Cape of Storms claims another ship – 8 September 2009
The infamous ‘Cape of Storms’ has claimed a third vessel in three months, this time the Panamanian-registered Seali-One. It was was driven ashore – from Table Bay – overnight due to high seas and strong winds, and landed just off Sunset Beach. The boat, which was carrying coal, was last in Durban and was lying at anchor in Table Bay waiting for engine repairs. Officials say the accident happened at around midnight, as waves were crashing over the bow of the ship, which rolled and listed in the rising tide. In a dramatic rescue operation, 25 Turkish crew members were airlifted to safety in the early hours of Tuesday morning and one man was treated for mild hypothermia. In June this year an unmanned barge, the Margaret, and another unmanned vessel, the GTO XVII, ran aground in Jacobs Bay and Brenton-on-Sea respectively, due to gale-force winds. Later, a tanker carrying a form of Cresol – a chemical used to make disinfectants and household cleaners – lost its cargo. A barrel of Cresol washed up in Camps Bay beach and another one was seen floating off the coast of Sea Point. In August a U.S.-flagged cargo ship carrying 56 tons of unprocessed uranium, bound for the United States, was rescued before running aground, again near Sunset Beach. In 2003, a massive container ship, the Sealand Express, also ran aground at Sunset Beach. It was rumoured to be carrying 10 000 bottles of tequila, resulting in thousands of spectators visiting the beach.
* Photos available
