Lost on her way to the scrapyard

In July 1977, the tanker named Antipolis was under tow by the small Japanese tugboat Kiyo Maru 2, while on its way from Greece to a scrapyard in the Asia. The tugboat also had another vessel in tow, the derelict tanker Romelia. The tug approached Table Bay in the teeth of a North Westerly gale. The Port Captain at Cape Town advised them not to enter Table Bay as he thought the weather was worsening and he was worried that the tankers would not have enough sea room.

During the afternoon, as the tug approached Robben Island with the gale now blowing harder than before, the tow line between the Antipolis and the tug snagged on the sea bed. All attempts to free it failed.

City of Cape Town

The Antipolis after stranding.

The Antipolis ended up driven ashore by fifty knot winds at Oudekraal on the Cape Peninsula, where the ship remained ever since. The line to the Romelia was also cut by the crew to avoid the loss of the tugboat and she ran ashore at Sunset Rocks.

Stan Cooke

Photo of the Antipolis from the top of the Table Mountain, taken by Stan Cooke in 1978.

The ship was left to the ocean. Salvors removed her top section and left the hull, which became a popular dive site.

On the 21 January of 2022, the shipwreck re-emerged from the sea after 44 years under water. This was due to a mid latitude cyclone which caused large swells washing the ship onto land.

Wikimedia Commons

Areal photo of the site of the wreck with the location drawn in.

• Submerged.
  Antipolis and Romelia.