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Notes on all the shipwrecks that have occurred in the Port Alfred area - with most happening close to the entrance to the River Kowie mouth.

African Queen - 1873-09-12 - May be same vessel as African Belle.
Albany - 1875-06-01
Bertha - Port Alfred 1877 - There is a Bertha listed in Gov. Gazette notice 13 of 1881 (7 January), which may or may not be this vessel. The problem is that this vessel is listed as having been lost in 1877, whereas the vessel in the Gazette was still in service in 1881. Could the vessel in the database have grounded? The Gazette information is as follows: German vessel of 220 tons registered in Brake, and captained by A Kuhne. The vessel carried 9 crew, was owned by D Hargi, and its local agents were James Brister & Co.
British Settler - Port Alfred 1844-09-27
Catherine Marie - Kowie River Mouth 1873-04-07 - Struck the Molteno Reef, west pier of the Kowie Harbour.
Cecille - Kowie River 1850-07-01 - The wreck is also listed as between Kowie and F.B. (?) Date may also be different - 1886.
Esterias - Kowie River 1865-12-04 - No lives lost.
Hopeful - Port Alfred 1877-11-01
Lalla - Kowie River 1897-11-29
Matchless - Kowie River 1833
Ocean Queen - Kowie River 1844 - Possible history from Volumes 5 and 6 of the Lower Albany Chronicle by E. Morse-Jones: December 1869 Ocean Queen foundered on Fountain Rocks. 1880 Ocean Queen brought into Port Alfred, condemned and sold to Mr Pote. Main mast set up at Richmond House. August 1883. Ocean Queen auctioned by Sheriff James Crosby to Mr Parker. December 1884 Ocean Queen broken up for timber.
Pegasus - 1913
Thomas Brassy - Kowie River 1859-07-21 - Abandoned after springing a leak off the Kowie River in a terrible storm. The crew landed near Cannon Rocks on 20 July 1859. Other reports say the landing took place on 24 July. One life was lost, as was the cargo of 200 tons of cotton and seed. The vessel was 226 feet long. Location of wrecking / abandonment may have been Boltney on the Alexandria coast.
Bonanza - Port Alfred 24-8-07 - Grounded, burned out and lost.
Carl Max - Kowie River 1874-09-01 - Collided with the Laetitia.
Bridekirk - Kowie River 1825-09-01 - Disappeared between Kowie and Algoa Bay. The vessel was built in Cape Town in 1823, and launched in September of that year. The wife and 3 or 4 children of the captain lived in Port Alfred.
* Everton - Port Alfred 1866-08-01
Kilbrennan - Riet Point (3km east of) 2-6-44 - Lost after striking a rock off Riet Point at 8 o'clock in the morning. Struck the rock and foundered. Four lives lost. According to Koornhof, the wreck is well preserved, but is almost completely buried in the sand. Depth of site = 20m - Koornhof.
Chanticleer - Kowie River 1848-03-01 - Struck a rock on the east bank trying to enter the river. Sank. No lives lost.
Agincourt - Port Alfred 1866-06-21 - Location of wreck is unclear from records. May be at Cape Recife?
Elite - Kowie River 1870-06-26
Samuel Cawood - Kowie River 1880-06-01
Volunteer - Port Alfred 1862-01-27 - Grounded.
Anne Hutchinson - Port Alfred 1843 - This may be same vessel as listed by for Algoa Bay, 1845. possibly refloated?
Africaine - Kowie River 1841-04-05 - Passengers, crew and most of the cargo was saved. Date may be May rather than April.
African Belle - Kowie River 1873-09-12 - Wreck subsequently blown up to clear shipping channel May be same vessel as African Queen - Date may be 9/16/1873.
Briseis - Kowie River 1859-03-24 -The vessel had been badly damaged off the Mozambique coast, and her crew were making desperate efforts to sail her home to England when she was lost. When it became clear the vessel was doomed the crew and ivory was transferred onto the Royal Arthur and the vessel then abandoned off Cape Padrone. It washed ashore on Fountain Rocks on about 24 May, and sank.
Cape St Blaize - Port Alfred & Kasouga River (between) - 23-9-15 Vessel was grounded and lost. 12.9km west of Port Alfred, 8km east north east of the Kasauga River. NavyPos lists the wreck as follows: CAPE ST BLAIZE Motor Trawler sunk 22 June 1965 Stranded wreck (SA Notice 34/67)
Craigellachie - Port Alfred 131 - Vessel built by A Rodgers & Co. of Glasgow Wrecked, but no lives lost.
Hotbank - Port Alfred 1873-04-25 - Sprang a leak after striking an object off Cape Recife. Run ashore. No lives lost.
John Knox - Kowie River 1858
Buffalo - Kowie River 1889-08-08 - Struck the bar while trying to help the USS Saxon. Sank. Her remains can still be seen 3 km upriver at low tide. Date may be 19 July - Jobling and Van der Bosch. According to the Cape Almanac, a steamship called the Buffalo was first registered in SA in 1873 - Official Number 51633. She was listed as a 53 ton vessel, carrying a crew of 5.
Kaffraria - Kowie River 1881 - Wrecked at the mouth of the Kowie River. Net tonnage was 47 tons - Marsh.
Lady Havelock - Port Alfred (east of) 1888-07-01 - Wrecked. No lives lost.
Laetitia - Kowie River / Rufane River (?) 1874-07-17 - Cables parted in a heavy swell. No lives lost.
Lilla - Port Alfred 1897-11-28 - The Lilla stranded about 80 yards from the East Pierhead, and 10 yards from the bank after the cables from the launch (tug? - Marsh) Victoria, which was towing her over the bar, parted. During the following week the hulk was pounded by heavy seas from the south-west, and moved into mid-channel where she was left keel up and gradually disintegrated. No lives lost. Tonnage may be 75 tons - Marsh.
Lily of Cape Town - Kowie River 1894
Martlet - Port Alfred 1870-08-12 - Wrecked on the rocks at Eastern Pier in the port. The captain was impatient and attempted to enter the river without a pilot.
Osbourne - Port Alfred 1-7-42 - Vessel wrecked while bound from East London to the fishing grounds. Lost due to inattention to course and steering. No lives lost.
Rosalie - West Beach 1881-01-30 - Wrecked at Salt Vlei Point near Port Alfred. Her master was W Cother according to Marsh. Gov. Gazette lists the vessel as still active on 29 April, although the database date for her loss (?) is January 1881. She may have been registered in Norbury. Tonnage could have been 177 tons - Marsh - and her nationality could have been British.
Winefred - Port Alfred 1823 - The vessel was wrecked while surveying the river mouth. Approximate position - 33 36.20S, 26 54.10E.
Sea Belle - Kowie River 1880-04-01 - Grounded and wrecked after her tow rope parted. Condemned. No lives lost.
Seaforth - Kowie River 1844-08-18 - Wrecked when the wind dropped. No lives lost.
Sir John St Aubyn - Kowie River 1843-01-31 - Lost while towing the Sopia across the bar. No lives lost. Was the replacement vessel for the Hope, having been ordered by Mr W Cock of Port Frances to trade on the Table Bay - Port Frances route, and also to tow vessels into the Kowie River. Was the second South African owned steamer, and arrived from England on 2 July 1842. Had a tonnage of 140 tons (Marsh), and could generate 40hp.
Snorre Straulassen - Port Alfred (4 miles west of?) 1875-06-16 - Wrecked in a south-westerly gale when her anchor cables parted. No lives lost. Kowie River near Port Alfred.
St Austell - Port Alfred 1870-05-02 - Wrecked in a gale. No lives lost.

The above notes were provided by Jonathan Sharfman, Maritime Archaeologist, South African Heritage Resources Agency, 212 Buitengracht Street, Cape Town. The entries cover where the information is available - Vessel name, Place of wreck, Date of wreck, and notes on the shipwreck.

* Roy Fordyce provides the following information regarding the EVERTON (Schr) 77 Tons:

Lloyds list of May 21st 1866 column 14
Port Alfred 12th April
The Everton (schr) from Table Bay, in crossing the bar 26th March broke her tow-rope and struck on a ridge of rocks. She was however soon hauled off with little damage beyond the loss of her keel and is repairing here.

Captain James Fordyce born at Sunderland County of Durham on the 11th August 1810, received his Masters Certificate No 39155 at Londonderry 10th March 1851.

From "Mitchells Maritime Gazette" of May 26th 1866 we find the following:
Everton schooner from Table Bay in crossing the bar at Port Alfred on March the 26th broke her tow-rope and struck on a ridge of rocks. She was hauled off with loss of her keel and is repairing.

Fom the Grahamstown Journal for Friday June 29th 1866 this report:
The Kowie.
From Port Alfred we learn that the storm raged duriously. The Everton and the fishing smack Hopeful were both blown out to sea. The latter has since turnted to the anchorage, but the Everton has not made her appearance up to Wednesday.
The Everton was not heard from again.