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The Loss of the OSV Voortrekker.
Many people contributed to this page, and it is dedicated to the crew and families of the OSV Voortrekker.
The offshore oil industry in South Africa was never a very large one, most of the activity seemingly taking place off Mossel Bay. One of the participants was the anchor handling supply vessel OSV Voortrekker, which was built in 1983 in Durban by Dorbyl Marine and operated by Unicorn Lines.
 Voortrekker Commemorative Envelope
Leading Particulars of OSV Voortrekker.
Length 62 m, Beam 13,33 m, Draught at deep load: 5.06 m. Deadweight 1165 tons
Cruising speed 12 Knots. Main engines: 6000 B.H.P. Bollard pull in excess of 80 metric tons.
Combined towing and anchor handling winch: 200 tons working load. 300 tons static load.
The vessel was built for towing rigs between drilling stations, handling and running out the rigs anchoring systems, supplying and ferrying of drilling equipment and materials between the base and the rig as well as safety standby. On commencement of her service she was placed on a long term charter to Soekor for servicing the semi submersible rig "Actinia" in the PE area.
Unfortunately the extreme weather around our coastline claimed the Voortrekker on 10 Sep 1993 off Mossel Bay whilst she was attending to the oil rig.
The vessel remained afloat although upside down for two days before finally sinking taking her crew of 10 with her. Also lost was Lighthouse; the ship's cat.
Voortrekker Crew
Capt - Cameron Vermeulen
Mate - Allan Sillence
Bosun - David Joseph
Able Seaman - Christopher Damon
Able Seaman - Kenneth Grewar
Able Seaman - Thulebona Gambushe
Greaser - Clement Ndaba
Greaser - Gaga Mzimela
Cook - Michael Mchunu
Steward - Gerald Mkhize
Ships cat - Lighthouse
What made this particular accident remarkable was that after being upside down for two days in really rough seas, the Chief Engineer - Paul de Barry, 2nd Engineer - Peter Tighe and Greaser - Clement Ndaba managed to escape from the capsized vessel. All 3 men were in the engine room at the time of the disaster and it was from here that they managed to escape. Although salvage attempts where made, the vessel sank after 2 days and settled into soft mud upside down making a recovery operation of the deceased impossible. Divers did make numerous attempts to gain entry into the vessel, whilst she was still afloat, but the adverse sea and strong currents made this dangerous and impossible.
Of all the crew that were lost on that fateful day only two bodies were recovered. Greaser Clement Ndaba passed away due to injuries sustained escaping, and Able Seaman Christopher Damon's body was recovered during the initial diving operations. All the rest went down with the vessel.
Today the Voortrekker and her crew is commemorated in the garden of the port authorities of Mossel Bay, where a black granite memorial was erected in remembrance of her. While the local SPCA has a framed memorial for Lighthouse the ships cat in their office.
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