Nieuwe Haerlem wrecked in Table Bay

On 25 March 1647 the Dutch East India Company ship Nieuwe Haerlem, sailing from Batavia towards the Netherlands, was wrecked in Table Bay after being separated from its fleet. Most of the accompanying crew departed with other ships, while a party led by the junior merchant Leendert Jansz remained to guard salvaged cargo and complete the recovery operation. The survivors built a fortified camp near the wreck and stayed at the Cape until a returning fleet rescued them in 1648.

Jansz’s surviving journal and related archival documents record the practical work of the camp, including the salvage of cargo and correspondence with passing ships and VOC authorities. The wreck itself is a distinct event from the survivors’ year-long occupation, which is treated in the related record.

Significance

The wreck created a documented, extended Dutch presence at Table Bay whose practical experience informed later VOC plans for a station.