Although Mossel Bay is a sheltered, safe haven for shipping, it’s also seen its fair share of marine tragedies. Here’s a list of the shipwrecks we know of.
Wooden ship of 1,170 tons; built in 1853 in Quebec, owned by Wilson & Slaters of Fenchurch Street, London, and commanded by Captain R. Whitehill. She struck a line of rocks 70 metres from the shore, and wrecked at Buffelshoek, 15 kilometers west of the Gourits River Mouth (probably at Ystervark Point) during a westerly gale on 4 November 1862. Three lives were lost.
She’d been sailing from Shanghai to London with £120,000 worth of cargo that included 900 tons of tea, 366 bales of cotton, 40 bales of grass cloth fibre, 92 bales of wool, 179 bales of cassia, 13 bales of silk, 5 bales of seeds, 3 bales of copper, 1 box of lacquered ware, 6 cases of tongues, 49 boxes of tobacco, and a stock of spices. A box of goods later washed ashore at Brandfontein.
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34º 23.60 S; 21º 41.70 E
Houston Line steamer of 5294 tons built in 1919 by J Redhead & Sons, of South Shields, on the
River Tyne in England, and commanded by Captain JH Malpas. Wrecked in dense fog near Ystervark Point, west of the Gourits River Mouth, on 3 May 1932. Her cargo included 1,200 cases of whisky, 40 cars, oil, machinery, molasses, tyres, tinned foods, clothing and cyanide. Some of the cargo was salvaged at the time by a Captain van Delden.
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A trawler belonging to fishing company Irvin & Johnson’s. Wrecked near the Gourits River Mouth on 11 September 1974. No lives were lost.
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24 meter Irvin & Johnson trawler. Ran onto rocks near the Gourits River Mouth on 14 March 1982. A total loss.
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A trawler belonging to the Mariette Fishing Company. Sprang a leak and went aground 6 kilometres west of the Gourits River Mouth on 26 August 1986. She was declared a total loss.
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Privately owned trawler stranded on the rocks near the Gourits River Mouth on 5 September 1986 after springing a leak. The crew was helped by the local N.S.R.I.
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Danish ship commanded by Captain Andries Evertsz Grimstra. Run ashore close to Gourits River while on a homeward-bound voyage from Tranquebar, India on 8 August 1750. She was trying to reach Mossel Bay, but was wrecked on purpose in an effort to save the lives of the desperately sick crew. No lives were lost; the crew of 65 walked to Cape Town.
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French man-o’-war wrecked opposite the freshwater spring near Kanonpunt in Vleesbaai in the Gourits area on 11 September 1763 while on a voyage from Reunion. No lives were lost. The crew of 441 soldiers and sailors went overland to Cape Town. A cannon 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.
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Wooden-hulled Irvin & Johnson fishing trawler that ran onto the reef near Kanon in heavy seas on 8 July 1981. The crew was rescued by helicopter.
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Fishing trawler that went aground at Kanon on 12 February 1938. Most of the crew were rescued by the local Rocket Brigade, but one life lost.
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Steamer with sails. 2,084 tons, master: Captain Harrison. She ran aground in dense fog at Fish Bay on 25 April 1884, and was later re-floated.
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British cargo boat of 52212 tons that was torpedoed by a U Boat on 9 March 1943. 6 crewmen were killed, and the survivors were brought to Mossel Bay.
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A barque (barque = a sailing vessel with three or more masts) that foundered off Mossel Bay in August 1911.
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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.
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A fleet of thirteen Portuguese vessels under the command of Lopo Soares d’Albergaria sailed from Lisbon on 22 April 1504 on an expedition to bombard Calicut in India.
On the return voyage, the two fastest vessels were sent ahead to report on affairs in India. One of these, under the command of Pero de Mendonca, ran ashore a little to the west of Mossel Bay sometime in 1505. The disaster took place at night and the whole crew was lost. The vessel had been heavily armed and was carrying a cargo of pepper. Her name is not known to us.
In November 1505 two vessels left Lisbon to take military supplies and stores to Sofala, and also to search for possible survivors from the wreck. These vessels anchored in Mossel Bay and a convict and a ship’s boy were sent to search the coast: after three days they found only a mast and a skeleton.
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Sank south of Cape St Blaize on 29 March 1906.
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British yacht of 152 tons under Captain Chippendell. She sprung a leak near Agulhas, and managed to reach Mossel Bay. She was seeled over in Munro’s Bay in July 1881, but declared a total loss.
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British wooden brigantine of 286 tons, built in 1875 by Evans of Aberystwyth, and commanded by
Captain EL Lloyd. Wrecked in Mossel Bay when her cables parted during a south-east gale on 6 November 1880. She had sailed from from London with a general cargo. No lives were lost. She lies close to the Louisa Dorothea (1882).
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German three-masted schooner of 227 tons. Wrecked in Mossel Bay on 29 May 1882 during a south–east gale after sailing from Adelaide carrying wheat and flour. Three crew members were drowned, but five were rescued by the Rocket Crew. She lies near the Lady Pryse (1880)
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British schooner of 75 tons that was wrecked at Mossel Bay on 13 January 1866 during a strong south-east wind while. She was sailing from Algoa Bay for Cape Town with a cargo of rice, salt and general merchandise. No lives were lost. She was formerly the Figilante, and under that name went ashore in Table Bay on 17 May 1865.
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A fishing trawler that broke her moorings and drifted onto Santos beach on 14 April 1928. She was declared a total loss.
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German schooner of 163 tons, commanded by Captain Thaysen. Bound for Cape Town with a full cargo of skins, dried fruit and wool, but wrecked on Santos Beach after her cables parted during a heavy swell on 18 July 1874. No lives were lost.
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24 ton fishing vessel driven onto Santos Beach in a storm on 30 September 1951. A total loss.
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British ship of 547 tons, built of teak in 1813, and commanded by Captain Ardlie. Wrecked in Mossel Bay on 9 July 1824 after putting in for water while on a voyage from Calcutta and Madras to London with a cargo that included indigo and dye.
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34º 10.30 S; 22º 08.00 E
Norwegian wooden barque of 446 tons, built in 1873, and commanded by Captain J M
Abrahamsen. Wrecked in the big gully on the west side of Danger Point, Mossel Bay, on 25 August 1892 during a south-east gale while on a voyage from the Friendly Isles to Marseilles with a cargo of copra. No lives were lost. She was firsts dived on in 1983, when little could be seen of her, since most of the site lies in sand.
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British wooden brig of 223 tons built in 1829 at Chepstow and commanded by Captain T Owen. Wrecked on the rocks of Mossel Bay at 2:00 a.m. on 10 October 1846 after her cables parted during a south – east gale. Four people were drowned.
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34º 10.30 S; 22º 07.50 E
Norwegian three-masted wooden schooner of 373 tons, built in 1886, and commanded by
Captain C Christensen. Wrecked on the beach below de Bakke on 11 March 1894 during a south –east gale after a voyage from Rio de Janeiro via Table Bay with a cargo of coffee. The crew were saved by means of rocket apparatus. She was first dived on in 1983 and many timbers, copper nails and iron knees were seen protruding from the sand. Her anchor and chain were still clearly visible.
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East Indiaman damaged in a storm during June 1734. Extensive repairs were carried out in the area between Munro’s Bay and Seal Island – and she returned to Holland.
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Brig commanded by Captain Boustead. Wrecked 3 km from the landing-place in Mossel Bay in the evening of 30 august 1845 during a south-east gale. She had bee sailing from Sydney to Table Bay with 20 immigrants and a large cargo of mail, and entered the bay because of the loss of her boats and the low state of her provisions. No lives were lost, and the mail was saved.
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Schooner commanded by Captain T Metcalf. Landed most of her cargo, but was wrecked in Mossel Bay on 5 April 1848 during a south–east gale. One seaman was drowned.
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Schooner commanded by Captain Kirby. Wrecked in Mossel Bay on the night of 16 July 1849 during a south-east gale. No lives were lost. She lies in the same spot as Mary (1853).
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Schooner of 117 tons, commanded by Captain J Wood. Wrecked in Mossel Bay on 16 February 1853 after her cables parted during a south-east gale. One seaman was drowned. She lies on the same place as Kate (1849)
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Barque under Captain E Smith; carrying bags of linseed and bales of cotton. She ran aground in July 1860.
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English brig of 180 tons, commanded by Captain Crimp. Wrecked at Mossel Bay on 19 October 1864 after her cables parted during a south-east gale. She had sailed from London with a general cargo.
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Schooner of 50 tons, built in Knysna in 1867. Wrecked in Mossel Bay on 27 November 1872 during a south-east gale. She had been carrying a full cargo bound for the Cape.
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Barque wrecked at Mossel Bay on 27 November 1872 during a south-east gale. She had just loaded part of her cargo for London.
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German schooner (sailing vessel with fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts, the forward mast always shorter than those aft). She was commanded by Captain Rane and was wrecked at Mossel Bay on 17 March 1880 after her cables parted during a south-east gale. She had been sailing from Rio de Janeiro with a cargo of 1,500 bags of coffee. The vessel and her cargo were sold for £75,000.
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236 ton British wooden snow (a type of brig with square sails on both masts, but with a small trysail mast, or snowmast, immediately aft of the mainmast). She was built in 1862 by Mills, of Sunderland, in the River Wear in north-east England, and commanded by Captain J Edwards. She was wrecked at Mossel Bay on 11 January 1880 during a south-east gale. She had been carrying a general cargo that included the material for building the Little Brak River bridge. Most of her cargo had been discharged, and no lives were lost.
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Norwegian wooden barque of 606 tons, built in 1890 in Arendal, county of Aust-Agder, Norway, and commanded by Captain C Clausen. She was wrecked in Mossel Bay during a south-east gale on the night of 2 September 1902. She was carrying cargo of 1,500 bags of coffee. No lives were lost.
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34º 09.50 S; 22º 06.80 E
Norwegian wooden sailing ship of 1s519 tons, built in 1874 by JK Dunlop & Co, St John’s, and commanded by Captain A Paulsen. Wrecked near Dias Beach on 14 November 1903 during a south-east gale. She had bee sailing from Frederikstad with a cargo of Baltic timber. No lives were lost; the crew was saved with rocket apparatus. She lies near the Rosebud (1888).
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34º 09.80 S; 22º 06.70 E
British three-masted wooden schooner of 341 tons, built in 1876 by Carnegie, in Peterhead, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and commanded by Captain J Collie. She was wrecked during a south- east gale on Diaz Beach on 30 August 1888, and had been sailing from Calcutta via Mossel Bay for Cape Town and London with a general cargo. No lives were lost.
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Danish East-Indiaman (any ship running under charter or license from the East India companies of the 1700s and 1800s). Commanded by Captain Swen Finger. Damaged in a storm, and put into Mossel Bay on 9 June 1752. She was abandoned after her cargo had been saved.
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British wooden barque of 378 tons, built in 1863 by Hardie, of Sunderland. Wrecked at Mossel Bay on 28 April 1872. No lives were lost.
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The floating dock had been under tow by the steamer Baralong . She drifted onto Glentana Beach after the tow parted in November 1902.
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British wooden ship of 1,219 tons, built in 1853 at New Brunswick, and commanded by Captain
Alfred Grayston. Wrecked near Ystervark Point on 10 April 1861 while on voyage from Bombay to Liverpool with a cargo of cotton, linseed, coir, yarn, wool, seed and madder roots. No lives were lost.
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