List of shipwrecks of Southland

There is a long history of shipwrecks and vessels capsizing or being lost in the seas around the Southland Region of New Zealand. The worst incident was on 29 April 1881, when the SS Tararua struck Otara reef off Waipapa Point. Of the ship's 151 passengers, only 20 survived. This incident is the worst maritime disaster for civilian vessels in New Zealand's history. The disaster led to the establishment of a lighthouse at Waipapa Point. Serious incidents with multiple fatalities have continued into the 21st century, and the Bluff Coastguard is often called upon to assist vessels in distress in Foveaux Strait.

Foveaux Strait

ShipFlag Sunk Date Location Description Fatalities Reference(s)CoordinatesUnknown1836Wreckage between Passage Islands and Toetoes BayUnknown ship of about 300 tonsUnknownUnknown1858Struck the sandbar between Aparima River beach and Steep Island"Wedding boat" of eight or ten tons6+Jack Frost1864Lost going from Bluff to Melbourne. Sheltered from a hurricane off Stewart Island and not seen again. Wreckage found at Doughboy Bay, Stewart Island and Chalky Inlet.American ship built in 1857allJohnAbandoned at Invercargill59 foot wooden two-masted schooner. Previously wrecked at Tasmania in 1852.nilCutter No 2Lost going from Invercargill to Bluff to refloat Scotia, found and taken in tow by Electra, then abandoned due to rising water.LighternilJames Daly1866Waikawaschooner3Laughing Water1870SW of Pahia Point411 ton wooden barque1Unknown 1875off OrepukiWhaleboat3Unknownoff OrepukiWhaleboat7The William Ackers1876Waipapa PointCargo Ship8Halcyon1877Engine failure at Orepuke in Te Waewae Bay34.55 tons gross, 24.35 tons net wooden twin-screw steamernilSarah Jane 1879Foveaux StraitCutter3Helen and JaneMussel Beach, Te Waewae Bay60 ton schoonernil SS Tararua 1881Otara Reef offshore of Waipapa PointPassenger steamer 131ArrowAnchor failure at Pahia10 ton cutternilLillie Denham 1883Sank near Bunker Island in Foveaux Strait31 tons gross, 21 tons net, wooden ketch-rigged screw steamernilMarie Ange1884Solander Island or Foveaux Strait275 ton iron barqueallChampion1885mouth of Paterson InletCutter, formerly a lifeboat on Champion of the Seas3Nellie1888 offshore of Dog Island12 ton fishing schooner1Star of Erin 1892Waipapa PointCargo ShipnilCamilleFoundered in Foveaux Strait after a pump failure221 ton brigantinenilPhiladelphia1898Wreckage at Orepuki1,710 ton steel full-rigged shipallAparima1899Colac Bay22 ton schoonernilIris1913Between Ruapuke Island and Bluff4 ton auxiliary cutter4Moana1923Monkey IslandFishing launchnilMararoa1930Foveaux StraitFishing launch2Black Cat1937Sank at oyster beds near Bluff after colliding with Rita28 tons gross, 9 tons net steamer. Previously called RiwakanilWaikouaiti1939South-east corner of Dog IslandCargo ShipnilHorouta1942Anchored at Raratoka Island (Centre Island), but dragged the anchor and went onto the northeast point of the island65 tons gross, 25 tons net, twin screw scow, originally a schooner-rigged scow.nilSea Mew1954Foveaux StraitFishing vessel1 Te Konini1955Ran aground in Colac Bay.48 foot fishing vesselnilReo Moana1959Foveaux Strait50 foot motor trawler3Madge1960Sank after engine trouble36 foot fishing vesselnilStar of the Sea1963Long Point, west of TuatapereFishing vessel1Cascade1967Capsized by a freak wave near Riverton / Aparima28 foot fishing vesselnilSeabird 1971Capsized in mountainous seas near Raratoka (Centre) IslandWooden fishing vesselnilGolden SprayOmaui IslandWooden fishing launch1Waimanu1973Driven ashore by a gail in Colac Bay. Two other fishing vessels were also driven ashore but did not suffer major damage.36 foot wooden fishing vesselnilMalibu1974Hit a submerged rock near Raratoka (Centre) Island40.6 foot fishing vesselnilZephus1977Colac Bay8.5 m fishing vesselnilCapri 1978Solander Island16 m wooden-hulled fishing vesselnilAoteamaFoveaux StraitWooden fishing vessel2Venus1980Struck an object near Ruapuke Island10.3 m fishing vesselnilManaroa1981Drifted onto Solander Island after a gear failure20.78 gross tons, 6.82 register tons wooden fishing vesselnilUnknown1984off Stirling PointDinghy2Cygnet1985Foveaux StraitFishing vessel3Rangi1987Foveaux StraitWooden fishing vessel2Linda Marie1988Foveaux StraitFishing vessel2Avenger1996Foveaux StraitFishing vessel2Waterlily1998Ruapuke Island48 foot launch, originally named DiggernilUnknown2001off Stirling PointDinghy1Unknown2010north of Dog IslandDinghy1Extreme 1 2012off Ruapuke IslandRecreational fishing vessel2ToreaGreen Island, near Ruapuke IslandFishing vesselnilMunetra2014Foveaux StraitYacht3Ayson2014off Stirling PointFishing vesselnilUnknown2024Capsized on Riverton barRecreational vessel3

Stewart Island

ShipFlag Sunk Date Location and notes Description Fatalities Reference(s)CoordinatesIndustry1831Easy Harbour, southwest Stewart IslandBrig17Workington1857Deliberately run aground at Smokey Cove due to a leaking hull150 ton BrignilLochinvar1863Beached at Halfmoon Bay but subsequently salvaged and later wrecked in Fiji in 1868199 ton BrignilPacific1864Paterson Inlet347 tun Full-rigged shipnilZephyr 1866Deliberately run aground in Paterson Inlet due to leaks. Salvaged and later wrecked in Bass Strait in 1882.SchoonernilAmherstTaking on water and managed to reach Port William before sinking93.1 foot wooden two-masted whaling brig. Later raised and reregistered.nilCalypsonear Port William152 ton Brig1Hannah1881Broad BayCutternilEmilie1890Disabled by a hurricane west of Puysegur Point and ran aground at the southern point of Stewart Island after drifting for five days.729 ton Barque9Eclipse1894off Paterson Inlet33 ton CutternilCavalier1901Mason Bay36 ton KetchnilThistle1903Halfmoon BayRacing cutternilHeather Bell1907Sealers Bay, Codfish Island / Whenua Hou26 ton CutternilRuahine1910Halfmoon Bay12 ton Auxiliary cutternilNautilus1911Manning's Bay. Previously wrecked on Whale Island in 1867 and salvaged.30 ton CutternilTwilight1929Based at Stewart Island. Missing, fate unknown.Wooden cutter3Kotare1931Paterson Inlet147 tons gross, 83 tons net Wooden steamernilValmai1951Edwards Island, one of the Tītī / Muttonbird IslandsKetch rigged fishing vesselnilInga1952Fishing launchnilNgaitahu1953East Ruggedy, northwest Stewart IslandFishing vessel1Radium1956Halfmoon BayLaunchnilSkylark1957South Cape / Whiore36 foot fishing vesselnilMaranui1960Halfmoon Bay37 foot fishing vesselnilLittle Glorynear Whero Island, Paterson InletFishing vesselnilLena1963Fishing vesselnilMarlboroughMokinui / Big Moggy Island40 foot fishing vesselnilChanceSouthwest coast of Stewart Island45 foot wooden fishing vesselnilScoutJohnsons Rock, north of Port Pegasus48 foot fishing vesselnilBritannia196458 foot wooden vessel, originally a schooner, converted to steam and then diesel.nilMarie1965Christmas Village Bay, northeast Stewart Island40 foot fishing vesselnilSea Hawk1966Bench Island, east of Stewart IslandFishing vesselnilHananui 1968Halfmoon Bay38 foot fishing vesselnilWestward HoWhite Rock, southeast Stewart Island45 foot fishing vesselnilCoral 197028 foot fishing vesselnilAwaruaLater refloated and the transom replaced. Still active at Bluff in 2008.37 foot fishing vesselnilMistralStruck a rock near Codfish Island / Whenua Hou and sank near Yankee River mouth41 foot wooden fishing vesselnilEvening Star1971South Cape, near Murphy Island47.5 foot wooden fishing vesselnilAndrea1972Tia Island, Port Adventure, eastern Stewart Island33 foot fishing vesselnilOlga1973Murray River9.75 m pleasure launch / trawler2Waikaremoana1974Whale Rock near Red Head22.97 gross tons, 11.91 register tons, fishing vesselnilSan Marie 1975Exploded and burnt near Murray River mouth52 foot fishing vesselnilSou WestFishing vesselnilSharon 1977Ernest Island, southeast Stewart Island22.90 gross tons, 9.12 register tons, fishing vesselnilIonaErnest Islands, west Stewart Island12.5 m fishing vesselnilHarbinger 1978Halfmoon Bay11.5 m fishing vesselnilKowhaiBroad Head, south Stewart Island25.35 gross tons, 6.97 register tons, wooden fishing vesselnilMapuaBreaksea Islands21.99 gross tons, 4.18 register tons, fibreglass fishing vessel3PerakiRammed by Psyche in Broad Passage (Big Ship Passage) between Pearl Island and Stewart Island11.8 gross tons, 8.35 register tons, wooden fishing vesselnilWyoming 1980Halfmoon Bay10.5 m fishing vesselnilMuritaiEdwards Island10.5 m fishing vesselnilNederburgCarter Passage, southeast of Halfmoon Bay11 m fishing vesselnilLinda Carol 1981Paterson InletFishing vesselnilSprayCodfish Island / Whenua Hou11.5 m fishing vesselnilBarend Jan9 m fishing vesselnilKomuri Rugged Islands, northwest Stewart Island13.35 gross tons, 4.86 register tons, wooden fishing vesselnilAnnie 1983Between Weka Island and Port Adventure13 m wooden fishing vesselnilSea Star 1987Seal Point near Port Pegasus14 m wooden fishing vesselnilDong Won 5291998Breaksea Islands68.4 m, 385 gross ton fishing vesselnilJohn A Settree1999Big Kuri Bay42 foot cutter, formerly a pleasure boatnilMarine Maid 2000Barclay Rock, east of Halfmoon Bay59 foot cargo vessel, former trawlernilM N SubritzkyNear Edwards Island11.58 m vesselnilBargara2003Hit a log nine miles from Codfish Island21.6 m fishing vesselnilKotuku2006Capsized near Womens Island12.8 m, 26 ton fishing vessel6Easy Rider 2012Capsized near Saddle Point38 foot fishing vessel8SecretDrifted into Horseshoe Bay after her moorings broke33 foot ketch, built in Horseshoe Bay in 1898nilSurest-7002013Grounded on rocks at Paterson Inlet. Ruptured fuel tanks spilled diesel.88 m fishing trawlernilHenerata2019Capsized while crossing Paterson InletWater taxinil

Bluff