Shipwreck and Salvage in South Africa
Shipwrecks and Salvage in South Africa
If you ‘click’ the link you can order the book online direct from Amazon.
This is a great wreck book. Well researched, plenty of photo’s and loads of dramatic stories. Besides the wrecks featured it has geographical lists of all the other wrecks.Very impressive, and very readable.
If you look at any map of the southern tip of Africa, you will see the locations of many shipwrecks marked quite clearly. Some like the famous Birkenhead, have long since slipped beneath the waves, and only their memorials remain.
However, many lie rusting on wild and empty beaches, and some are right alongside the marine parades in cities like Cape Town. If you have not got the time to dive, then this shipwreck trail will take you to some of the most beautiful and untamed sea scapes anywhere in the world, and fill your head with some of the truly great and tragic wreck stories.
On the way you will see whales at Hemanus, dolphins almost everywhere, and the famous ‘Jackass’ penguins.The country side is glorious and passes through some of the best wine producing country in the world. Enjoy.
Whilst I have visited all the wreck sites, and gathered a lot of material, I must record my appreciation for two books which proved to be invaluable.
First is Brian Wexham, and his excellent book ‘Shipwrecks of the Western Cape’ which I found in a second hand bookshop, and ‘Shipwrecks and Salvage in South Africa’ by Malcolm Turner, which I bought at the Cape of Good Hope.
‘click’ the book to learn more
Any mistakes are mine, and should not be blamed on these two excellent authors.
Built by the Houston Ship building Company of Texas in September 1942, the Tucker was one of the hundreds of Liberty ships churned out by America to enable the Allies to move vast amounts of supplies to the War Zones. Armed with guns fore and aft and also amidships,she set off on her maiden voyage from New Orleans to Suez laden with a cargo of war materials for the Allies engaged in the Libyan dessert against Rommel’s Africa Corps.
Although U-boats were operating in this area they did not manage to catch the Thomas.T. Tucker, instead it was the seamen’s worst enemy,fog. The fog banks of Cape Point are notorious, and if like the Master of the Tucker you think that you are somewhere off Robben Island (in the middle of Table Bay) then you are in deep trouble.
As it turned out in the subsequent inquiry, the ships compass had an error of 37 degrees, but even so no one ever quite explained why the vessel ran ashore at Olifantsbos Point,on the 27 of November 1942. In the event all hands were saved and the wreck soon broke up.
Directions to the Wreck
Olifants Bay is situated in the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, and as you enter you have to pay a small fee . For this they give you a very good map of the area with all the trails and roads well marked. Be warned however that nearly all the roads are dirt, which is ok in the dry, but can be a bit tricky in the wet. Either way it’s heavy on your tyres, so make sure you are in good shape as its a long way back to civilization.
One other thing, keep a good lookout for Leopard Tortoises. They look like rocks on the road until they move. The Rangers take a dim view if you run over any.
The Tuckers Trail starts from the parking area by the beach, takes you a few yards inland then sets you back on a spendid sandy beach.
The scenery is fantastic and the walking very easy. Its about a mile and a bit to the Tucker which is impossible to miss.In the summer the shoreline is covered with strange plants and colourful flowers, and sea birds turn and swoop in all directions. But it’s the beautiful beach that really makes the trip. It really is like something from another time, quiet and peaceful with not a soul around. A shipwreck too. Heaven.
The Shipwreck Trail is divided into two areas, the Cape Peninsula, and the Overberg. If you are doing the tourist route, this equates with Cape Town and the Garden Route and they all flow in together. We just hired a car and drove wherever the fancy took us.
Although the cities are a bit rough after dark ( where aren’t they ) we found the rest of the country very quiet and never felt threatened at all. The people are all extremely friendly, and in spite of ,or may be because of, our colonial past, people seemed to genuinely like us Brits. Makes a change.
All the Shipwreck sites have their own detailed map.
One note of caution. Some of the roads marked as main roads on the maps have a habit of running out of tarmac and becoming just dirt roads. When you are on steep mountain passes this can become a little disconcerting. There are not a lot of services available, so make sure you go prepared. (Make a packing list in advance if you need it).
On May 3 1968, the 452 ton Cape town trawler Phyllisia was wrecked just up from the Thomas. T. Tucker, south of Olifantos Point. The trawler was 145 feet long and she struck the shore just before midnight.
Eleven of her crew managed to get ashore in lifeboats and the remaining fourteen were lifted of by helicopter. The trawler eventually broke up after all attempts to save her had failed due to the bad weather.
The Phyllisia is about two miles along from the Thomas.T.Tucker, and if you are fit and its not too hot, then a leisurely stroll along the beach might be for you. Most of us however will plump for the easier option of driving down to where the Phyllisia trail starts. It is an easy walk from there, but it will help if you get there at low tide as you will see more of the wreckage.
It is possible that you will see baboons on the shoreline. You will certainly see them at the Cape Point Lighthouse. On no account feed them or go near them with small children. The baboon is immensely strong, vicious, and can be very dangerous. End of lecture.
On April 30 1965 the 347 ton Dutch coaster, Nolloth, was approaching Oliphantos Point when she struck an unidentified object that later turned out to be the Albatross Rock. The crew were lifted of by helicopter and landed on the beach not yards from where the rusting remains of the Liberty ship Thomas. T. Tucker lay.
Her cargo, a valuable one containing liquor and general goods was salvaged and taken to cape Town by lorry along a specially constructed road along the beach. The Nolloth could not be taken off the rocks, so she was salvaged where she lay and what is left now lies rotting on the beach.
The remains of the Nolloth lie about half a mile from the wreckage of the Thomas.T.Tucker, and it is usuall to do both on the one trip. So when you get to the Tucker, just keep walking along the shore around the spit of land that its on, and you will soon see the Nolloth.
I am grateful to Jan van der Luit, who was the Engineer on the Nolloth, for the following information and photos. Jan writes, In the past this ship had a lot troubles in its life,when my father bought this ship It was a wreck,she was traveling under the name LEUVEHAVEN and was owned by Van Uden from Rotterdam, a big ship owner.
Before she was named NOLLOTH it was the REALITY bought by my father ,he bought the ship from a Dutch friend of his and he owned a ship wharf. The ship was as a wreck he was collision with a japanese ship on the waterweg in Rotterdam, so my fathers friend bought it and restored it. Far before this , it was called ALPHA , Van Uden took over and is was called LeuVeHAVEN.
Then the whole family went to SOUTH AFRICA with the REALITY to Cape Town in 1956, and the ship got a charter with COAST LINES traveling between CapeTown and Port Nolloth The Coast Lines wanted to name the ship Nolloth and it got its Grave on the beach on the western Cape,so all ends there.
The Kakapo was a British steamer built in 1898 by the Grangemouth Dockyard Company and commanded by Captain P. Nicolayson.She was on her maiden voyage from Swansea in Wales, to Sydney in Australia. She had put onto Cape Town on May 25th 1900, before continuing her voyage in the teeth of a north west gale.
As she rounded Hout Bay the gale became so ferocious that it pushed the Kakapo towards the southern end of Chapmans bay. The Captain then mistook Chapmans Peak for Cape Point and by the time he realized his mistake the Kakapo had driven ashore on Noordhoek Beach.
Thankfully no lives were lost as the crew of twenty managed to scramble ashore. All attempts to pull the stricken vessel off the sandy beach failed and she was scrapped where she lay, some of her metal plates being used by the railways industry.
Today all that is left of the Kakapo are its boilers and what is left of her hull poking up through the sand as a stark reminder of the treachery of the sea.
The drive from Houts Bay, which incidentally is a great place to stop for a bite to eat, around Chapmans Peak, and down to the beach where the Kakapo lies, is one of the ‘great’ scenic drives. The road clings to the side of the Peak and the views are truly awe inspiring. The beach is easily found, and what a great beach it is. Perfect for horse riding, kite flying, and of course, looking at wrecks.
The Clan Stuart was built on the turret deck principle, which was designed to over come the restrictions of the Suez Canal. By building the sides of the ship about ten feet higher, it meant that the vessel would have a much larger carrying capacity. However in any sort of swell it made the ship roll in a most frightening manner.
The Clan Stuart arrived in Simond’s Town on the 21 November 1914 from St. Helena and anchored in the Bay.The weather soon deteriorated, and a severe south east gale blew up which caused the Clan Stuart to drag her anchor.
Unable to put another down ,or to get the existing anchor to hold fast, she was gradually driven towards the shore where she eventually ran aground.
The Clan line directors were confident of getting her off and soon Captain Barnes of the Glasgow Salvage Company arrived with all his salvage gear. All his efforts were hampered by bad weather, and although he managed to stop most of the leaks, a heavy swell had set in which seriously damaged the ship, and undid all his work.
The crew had been on board now for four months, and in the light of the circumstances the salvor’s advised the owners to abandon the ship. They were reluctant to do this and proposed one last effort. A wooden coffer dam was built around the damaged plates.
Unfortunately when the vessel was refloated the wooden coffer dam collapsed and the engine room flooded. The ship was lost and abandoned to its fate.
Today all that is left to see are the cylinder tops lying about 50 yards offshore.
While you are here pop along to ‘ Boulders ‘ and see the famous jack ass penguins.
The southern most tip of Africa is at Cape Agullas, and not as many people believe, Cape Point. The official position of the ‘Tip’ is 34 49′ 58" south , and 20 001′ 12" east. This puts the actual position about 1 km west of the Cape Agullas Lighthouse where it is marked with a simple cairn errected in 1986.
At the end of the 15 th century, the Portugese sailors christened the Cape ‘ Cabo das Agullas ‘ which means the Cape of needles. They called it this because here, a compass needle shows almost no deviation between True North and Magnectic North. In those days of privitive navagation insruments, this factor alone must have been the cause of many shipwrecks.
Cape Agullas is also where the two oceans, Indian and Atlantic meet, with the warm Agullas current coming up from Mozambique in the Indian Ocean, joining the cold Benbecula current swirling in from the Atlantic.
It is a wild and desolate streach of coast, swept by fierce winds and blanketing fogs, but it has a compelling kind of stark beauty. If you come here, you will almost certainly want to go back
Dominating the skyline is the Cape Agullas Lighthouse built in 1848 and the second oldest working lighthouse in South Africa. Today it houses a museam which gives a graphic account of all the different lighthouses in South Africa. About 4 km to the west of the lighthouse you can see the remains of the Meisho Maru 38, a Japanese fishing vessel wrecked in 1982.
If you climb to the top of the lighthouse( 71 steps) you will be treated to a breathtaking panoramic view of what is the Southern most Tip of Africa.
No visit to this part of the coast should miss the opportunity to visit this museam, which is the only one of its kind in South Africa. Situated in Independence Street, the museam building was once an Anglican Rectory built in 1838. What is now the Shipwreck hall was built in 1864.
Apparently the money for the building ran out when they got to the roof. A prayer meeting was held and the Lord asked to provide. Shortly afterwards, so the story goes, the English sailing ship Ethelhedra ran on to the rocks and broke up, her timbers being washed ashore, where they were used to complete the building.
The museam houses a good collection of exhibit, including cannons, carronades, ships figureheads, and many other pieces of furniture and other artifacts salvaged from the many ships lost along this part of the coast.
There is a whole section devoted to the Arniston with many interesting artifacts and pieces of jewelry from the wreck which was excavated in 1982 by the University of Cape Town, and later declared a National Monument.
Incidentally, although the wreck lies in 30 feet of water, a wooden section of the port side lies on the shore opposite the memorial. Although it is normally covered by sand it does sometimes become exposed after a strong southeast storm.
Another very interesting wreck is that of the Nicobar, a Danish ship wrecked at Quoin Point in 1783. The Museam has an exhibit of the Swedish Cob coins found on her. These are a strange square ,or oblong shape, and the museam sells replicas of them in a nice presentation pack.
The staff at the museam are extremely helpful and they have loads of maps and other mementos like the Birkenhead plaque for sail. They also have a great selection of wreck photos. They don’t sell them yet, but I think they will in the future.
Breadersdorp is a funny old fashioned sort of place, but very nice. There are lots of little coffee shops and the wholeplace bustles in a fifties kind of way. It is also called the Gateway to the Agullas, which is about 38 km down the R 319.
The Birkenhead was an iron paddle steamer of 1400 tons, and was launched in December 1845. She was intended to be a warship for the Royal Navy, but later a poop deck was added and she was converted to a troop carrier capable of carrying five hundred men with all their equipment.
On a stormy day in January 1852, she left Cork in Southern Ireland to convey troop reinforcements to the Cape. At the time, England was engaged in the Kaffir War in South Africa, which had become a major drain on the British Army’s resources. In addition to the troops there were thirty one children, twenty five women, one hundred and twenty five crew, and various military and Naval Officers, in all making a total of six hundred and ninety three personnel. There was also supposed to be a shipment of gold valued at a quarter of a million pounds, which was to be used as payment for the troops serving in South Africa.
The Birkenhead made an uneventful passage to Simonstown where she took on fresh supplies of water, food, coal and also loaded aboard horses for the Army officers. On February 25th, with her decks crowded with horses and bales of hay, the Birkenhead sailed for her final destination of Port Elizabeth. She was making good progress in calm weather, when in the early morning, she suddenly shuddered to a halt with a terrifying crash. The Birkenhead had become hopelessly impaled on an uncharted rock. Twenty feet either way and she would have been safe, but now her hull was ripped open just behind the foremast, opening up her engine room to the sea and exposing her forpeak.
Many of the soldiers in the lower troop deck were drowned while they slept. As confusion reigned throughout the ship, its master, Captain Salmond, made what turned out to be a fatal error. Under the impression that his ship was about to break up on the rocks, he gave the order to go astern. The ship was torn right open, and water flooded in in torrents. As the Birkenhead writhed in her death throes it became obvious that the ship would have to be abandoned. The horses were blindfolded and pushed into the sea, where they were immediately attacked by swarms of sharks which hacked the poor horses to bits. Of the eight lifeboats on board only three could be lowered successfully , and soon two soldiers were assisting the women and children into the boats. Lt. Colonel Seton stood with his sword drawn in case any of the troops tried to rush the boats. His stance was completely un- necessary as not one of the soldiers or sailors attempted to get into the boats aside from those ordered to man the lifeboats oars.
As the ship continued to sink, many of the troops manned the pumps to try and slow the inrush of water, while the rest , under Lt. Colonel Seton’s command stood quietly on the deck. Captain Salmond climbed up what was left of the mast and implored the rest of the troops to ” save themselves as it was their only hope of salvation".
Lt. Colonel Seton stood before his men and begged them to stand fast as any attempt to save themselves would only mean certain death for the women and children. The ranks of troops stood fast. Not one man tried to save himself. As if on cue the Birkenhead gave an almighty shudder, and then the sea started to wash right over the deck. Still the soldiers and sailors stood firm, heads held high, as they prepared themselves to make their final sacrifice. Throughout this tragic event the courage and self discipline that these men showed was to be forever recorded in history, and became known as the Birkenhead Drill.
In the end it took just twenty minutes for the Birkenhead to sink, leaving just the mast to mark her passing. The sea around the ship was littered with debris, and the bodies of those that had jumped into the water as the ship sank, were now calling out to the three lifeboats that had managed to stay afloat. Since these were crammed full of women and children there was nothing they could do but pull slowly for the shore surrounded by pieces of flesh and parts of limbs, all that remained of the sharks terrifying work.
Towards noon the following day , the schooner Lioness picked up the survivors in two of the boats in addition to at least forty men that she had found earlier still clinging to the Birkenhead’s mast. In all she managed to save one hundred and sixteen men, women, and children. Sixty eight men survived by hanging on grimly to the ships wreckage and were washed up on the beach, and the third lifeboat managed to round Cape Hangklip and finally beached at the mouth of the Bot River where they were given food and shelter by some local fishermen.
Out of the six hundred and ninety three people on board, four hundred and thirty eight lost their lives.
So what of the gold? Well there is still some dispute as to wheather she was carrying any at all. In any event the wreck lies in only thirty feet of water and there has been numerous attemps to find it. So far nobody is admitting to finding any.
The easiest way to find the Birkenhead is to drive to Gansbaai, then take the dirt road marked Danger Point. It can be a bit of a bumpy ride and if there is somebody in front of you it is like driving in a dust storm.
The road eventually ends at the Lighthouse which has the memorial plaque on it. On the point itself is a stone information notice with a groove on it. Line this groove up with the notch in the rocks as directed by the board and you will be looking right at the point where the Birkenhead sank.
If you get lost, go into Gansbaai and go to the local tourist information office. I had too, since I drove past the sign to Danger Point twice. They are very helpfull and extremely proud of their wreck and will give you a information leaflet with all the Birkenhead’s details.
Incidentally, when I came back to the U.K. I was browsing in a secondhand bookshop when I came upon this book. Its long out of print, but you might have some luck yourself. Its a good read and I have taken the liberty of using some of the photos.
The Unfortunate Ship is by J.Lennox Kerr, and was published by George.G.Harrap and Co.Ltd in 1960.
The Birkenhead Brewery
In the memory of this famous boat HMS Birkenhead, a brewery called Birkenhead Estate was established in 1998. With its many developments, the vision was to make this the first Beer, Wine & Water producing estate in the Southern Hemisphere. Nestled at the foot of the Kleinrivier mountains near Stanford, the surrounding scenery is enough to take your breath away. Fine food, water and beer are made to serve to perfection. 6 beers are available for tasting including – Black Snake, Honey Blonde, Old English Bitter, Premium Lager, Lite Lager and Red Reloaded Lager. This is a great place to visit and has a wonderful bar full of paintings of the disaster. Outside is a great patio area where you can gaze at a truly stunning view of the mountains whilst having a sip of your favourite beer. The brewery is only about 24 Km from Hermanus,so it’s an easy day trip.
Built in 1856, the Athens, a vessel of 739 tons was later purchased by the Union Steam Ship Company from the Liverpool firm of Schillizzi in 1858. For six years she led an uneventful life running a regular Mail service from Southampton to the Cape.
On May 16th 1865 the Athens was lying in Table Bay. The weather was atrocious, and out of the twenty eight vessels anchored in the Bay that day seventeen were to be lost in the storm that followed. As night fell the gale increased, and the Athens’s anchor cable parted. Her Captain, David Smith, however did not panic but managed to get the ship underway and tried to get her out to the open sea.
The vessel managed to round Mouille Point but was continually deluged by mountainous sea’s which eventually smashed through the skylight of her engine room and drowned the boiler fires.
Now helpless the Athens was driven onto the rocks between Mouille Point and Green Point. Although she was only a short distance from those would be rescuers that now lined the shore, it was not possible for them to give any aid, except to light flares to guide any one who tried to get ashore, or any one who tried to effect a rescue. None did.
By morning it was apparent that all twenty nine souls on board had perished. The only survivor was a pig, which much to its surprise was washed up safe and sound on the beach. It was later found that the lighthouse had no rescue gear at all, not even some rope or lanterns. Today the last remains of the Athens can still be seen sticking out of the water at Mouille Point.
Stroll along the sea front through Sea Point, and you will see in front of you the Mouille Point Lighthouse. Carry on about a hundred yards towards the Victoria and Alfred complex ( its one of her sons ) and you will see the remains of the Athens sticking out of the water. The Island that you see in the distance is Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated. You can visit the jail now by boat from the V&A and be shown around by ex inmates. Well worth the time.
The Arniston, a British East Indiaman, was owned by Borradailes of London, and had made eight successful voyages to China and India. In 1813 she was requisitioned by the Admiralty for service as a troopship.The Arniston had been built in 1794 at the barnard Yard on the Thames, and was the equivalent of a Royal Navy fourth rate ship of the line and carried fifty eight guns.
On her fateful voyage she was homeward bound from Celon under the command of Captain George Simpson. Among her 378 passengers were 14 women, 25 children, Lord and Lady Molesworth, and many invalid soldiers and sailors returning from India.
The Arniston sailed at the beginning of April in company with six other Indiamen and an escort of H.M.S. Africaine. About the 26th of May she parted company with the convoy because most of her sails had been blown away due to bad weather. However three days later land was sighted a very long way off, and Captain Simpson unfortunately mistook it for Table Bay. Actually he was off the Agullas.The Arniston tried to beat against the wind and strong currents that were dragging her towards the land, but soon the breakers were plain to see crashing on a hostile shore.
All attempts to get some sea room failed and in the end three anchors were dropped to try and stem the ships onward rush. Two of the cables parted almost immediately, and the situation became so desperate that the Captain decided that his only hope of saving any lives was to try and run the ship ashore before night fell.
He cut the last remaining anchor warp and the ship hurtled towards the waiting Agullas Reef, where it struck with incredible force and immediately started to break up, and was a total wreck by midnight.
Only six men survived survived the disaster by clinging to planks of wood which were washed ashore in the huge surf. 350 poor souls perished, their bodies being thrown upon the beach the next day along side the smashed up wreckage of the Arniston. The six survivors, still convinced that they were near Table Bay, set of along the beach. Four days later they realized their mistake and staggered back along the beach and returned to the scene of the shipwreck. They managed to stay alive by eating shellfish and salvaging what they could from the ships supplies that by now littered the shore. On June 14th they were discovered by a farmers son who took them to his fathers farm where they were looked after and rested before finally continuing on to Cape Town.
Arniston was originally called Waenhuiskrans, (Waggon house cliff ) but changed its name after the wrecking, as it attracted so many visitors.
It is a very small village, but set in beautiful coastal location. The Arniston Hotel is right on the front and well worth a visit, as it is very comfortable and welcoming. The memorial is set on a bluff about one hundred yards from the hotel, so its very easy to find.
Inside the Hotel is a fine model of the Arniston and a large amount of information, including some small items salvaged from the wreck.
In July 1977, these two derelict tankers were under tow by the small Japanese tug the Kiyo Maru 2, on their way from Greece to the scrapyards in the Far East. The tug made an unscheduled stop in Abijan ( North Africa ) because of some minor engine trouble, but all then went well untill the convoy approached Table Bay in the teeth of a North Westerly gale. The Port Captain at Cape Town advised them not to enter Table Bay as he thought the weather was worsening and he was worried that the two tankers would not have enough sea room.
Durring the afternoon, as the tug approached Robben Island with the gale now blowing harder than ever, the rope between the Antipolis and the tug snagged on the sea bed. All attempts to free it failed, and whilst the crew was busy with that task, the Romelia surged ahead of the tug taking its tow rope underneath the tugs hull.
Fearing for his props, the Tug Master could only watch in horror as the Antipolis finally broke her tow rope and became cast adrift. Meanwhile the tug was still firmly anchored to the bottom and the Captain had to order the crew to cut through the towing hawser with a gas torch so as to release his tug.
Whilst all this was going on, the Romelia then parted her tow rope and happily sped towards the waiting shore. The Antipolis ended up driven ashore by fifty knot winds at Oudekraal on the Cape Peninsula, and the Romelia was cast ashore on Sunset Rocks, in the pretty Llandudno Bay a few hundred yards away.She finally broke her back and sunk in two halves.
Today the skeleton of the Antipolis can still be clearly seen at low tide and has become a very popular shore dive.The Romelia broke up quite a bit more ,but even now you can see her rusting stern section silhouetted against the skyline still held fast on Sunset Rocks.
Directions to the Wreck
Drive out of Cape Town towards Hout Bay along the coastal, Victoria highway (M6). It is a stunning drive past the pretty beaches of Clifton and Camps Bay.
Mid way between Bakoven and Llandudno is Oudekraal where there is a large lay by, with an information plaque telling you that it is here that the wreck of the Antipolis lies. At the week end there are scores of cars containing divers and their equipiment, because the wreck is a very popular shore dive.
You can see the remains of the wreck quite clearly, its bow ribs are almost on the shore, and a bit further out, a boiler shows at low tide.
Just a little further along is the beautiful village of Llandudno nestling in its own tiny bay. it is a very steep drive down, and if you want to see the sunset over Sunset rocks, then the lay by just at the top gives a superb view. The stern of the Romelia is just visible at low tide. But it is the wonderful red glow on the rocks that really takes the eye.
After the sunset, go back to Camps Bay and have a smashing fish meal in one of the many lively bars or restaurants, and watch the last of the sun sparking off Table Mountain.
A great day out.
