BOS 400 Shipwreck – Cape Town, South Africa - Atlas Obscura
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BOS 400 Shipwreck

Cape Town, South Africa

The haunting beauty of this little-visited wreck makes it a true hidden treasure.  

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The BOS 400 shipwreck. ebroadway18 (Atlas Obscura User)
The BOS 400 shipwreck. ebroadway18 (Atlas Obscura User)
The BOS 400 shipwreck. Timothy Haig-Smith/cc by 2.5
The BOS 400 looking over Sandy Bay. ebroadway18 (Atlas Obscura User)
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This eerie but magnificent shipwrecked oil rig is hidden off the coast of Sandy Bay near the Hout Bay suburb of Cape Town, South Africa. Not many people know of its existence, or how to get there. It’s quite a trek to get close, but the walk along the coastline is beautiful as you approach the wreck, which adds to the mystery and secrecy of this unique spot. 

The BOS 400 is a French crane barge that ran aground during a storm in 1994. It was being towed by a boat that was not up to the task of tugging such a massive vessel, and the tow rope broke loose, sending the barge into the rocks just south of Sandy Bay. Deemed too damaged and difficult to salvage, it was abandoned and has been rusting there ever since.

After making the trek out to the point, sit back and admire its rusty grandeur from afar. 

Know Before You Go

Climbing onto the wreck is extremely dangerous, and the National Sea Rescue Institute has urged the public to avoid the site.

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Published
January 7, 2019
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