The Wreck of the Santa Maria
Posted by: 
Juniper7
N 16° 12.217 W 022° 51.903
27Q E 300628 N 1792364
The wreck is 8km North East of Sal Rei and is well worth a visit. The easiest way is to go by 4WD vehicle, however it is possible to walk to the wreck but you will need to be properly equipped and carry plenty of water for the journey.
Waymark Code: WMBY2F
Location: Cabo Verde
Date Posted: 07/03/2011
Views: 19
The wreck is 8km North East of Sal Rei and is well worth a visit. The easiest way is to go by 4WD vehicle, however it is possible to walk to the wreck but you will need to be properly equipped and carry plenty of water for the journey, the walkers we witnessed were certainly working up a good sweat. The round trip is about 14kms or 4 ½ hours on foot in sweltering heat.
The Boa Esperança coast of the island of Boa Vista was renamed Atlanta beach in 1920, when a Scandinavian ship of the same name was lost on one of the rocky shallows that surround it. Its been reported that a party was taking place on board the three-mast sailing vessel when it ran aground.
Boa Esperança was renamed yet again September 1, 1968, when a Spanish cargo ship ran aground along the coast on its way to Brazil and Argentina, carrying varied cargo on board. The best efforts by the tugboat Damão, which was sent from São Vicente to try to dislodge the ship from where it had run aground were not enough to save the vessel from ruin.
in 1968 the means of communication on Cape Verde were still very limited, the newspaper Arquipélago reported that “In the early morning hours of September 1, on Atalanta beach, the cargo ship Cabo de Santa Maria has run aground...”
Removing the ship’s cargo mobilized a good part of the population of Boa Vista, as well as public employees and machine operators from other islands. At the time, even the Cape Verde Port Authority captain, Commander Limpo Serra, traveled to the scene of the accident to get a first-hand look at the situation. For nearly a year, machines and men worked on the unloading of the Cabo de Santa Maria. The traffic of people between the town of Sal Rei and the beach was heavy, and included children, mules and donkeys.
The Cabo Santa Maria carried a number of gifts from the Spanish Government of Francisco Franco to be given to those who had supported him during the economic crisis through which Spain had passed - on board were sports cars, food, medicine, machines, clothing, china, beverages, etc.
The wreckage of the Cabo de Santa Maria has become a symbol of Boa Vista and Cape Verde. A source of inspiration for painters, photographs of the ship illustrate articles, books, guides and magazines.
A visit to the wreckage is a must of any tour of Boa Vista.
Today its its easy to see that the entire structure of the ship will soon be eroded and collapse into the sea. After over 40 years of intense sun and the relentless pounding by the wind and waves, much of the rusting deck and hold have already disappeared.
Date of Shipwreck: 1st September 1968
Type of Boat: Other
Military or Civilian: Civilian
Cause of Shipwreck: Ran aground
Accessibility:
The wreck is 8km North East of Sal Rei and is well worth a visit. The easiest way is to go by 4WD vehicle, however it is possible to walk to the wreck but you will need to be properly equipped and carry plenty of water for the journey.
Diving Permitted: no
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Visit Instructions:
Only log the site if you have visited it personally.
Floating over a site does not qualify as a find if it is a wreck that requires diving - you must have actually visited the site - therefore photos of the site are good.