{"id":245,"date":"2025-12-10T14:09:30","date_gmt":"2025-12-10T12:09:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onehundredandtwenty.com\/?p=245"},"modified":"2025-12-22T13:18:19","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T11:18:19","slug":"shipwrecks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/onehundredandtwenty.com\/?p=245","title":{"rendered":"Shipwrecks!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Newsletter #2 \u2013 Shipwrecks!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spoiler alert:<\/strong> The Boys from Umgazana<\/em> includes a shipwreck!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Wild Coast<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

More than two thousand ships have come to grief along the South African coast since the 1500s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In May 1500, four Portuguese ships foundered in a storm off the Cape of Good Hope. Bartholomeu Dias, the first modern-era explorer to round the Cape, captained one of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the centuries, many famous wrecks entered South African maritime folklore. Their dramatic ends ensured they remained unforgettable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2013 the S\u00e3o Jo\u00e3o (1552).
\u2013 the Nieuw Haarlem (1647).
\u2013 the Doddington (1755).
\u2013 the Grosvenor (1782).
\u2013 the Waratah (1909).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

World War II<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One lesser-known wreck recently forced its way back into public attention. Meanwhile, its story continues to unfold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 11 February 1943, U-boat U156 torpedoed the British merchant ship SS Helmspey about eleven miles off Cape St Francis. The ship carried a mixed cargo, including 1,457 tons of rubber bales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Later, during a recent storm, thousands of these rubber bales broke free. They surfaced and washed ashore along beaches from Cape St Francis to Woody Cape, east of Port Elizabeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After more than 80 years underwater, the bales have begun to rot. Consequently, they now pose a danger to sea birds and other marine life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Treasure Ship!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Shipwrecks don\u2019t only produce debris \u2014 sometimes they harbour treasures. In fact, some carry astonishing wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The richest wreck ever found, the San Jos\u00e9, a Spanish galleon, sank near Cartagena in 1708 after a British attack. Her cargo includes an estimated US$17 billion in gold, silver, and emeralds. This excludes the priceless historical artifacts still aboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Search teams located the wreck 600 metres below the surface. However, its precise position remains a tightly guarded secret.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Colombian government intends to raise the treasure. Nevertheless, multiple groups have filed competing claims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These include the Spanish government, indigenous Bolivian communities, and a salvage company. Furthermore, modern-day fortune hunters have also taken interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A book as a Christmas gift?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you’re still wondering what to give someone for Christmas, perhaps give them a book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the link to The Boys from Umgazana:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/frankcollierauthor.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Home<\/a><\/blockquote>