Tony and I popped out on shipwreck (and ice cream) patrol one wintery Sunday a couple of weeks ago (19 August). The Seli 1 is still squatting on the shores of Blouberg, but there is a plan to remove the vessel in 2013. Valuable lessons learned in 2009, when no one was willing to pony up the cash required to remove the Seli 1 from the beach, were applied in the swift salvage of the Eihatsu Maru, which ran aground at Clifton in May this year.
In a situation like this, time is of the essence, and the longer the wreck stays on the beach the harder it is to dislodge it from the sand successfully. In the case of the Seli 1, neither the ship’s owners, her insurers, the Turkish government, nor any local authorities were prepared to pay for her salvage. As a result, she’s probably quite firmly stuck.
This news article notes that the wave patterns forming around the wreck are eroding Blouberg beach. This is going to leave electric cables and service pipes exposed if it continues unchecked. Local kite surfers and stand-up paddleboarders, however, are enjoying the new break created by the wreck.
Our other Seli 1 updates are here, here and here.
What happened next
What happened on Friday night (31 August), during a massive storm, is that part of the midsection of the Seli 1 fell over, spilling oil into the water and causing a flurry of renewed interest in and concern regarding the wreck. But that’s a story for tomorrow…
If you’re interested in visible shipwrecks, check out my ebook Cape Town’s Visible Shipwrecks: A Guide for Explorers!
