Capsized Trawler Adrift in Shipping Lane off South Africa

South Africa’s charity National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) issued a warning that a large fishing vessel capsized and has been floating in a shipping lane some 9.8 miles south off Cape Point since May 1.

Smit Amandla Marine, the company contracted to respond to maritime emergencies off of the South African coast, has warned that the vessel’s hull is made from fiberglass and cannot be detected by radar.

NSRI Simonstown have attached life-jacket strobe lights onto the wreck in an effort to make the wreck more visible to passing traffic.

NSRI says it is yet unknown what vessel this is or where it originated. A Marine Biologist who is an NSRI Hout Bay volunteer and who accompanied NSRI Simonstown suspects that, judging by barnacle growth on the wreck, she may be about two months old.

The Smit Amandla tug will tow the capsized vessel away from the coast today.