A half-ton chunk of driftwood that washed up on the beach at Chintsa could be part of an Italian sailing ship wrecked in the 1800s.
East London museum scientist Kevin Cole said the wood was found on the beach two weeks ago. He had not yet cracked the mystery of which ship it came from.
“We are still investigating all the options, but what we do know is that on December 12 1874 an Italian wooden barque, Nuovo Abele, sank at the mouth of the Chintsa river, where this shipwreck material was found,” he said.
Cole said he was waiting for the South African Heritage Resources Agency (Sahra) to approve their application to move the material from the beach to the museum for further research.
“It’s always important to remember that this type of find is protected by law and may not be disturbed unless a permit has been issued by the Eastern Cape Provincial Heritage Resources Agency or Sahra,” said Cole.
The wood was studded with iron pins and there were signs of a cementing material used typically in constructing the old ships.
“Tests will be conducted looking at the pins, what they are made of, their dimensions and the type of material used to seal the pin holes.
“The type of wood will also be important and maritime archeologists will be consulted.
“The shape and dimensions of the find will also be a clue. The thickness, angle, and curvature of the wood will help us. We can reference back to plans from vessels built in shipyards such as Ravenna in the 19th century.”
According to the Wild Coast Jikeleza website’s history page, the multiple-masted Nuovo Abele was wrecked during a southwest gale while on a voyage from Indonesia to London. The ship was carrying a cargo of sugar. All 13 crew were rescued by the Frontier Armed Mounted Police based in Komgha, who swam a line out to the wreck.
The 690-ton Nuovo Abele was built in 1873.
Cole said it was expected that such material would eventually wash up on the shore, especially following the recent strong storm surges along the coast.
Buccaneers Backpackers’ co-owner Sean Price, who made the discovery, said every now and then pieces of material washed up on the beach but said the large size of the driftwood caught his attention.
“We knew that we had to contact the relevant authorities.” — ziphon@dispatch.co.za
Driftwood may be from ship wrecked in 1800s
East London museum scientist Kevin Cole said the wood was found on the beach two weeks ago. He had not yet cracked the mystery of which ship it came from.
“We are still investigating all the options, but what we do know is that on December 12 1874 an Italian wooden barque, Nuovo Abele, sank at the mouth of the Chintsa river, where this shipwreck material was found,” he said.
Cole said he was waiting for the South African Heritage Resources Agency (Sahra) to approve their application to move the material from the beach to the museum for further research.
“It’s always important to remember that this type of find is protected by law and may not be disturbed unless a permit has been issued by the Eastern Cape Provincial Heritage Resources Agency or Sahra,” said Cole.
The wood was studded with iron pins and there were signs of a cementing material used typically in constructing the old ships.
“Tests will be conducted looking at the pins, what they are made of, their dimensions and the type of material used to seal the pin holes.
“The type of wood will also be important and maritime archeologists will be consulted.
“The shape and dimensions of the find will also be a clue. The thickness, angle, and curvature of the wood will help us. We can reference back to plans from vessels built in shipyards such as Ravenna in the 19th century.”
According to the Wild Coast Jikeleza website’s history page, the multiple-masted Nuovo Abele was wrecked during a southwest gale while on a voyage from Indonesia to London. The ship was carrying a cargo of sugar. All 13 crew were rescued by the Frontier Armed Mounted Police based in Komgha, who swam a line out to the wreck.
The 690-ton Nuovo Abele was built in 1873.
Cole said it was expected that such material would eventually wash up on the shore, especially following the recent strong storm surges along the coast.
Buccaneers Backpackers’ co-owner Sean Price, who made the discovery, said every now and then pieces of material washed up on the beach but said the large size of the driftwood caught his attention.
“We knew that we had to contact the relevant authorities.” — ziphon@dispatch.co.za
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