Journey's end was in sight but the master was too impatient to wait for
daylight before attempting to make Cape Town harbour, with the result
that only the skill of the helicopter crews prevented a disaster becoming a tragedy.
Many thanks to Sea breezes of March 1987
daylight before attempting to make Cape Town harbour, with the result
that only the skill of the helicopter crews prevented a disaster becoming a tragedy.
Many thanks to Sea breezes of March 1987
By Robin Thompson
Originally named Clan Shaw, then Steenbok and finally S.A. Seafarer, the ship was owned by the Safmarine Shipping Co when she arrived off her home port of Cape Town on the evening of June 30, 1966. On board were a crew of 63 and 12 passengers, including a six-month-old baby.The cargo amounted to 7,800 tons and included thousands of bottles of whisky, over 300 different-titled magazines and a lethal consignment of tetra-ethyl-lead.The weather was bad, the sea rough with a heavy swell running, and there was intermittent rain and a north westerly wind blowing at 30 knots.Port Captain Motson, of Cape Town,decided it would be safer to handle the ship by day and told the master,32-year-old, Captain James Branch, to remain clear of the harbour and bay until morning.
When Capt. Branch received the message the S.A. Seafarer was three to four miles north-west of Robben Island. For about an hour the engines were stopped and the vessel drifted but at approximately 2030 the master went to the bridge and set a course of 230° with an option to steer 240° if it was found the ship rode more comfortably.
At 2200 Capt. Branch reviewed the situation and again at midnight he returned to the bridge. By this time the weather had improved and the wind speed was down to 10 knots, with visibility considerably improved. The lighthouses at Green Point, Milnerton and Robben Island were all visible.
Although the Port Captain had intended his message to be an instruction Capt Branch regarded it as advisory and decided to enter Table Bay and proceed to an anchorage. The task seemed simple enough and as the ship was equipped with gyro compass, magnetic compass, echo sounding apparatus, direction finder, radar and Decca Navigator, he did not for see any difficulty.
Undoubtedly, there were certain risks involved but Capt. Branch did not deem them dangerous. What he did not know was that a series of small errors had already begun to place the ship in jeopardy.
The third officer had found that he could not hold the ship on a course of 230/240° with the ship travelling dead slow and he had altered course to 260°, but he made no mention of the alteration to the master and neither did he inform the second officer when the latter took over the watch at midnight.The third officer also failed to fix the ship’s position satisfactorily before handing over.
When Capt. Branch returned to the bridge at midnight he, without checking the ship’s position, rang down for “Full ahead” and turned the vessel to leeward, prior to setting a course into Table Bay.’
The ship’s head was steadied on a course for Milnerton Light but at this stage Green Point and Milnerton lights were close together and the quarter master could identify neither by its flash.
On assuming watch at midnight the second officer obtained a position by taking two bearings but failed to fix his position by taking a third bearing on Robben Island light. Nor did he lay off,on the chart, the course set by Capt. Branch. Had he done so he would have discovered how perilously close they were to the dangers off Green Point.
The second officer took another bearing at 0023 and at this time, Capt. Branch stopped engines and checked the ship’s ability to go astern. Four minutes later the second officer took a third fix and entered the ship’s position on the chart. When he had finished he commented that the rocks on the shore were clearly visible when the beam of light from the lighthouse fell upon them. It was about this time that the boatswain uttered a warning of breakers ahead. The master immediately put the ship astern and once clear of the area the position of the ship was again fixed.
Satisfied that he was clear of danger, Capt. Branch turned the ship to port and ordered “Slow ahead”. Then, when he was sure that they were heading for deeper water, he rang down for “Half ahead”.
At 0037 the boatswain once again warned of breakers ahead. The master ordered the ship hard to port but it was too late. There was a sudden lurch and the ship was on the reef, off Green Point.
As the engine-room began to flood the engines were shut down for fear of an explosion and Capt. Branch realised that the ship was in grave danger. Every wave that broke over the SA.Seafarer pushed her further and further onto the reef.
Hurriedly, but calmly, the passengers and crew gathered in the lounge while they awaited instructions from the master. By this time it was obvious that there was no chance of saving the vessel.
The first message from the ship was one of urgency: “Please take off passengers and crew as soon as possible”. Rescue operations from the shore were immediately set into motion. The tugs F.T. Bates and C.G. White left Duncan Dock and manoeuvred into position outside the breakers off Green Point in order to render whatever assistance possible.
As time dragged on several attempts were made to rig a breeches buoy but the wind and mountainous seas played havoc with the lines, constantly carrying them away and fouling them in the rocks. It was then decided that this method would be too hazardous and that a helicopter rescue should be attempted at first light.
At 0442, after being subjected to massive seas and waves, the SA.Seafarer broke her back.
Rescue operations were now being hampered by lack of adequate light and it was decided to use the beam from Green Point lighthouse. The revolving mechanism was therefore stopped and the beam focused on the S.A. Seafarer.
A helicopter flown by Commandant Tatham was then manoeuvred into position over the stricken vessel in an endeavour to lower a walkie-talkie and thus establish direct communication with the shore; messages were previously being relayed to the rescue crew on the shore via Cape Town Radio. The first attempt was a disaster and the walkie-talkie was smashed but the second attempt was fruitful and direct ship-to-shore communication was established.Although the forward section of the vessel was steady the stern section rocked violently as each wave struck.By this time those on board had gathered in and around the master’s, cabin as it was feared that the ship’s mast would fall onto the lounge area. Even in this terrible predicament, tea and biscuits were served to the crew and passengers.
Helicopter rescue operations started at dawn and at 0755 the first passenger, Mrs. Louise Waterson, was safely lifted to shore. Shortly after she was joined by her husband. From then on the rescue operation ran smoothly and at 1015 Capt. Branch was the last person to leave.
For weeks after the stranding wreckage from the SA. Seafarer continued to be washed ashore. Drums of tra-ethyl-lead were feared to have burst as hundreds of dead crayfish and perlemoen were washed ashore but laboratory tests revealed that they had actually been killed by a wood preservative, pentachiorophenol, which had been carried in the ship’s hold.
The subsequent court of inquiry found Capt Branch negligent on three counts:
- Setting an unsafe course;
- Stopping the vessel and putting the engines astern at a time when she was within two cables of foul ground at Green Point and on a lee shore; and
- Not appreciating the seriousness of the situation even at this late stage and not ordering “Full astern” to take the vessel clear of danger.
During the hearing Capt. Branch told the court that the stranding could have been caused by a shoal extending further seaward than shown on the chart, or by an uncharted pinnacle in the line of his course. In order to remove any doubt a survey was carried out by an underwater “sledge” pulled by a power boat. Nothing was found.
A contract to get rid of the wreck was eventually awarded to a scrap metal firm and today there is no visible evidence of the disaster.
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Robin Thompson joined Safmarine in 1947 and was sent to New York as second mate on one of the Victory class ships "Vergelegen" which was being fitted out prior to her maiden voyage. In 1954 Robin commanded his first ship the "Morgenster". He captained many ships for Safmarine, including the passenger ships "SA.Vaal", "SA. Orange" and later brought out the first of the big white container ships the "SA. Helderberg" to South Africa. Robin became the first Commodore of the Safmarine fleet. He was in his eighties when he died in Durban in January 2011, after retiring in 1984.
