Sacramento Hiking trail and Anchors of the wreck. 27th April 2021.

 

Sacramento Hiking trail and Anchors of the wreck.   27th April 2021.  

We are a group of nearly 50 walking today.   The biggest group that we have ever been.   This is due to the fact that I allow more than normal before shutting off the group.   The reason is that today is a particularly low tide and we want to be able to find the Anchors of the Sacramento Wreck.   

The Sacramento is a ship that sailed from Portugal to China in 1647.   The ship was loaded with Canon for king Juan of Portugal when it returned and it then struck rocks on the shore at Schoenmakerskop and the ship was completely wrecked.   There were 72 survivors who then started hiking to Mocambique.   Of the 72 who survived the shipwreck, just 9 made it to Lorenco Marques after 6 months.  A distance of about 1300km.   Some of the survivors had met up with locals and made a new home while others had met up with other shipwreck survivors.   The Anchors of the Sacramento lie in the shallow waters of the beach between Schoenmakerskop and Sardinia Bay.  This section of beach is known as the Sacramento Trail.  

We meet at the Canon at Schoenmakerskop at 8.15am and start walking at 8.30am.   Janine is meeting us at the view site.   Janine has seen these Anchors before and knows where to find them.   She identifies the point where they are and then we continue walking towards Sardinia Bay.   We are early for the lowest low tide of the day.   It is a long strung out group but everyone seems to have fun on the walk.   

Faye is in front and stops just before the beach of Sardinia Bay.   We turn around and walk back to where we had hoped to find the Anchors.   Fortunately Paul is there with his family and he takes me into the water to find them.   The Anchors are clearly there when you know what you are looking for.   But if you did not know it, you may be standing on them and not know what you were standing on.   They are about 20 meters into the water.  The tide is low but each time the waves come we are nearly washed into the water.   As the waves recede then we can see them clearly.   

A wonderful day with special friends.   Alerheia, Carin & Johan,  Ayanda & Lily,  Vanessa, Bev, Almarie & Liezel,   Brenda and Vicki,   Chantel & Elvira,   Charmaine & Stephanie,   Chris,  Christine & Jacqui,   Faye,  Gillian & Madeleine,  Hayley,  Janny,  Liesl,  Lucille and Noeksie,  Myriam.  Ritva & Jenny,   Sally P & Sally K,   Kate, Joseph, Luke, Ruben and Mosa,    Grace & Omphile,  Claire,  Glynette,  Barbara,  Cheryl,  Sonja,  Colleen, Brittany and Brenda,  And Benny.   47 people who were on the beach and hiking trail.   Enjoying this wonderful day and sunshine.    Well done everyone.

On the upper Sacramento Trail 

Getting washed away when the waves come 

Lynn;  Aletheia and Carin sit on the Anchors

In Deep Waters

Kate and Mosa

Peter and Janny.   

Our group on the beach where the Anchors are

Standing on the Anchors

Here you can clearly make out the shaft and a right hand blade of the Anchor

Christine and Jacqui

Lily; Ayanada & Peter

Look carefully and you see the shaft of the Anchor and the right hand blade slightly out of the water

Here I am.  Delighted to have found the Anchors.  Standing on the Shaft

Gillian points out that she has found the Anchor

Celebration time with Lily; Sally; Gillian; Grace and Chris

We had to support each other each time a wave would wash up

Madelein is Gillians sister.  She is here to visit while their Mother is not in good health

At the Sacramento Restaurant after the walk. 

Dancing in the water. 

Not exactly sure who is supporting who 

I make my way out of the water. 

At the end of the hike.  a bit of a celebration. 

Ayanda and Janny having fun. 

Lynn is proof that you do not have to be a teen to have fun.  Sitting on a blade

A beach full of people where the Anchors are found

Jenny; Ritva and myself.  

Grace has had a wonderful outing

Walking on the beach ....  good spirits

The tower marks the No Fishing zone.  And the monument to the Sacramento 

The beach is crowded with our group hiking to Sardinia Bay.