) – Grounded at Bloubergstrand.
    • Sévere (1784) – Wrecked at Bloubergstrand.
    • L’Lucie (1808) – Grounded hard at Blaauwberg.
    • Pénélope (1809) – Grounded near Milnerton shore.
    • Cerberus (1821) – Grounded near Blouberg.
    • John (1821) – Grounded near Blouberg.
    • Bengal (1840) – Smashed at Blouberg Beach.
    • Oste (1859) – Grounded at Blaauwberg Beach.
    • Sappho (1864) – Grounded at Blouberg Beach.
    • Lancastria (1880) – Wrecked at Blaauwbergstrand.
    • Onni (1890) – Smashed near Blouberg.
    • Atlas (1896) – Smashed onto Blouberg Beach.
    • Winton (1934) – Grounded on Milnerton Beach.
    • Rubens (1865) – Grounded at Rietvlei shore.
    • Commadore (1946)  Scuttled after being severely damaged
    • MV Seli 1 (2009) – Stranded hard at Bloubergstrand.

 Open Table Bay (Anchor Failures & Historical Gales)

  • Yeanger of Hoorn (1611) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Nieuw Haarlem (1647) – Grounded inside Table Bay.
  • La Maréchale (1660) – Foundered during heavy gale.
  • Jacht Hogergeest (1692) – Smashed during heavy gale.
  • Oosterland (1697) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • La Cere (1776) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Hoop (1784) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Avenhorn (1788) – Grounded inside Table Bay.
  • Erfprins van Augustenburg (1790) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Columbia (1796) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Jefferson (1798) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Anubis (1799) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Hannah (1799) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Oldenburg (1799) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Sierra Leone (1799) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • HMS Sceptre (1799) – Parted cables, destroyed ashore.
  • Hunter (1805) – Smashed during a strong storm.
  • L’Atalante (1805) – Grounded inside the bay.
  • Nossa Senhora D’Guia (1819) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Prins Willem I (1819) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • L’Éclair (1821) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Adriatic (1822) – Grounded inside Table Bay.
  • Good Intent (1822) – Smashed inside the bay.
  • Lavinia (1822) – Wrecked inside the bay.
  • Olive Branch (1822) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Royal George (1822) – Grounded inside the bay.
  • San Antonio (1824) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Nautilus (1826) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Alfred (1830) – Grounded inside Table Bay.
  • Silence (1830) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Aumarez (1831) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Calpe (1831) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Canadian (1831) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Sir James (1831) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Primmo Janetto (1839) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Howard (1840) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Regular (1843) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Adolph Fanny (1842) – Grounded inside Table Bay.
  • Josephine (1844) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Prince Albert (1844) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Speedy (1842) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Gentana / Gitana (1847) – Wrecked inside the bay.
  • Hope (1849) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • London (1850) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Herschel (1852) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Arago (1858) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Malabar (1858) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Rastede (1858) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Argyle (1860) – Parted cables, went aground.
  • Sir Henry Pottinger (1860) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Akbar (1863) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Deutan (1863) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Mauritius (1862) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Alacrity (1865) – Driven onto beach, Great Gale.
  • Benjamin Miller (1865) – Smashed onto beach, Great Gale.
  • Fernande (1865) – Smashed ashore, Great Gale.
  • Isabel (1865) – Driven onto beach, Great Gale.
  • Jane (1865) – Smashed ashore, Great Gale.
  • Kehrweider (1865) – Driven onto beach, Great Gale.
  • Royal Arthur (1865) – Smashed ashore, Great Gale.
  • Star of the West (1865) – Driven onto beach, Great Gale.
  • Stag (1865) – Smashed ashore, Great Gale.
  • Otago (1867) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Anna Maria (1868) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • China (1874) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Shepherd (1874) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Knysna Belle (1876) – Wrecked inside the bay.
  • Hartfield (1895) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Hermes (1901) – Driven onto the shore.
  • Armenia (1902) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Ryvingen (1902) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • King Emperor (1948) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Cape Matapan (1960) – Collided and sank inside the bay.
  • Galbashe (1992) – Foundered inside the bay.
  • Ikan Tanda (2001) – Grounded heavily during a storm.

Discover the story of shipwrecks around the Western Cape in chronological order or search shipwrecks by region; alternatively, explore the alphabetical list