History
On its last journey before wrecking, the Paddenburg was travelling back to the Netherlands from Batavia in a convoy with the Iepenrode and the Flora. The convoy was separated off the Agulhas reef during a large storm, which inflicted some serious damage on the Paddenburg. The vessel managed to make it to Table Harbour despite this damage.
After being repaired from the damage she had suffered off the Agulhas reef, the Padddenburg was lost in a violent north-westerly gale when she broke loose from her anchor and was carried ashore on a huge wave. The Paddenburg was apparently carried over other vessels that had already stranded and deposited high up on the beach. The vessel was destroyed upon impact, but most of her crew survived, with only 12 casualties.
In total, 9 vessels wrecked that day, which resulted in a total of 208 lives and £160 000 of cargo being lost. At the time of the gale, the commanders of the ships were onshore to get the documentation for the fleet to leave for the Netherlands.
Description
| Master | Arie van Veurden |
|---|---|
| People on board | 115 |
| Length | 145 feet (44.2 m) |
| Tonnage | 850 ton (425 last) |
Status
The Paddenburg has not been found as it lies beneath reclaimed land.
References
- Dutch-Asiatic Shipping.
Details of voyage 6993.2 from Batavia.
Huygens ING. - SAHRA Database.
- Lesa la Grange, Martijn Manders, Briege Williams, John Gribble and Leon Derksen (2024).
Dutch Shipwrecks in South African Waters: A Brief History of Sites, Stores and Archives [Unpublished]. - Scheepsmodel van Oost-Indisch Compagnieschip.
