South Africa West Coast

Welcome to Sea Tales - Sit Back, Read and Enjoy!

Contents:

• Saldanha Bay Coasters and the wreck of the Nagel: The story of the Nagel and the other coasters is very much part of the broad and dramatic sweep of South African maritime history
• Early Activity on the Langebaan Lagoon: On the West Coast Historical Route!!
• The Lisboa wrecked on Soldiers Reef – Paternoster: On 23 October 1910, the Lisboa ran aground on Soldiers Reef near Paternoster. The wreck of the Lisboa is particularly interesting because it was the first occasion on the South African coast on which radio telegraphy was used to summon help by a ship in distress.
• "THAR SHE BLOWS!"
  From the moment that a half-way station at the Cape was mooted, The Council of Seventeen of the Dutch East India Company was aware of the presence of whales from the report of the survivors of the Nieuw Haerlem, wrecked 1647, who witnessed their presence.
• Simeon Cummings:
  Southern Naval Officer returns to Tennessee after 131 years
• The Wreck of the HMS Sybille - 1901
  A Royal Navy loss during the South African War
• The Girl Who Fired in Anger - The Sue Labuschagne Story
  Leading Seaman Sue Labuschagne pulled the lever and fired 16 tons of TNT at a German submarine...
• Cape Columbine: The last manned lighthouse built on the South African coast
  Prior to the installation of the Cape Columbine lighthouse, the coastline was the burial ground of several ships.
• The Battle of Saldanha and the Loss of the Middelburg:
  In 1781, Holland became involved in the American War of Independence by joining France and Spain in declaring war on England. All Dutch shipping at the Cape - mainly richly laden East Indiamen en route to Holland - was ordered to remain together until a well protected convoy could be assembled to escort them home. But not everything went according to plan...
• Between a Rock and a Hard Place:
  January 1986 - Safely anchored after a Red Sea dismasting, the author thought his troubles were over - until he was confronted by a boatload of armed Ethiopians.
• Shipwreck! The Britannia:
  Along the magnificent coastline of St Helena Bay is a small bay, named after the Britannia which struck an uncharted reef in 1826. This is the story of the Britannia...
• Merestein Treasure Buys Saldanha Property:
  In 1702 the Merestein (or Meresteijn), was on an outward-bound journey from Holland with a large cargo of Spanish and Dutch coins...