Page 10 - Bulletin 9 2005

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J. Glen Wilson’s “Sketch of the Coast from Table Bay to the Cape of Good Hope”
completed in December of 1852 illustrates this point. (Fig. 1.4) When covered with cloud,

Table Mountain displays none of its recognisable flat topped features and could easily be
confused with the mountains behind Hout Bay or numerous other places along the South

African coast. If compared with the coastal sketches made on board HMS Undaunted in

1827 it is easy to see how the Sentinel at Hout Bay could easily be confused with Hangklip.
(Fig. 1.5) Cloud cover, fog, or even distance would probably have made distinguishing

parts of the coast almost impossible. The point is well illustrated as late as 1900 by the
wreck of the Kakapo whose navigator, in poor visibility and at night, mistook Chapman’s

Peak for Cape Point and ran his ship aground.

The treacherous South African coast ensures that wreck sites are well distributed up and

down the shoreline, but certain patterns can be seen in concentrations of wreck sites. Areas
around major ports for example, display concentrations of sites. The reasons for this are

obvious in that it is a statistical reality that the more vessels that are present in an area, the

higher the likelihood of there being a wreck in that area. In the case of the early history of
Table Bay, for example, the presence of the refreshment station meant that more ships were

present in the Bay than along other parts of the coast. The fact that the Bay is relatively
exposed and that no safe harbour existed at the time, meant that ships were at the mercy of

the elements and were often blown aground. The same is true for False Bay. When the
winter anchorage was established at Simon’s Town, more ships were entering the port and

more were therefore being wrecked.

Although many of the shipping routes were plotted relatively close to land, ships generally

steered clear of shallower waters that might contain submerged hazards or treacherous
currents and swell. Unfortunately, when putting into port, it was necessary to approach

land. Poor navigational charts meant that ships were in greater danger of being wrecked the
closer they came to the shore and this too resulted in more wrecks being concentrated