Cape Colombine Lighthouse, Paternoster

                                                          

                 Japie Greeff's last station ...  

                                                          Keep the Light Burning Bright ...

 

Acknowledgement: Suzanne-Jo Leff Patterson

Japie Greeff: In Memoriam

 

                                           Japie Greeff at Cape Columbine Lighthouse

Photo: Keri Harvey – www.keri-harvey.com

Japie Greeff, veteran South African lighthousekeeper and contributor to these pages, sadly passed away yesterday morning. He will be much missed by all who knew him as will his wonderful stories about his life as a Keeper at various lighthouses along our dangerous coastline.

Keep the Light Shining Bright, Japie.  Totsiens.

Lighthouse hauntings 2

Lighthouse Keeper Japie Greeff (currently at Cape Columbine light) shares an unusual encounter with us;

‘I was stationed at Cape Point Light from 1990 to mid-1993 and I very soon became aware of a little girl, about nine years old, who would often appear in the sitting room with me when I was watching television in my cottage. She was a dear, sweet little girl and would come and sit in the chair next to me and quietly watch television with me.  

Many times I attempted to find out who this little girl had been.

Was she the daughter of a Lighthouse Keeper?  If so, which Lighthouse Keeper?

Perhaps the daughter of a Captain from one of the ships of old, lying wrecked on the shore?  Which Captain?  Which ship?

Might it have been the Lusitania?  Eight people died when a lifeboat capsized from Lusitania, could this little girl have been one of those lost souls aboard the lifeboat?

What year did she pass away and under what circumstances?   

All these questions lay unanswered as no-one knew anything about the history which surrounded her.  I tried in vain to discover something about my dear little sweetheart and all I know, and can tell you, is that she was an endearing and gentle little soul.

To this day she still remains at the Cape Point Lighthouse and forever in my heart.’

Cape Columbine Lighthouse, Paternoster, West Coast, South Africa

CAPE COLUMBINE LIGHTHOUSE  

Paternoster, West Coast, South Africa

Latitude   32° 49’ 39” S      Longitude   17 ° 51’ 23” E

Senior Lighthouse Keeper - Japie Greeff

Lighthouse Official - Wayne Brown

Standing on the ship’s bridge with the consistent rise and fall of the ocean swell, one looks landward and sees a windswept headland. This massive granite boulder is Castle Rock and, clinging like a limpet on the rock, stands the comforting sight of the uniquely-designed Cape Columbine Lighthouse, commanding sweeping views across the Atlantic Ocean.  For those on the bridge of a ship, or a sailor at the helm of his fishing boat or yacht, this tall, buttressed tower and powerful light, provides a dependable guardian for this treacherous section of coastline.

The Cape Times edition of 5 October 1936, reported,

‘There is no part of the South African coastline more dreaded by mariners than the uncertainties of Paternoster, for there are more hidden dangers than at any other locality. Heavy gales and a dangerous and confused sea are encountered through many months in the year and when the wind is not blowing, a fog obscures the whole coastline.’  

I recently had the great pleasure of meeting both Japie Greeff and Wayne Brown in the lighthouse on Castle Rock.  Japie, a man of strong character and integrity, proud and serious, is totally committed to duty, yet with a delightful sense of humour.  Having been a dedicated Lighthouse Keeper for the past 40 years and one of the last to man a light, Japie has made a substantial contribution by providing safety to yachts, fishermen and ships.  The light has guided them with their precious cargoes, passengers and crew when navigating the long, rugged and often extremely dangerous South African coastline.

Reflected in his face were his many proud years of endurance and resolve. The harsh realities of isolation and loneliness, danger and wild weather, and on occasion, shipwrecks and loss of lives, tests one’s courage and strength of character.

Japie entered the Lighthouse Service on 2 July 1979 at Diaz Point Lighthouse, Lüderitz, Namibia. In subsequent years, he was stationed at Dassen Island, Cape Recife, Cape Point and Pelican Point and took charge as Senior Lighthouse Keeper at Green Point Natal, Cape St Lucia and Cape Columbine. Some of these stations were very isolated and, essential to all Lighthouse Keepers, was the support of family and colleagues, with occasional visits from friends. Keeping constant vigil, exposing him to many unexpected and different situations, his duties would have ensured the searching beams of the lighthouses uninterruptedly swept out across the sea, guiding mariners along their coastal routes.

After chatting with Japie, he introduced us to Wayne, his Lighthouse Assistant, who had been his colleague for many years.  Of interest too, in the visitor reception, were the glass-fronted cabinets displaying Japie’s model aircraft, which had been assembled and painted as a hobby during the free hours in his days.  Our party, including my husband and his cousin, was privileged to be taken on a tour of the immaculately kept and lovingly cared-for interior of the tower.  Everywhere exuded a pride in presentation.

Japie led the way into an inclined passageway of highly polished, wide, green, stairs, connecting the Lighthouse reception room/shop to the foot of the Lighthouse.  The ceiling was gleaming; varnished wood and the side walls were hung with numerous identically-framed photos of various South African Lighthouses. As an aside, Cape Columbine Lighthouse (80m above sea level) was designed by H.C. Cooper, who also designed Cooper Light on the Bluff in Durban (137m). 

Our first stop was the foghorn compressor room with the original equipment which, unfortunately is no longer operational, but still enjoys attention shown in the immaculately maintained paintwork.  A modern electrical foghorn is erected on a large tower a short distance from the lighthouse. An Automatic Identification System (AIS), a tracking system for identifying and locating vessels by electronically exchanging data, is installed in the tower, making this the first Lighthouse to have had all three technologies – light, foghorn and AIS - installed during construction. The foghorn is a critical safety component when the dense West Coast fog rolls in. For those sailors finding themselves enclosed by this all-enveloping fog, the regular, haunting sound of the foghorn will guide them away from the dangers of the shoreline. One appreciates that this warning will have saved many lives along this coastline. Thinking of the past, we remember the drowned sailors and unfortunate castaways whose ghosts may still wander the coastline.

The first two levels in the lighthouse are accessed by steep, narrow wooden ladders with no handrails and a trapdoor set into each floor.  As we climbed step-by-step, we were following what each Keeper had been doing day-after-day, whilst going about their duties since October 1936. 

At the second level, we continued our climb up the short, steel, spiral staircase into the lantern room where highly polished brass fittings gleamed and the sun’s ray’s refracted rainbows of colour within the multi-layered Fresnel lens. Gone were the days when the Keeper had to polish the many individual lenses regularly, after being coated with black soot from the burning oil.  Today, the brilliance of the lens, so devotedly cared for, scattered light from the sunbeams streaming through the windows of the lantern room.

At an elevation of 80m above sea level, we had an exceptional and expansive view across the Atlantic Ocean to the clear line of the horizon. One wanted time to stand still as the captivating aura of the lighthouse set high above the ominous black shoreline rocks below, contrasted with the picturesque miles-long white beach as well as the stark inland landscape.  Our imagination took us to the months ahead, when the semi-desert dunes would be transformed by the seasonal blossoming of the desert flowers, transforming this dramatic landscape into a colourful pageant of flowers.

Thank you Japie for a most memorable experience.

Suzanne-Jo Leff Patterson

Footnote:

SV Columbine the British wooden sailing ship launched in 1824, was on a voyage from London to the new British colony of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, with a cargo of mixed goods, beads and religious books. On 31 March 1829 the Columbine ended her days of voyaging when, in the middle of the night she was storm-driven onto the reef 1.5 km north of Cape Columbine Lighthouse.

Cape Columbine Lighthouse

Date commissioned:  1 October 1936

Architect/builder:  HC Cooper

Primary structure material of construction:  Square masonry tower painted white, with red lantern house.

Height of tower:  15 metres

Character of light:  One flash every 15 seconds

Heritage status:  Being older than 60 years, the lighthouse is protected under the National Heritage Resources Act 25 of 1999.

Inhabited/manned:  Yes (Keeper: Japie Greeff)

Open to public:  Yes

 

Cape Columbine Lighthouse is situated on a prominent headland 5km from the picturesque fishing village of Paternoster (“Our Father”), deriving its name from the heartfelt prayers of shipwrecked Portuguese sailors.  The lighthouse, which is built on rising ground at Castle Rock and is usually the first lighthouse sighted by shipping coming from South America and Europe, is about 30 km from Vredenburg on the West Coast.

 

The lighthouse was named after the barque Columbine which was wrecked there on 31 Mar 1829.  Several ships were wrecked in the area, which is known for its multitude of submerged rocks and reefs.

 

The Last of the South African Lighthouse Keepers: Unexpected Visitors 2

A series by Suzanne-Jo Leff Patterson

The little ghost of Cape Point Lighthouse

Latitude - 32° 21' 24’’ S.      Longitude - 18° 29' 12 '' E.

15^th century Portuguese explorer and navigator Bartolomeu Dias called this rocky peninsula Cabo Tormentosa – Cape of Storms.  It has always lived up to its reputation with many ships lying wrecked along these shores.

In 1860, the first lighthouse was erected at Cape Point at 238 metres above sea level, with the expectation that it would be visible very far out to sea.  Contrary to their hoped-for visibility, the light was too often covered by clouds and rolling mists.  For this reason, when the Portuguese liner, Lusitania, was wrecked in 1911, the decision was made to relocate the lighthouse to its current, lower position, at 87 metres above sea level.

Japie Greeff shares another unusual encounter with us;

‘I was stationed at Cape Point Light from 1990 to mid-1993 and I very soon became aware of a little girl, about nine years old, who would often appear in the sitting room with me when I was watching television in my cottage. She was a dear, sweet little girl and would come and sit in the chair next to me and quietly watch television with me.  

Many times I attempted to find out who this little girl had been.

Was she the daughter of a Lighthouse Keeper?  If so, which Lighthouse Keeper?

Perhaps the daughter of a Captain from one of the ships of old, lying wrecked on the shore?  Which Captain?  Which ship?

Might it have been the Lusitania?  Eight people died when a lifeboat capsized from Lusitania, could this little girl have been one of those lost souls aboard the lifeboat?

What year did she pass away and under what circumstances?   

All these questions lay unanswered as no-one knew anything about the history which surrounded her.  I tried in vain to discover something about my dear little sweetheart and all I know, and can tell you, is that she was an endearing and gentle little soul.

To this day she still remains at the Cape Point Lighthouse and forever in my heart.’

The Last of the South African Lighthouse Keepers: Unexpected Guests 1

 

A series by Suzanne-Jo Leff Patterson

Cape Recife Lighthouse (1851)

The squabble

Latitude - 34° 01' 44’’ S       Longitude - 25° 42' 04 '' E

As essential as the stars which glide across the night skies are guiding beacons to the mariner, so too are the sweeping beams from lighthouses as they guide mariners safely along their coastal paths to their ports of destination. Many a captain, on sighting a lighthouse after hours of darkness, wild weather and high seas, would have felt a profound sense of relief in knowing that the lighthouse was manned by a vigilant Lighthouse Keeper.

Christmas-time was no different, as mariners went about their business and Lightkeepers maintained their routines of performing their duties. 

Japie Greeff spent a number of Christmas seasons stationed at Cape Recife Lighthouse on the southern tip of Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape. The Head Lightkeeper on Christmas Day would often allow Keepers to lunch with their families and sometimes spend the rest of their shift at their cottages, but they knew they would always have to remain watchful to shipping movements.

Prior to the establishment of the manned light and often bathed in swirling mists and ghostly atmosphere, Cape Recife has claimed many victims on the deadly spine of rocks of Thunderbolt Reef, named after the steam-driven man o’ war, HMS Thunderbolt, which ran onto the reef in 1847.

During its lifetime, Cape Recife Light appears to have been an ill-fated Lighthouse and after Lighthouse Keeper G Feather resigned in 1855, a strange pattern emerged.  Subsequent to his departure, Lighthouse Keepers up until 1870 were appointed  . . .  then dismissed. Lighthouse Keeper A. Thompson resigned in 1871 and the Lightkeeper in 1872 absconded.  A number of Light Keepers between 1949 and 1972 died at the Lighthouse.  Added to this intrigue, although the date is unclear, but thought to be in the 1900s, three Lighthouse Keepers had a squabble whilst working on hoisted scaffolding and two of them fell to their deaths from the balcony of the tower.

Japie Greeff tells us of his own personal experiences whilst stationed at Cape Recife Lighthouse from 1986 – 1990. 

‘During my nightshift and after my hourly inspection had been completed around the buildings, I went back to my office and sat down in my chair to relax when I was startled by a loud bang.  I got up to investigate the origin of the noise and noticed the galvanised dustbin lid lying right across the other side of the building.  The dustbin itself was dancing from side-to-side, as if someone was trying to tip it over. I stood there in absolute disbelief. There was no explanation to account for this strange occurrence.  Suddenly, I was struck by the thought of those two Lighthouse Keepers who had died at Cape Recife, having fallen from a scaffold.  Could this be the two Keepers still squabbling?  I called their names out loud and said, ‘Leave me alone!  I am here to do my job as Lighthouse Keeper and I have no part in your difference of opinion.  If you wish to continue to be quarrelsome, go elsewhere!’  All was quiet for the rest of the shift!

The next day I told my colleague about the night’s disturbances and he just smiled and said that he would often go out and tell them to shut up!

I soon became familiar with this ‘ghost business’ as these two could not settle down to each other.’

Will we ever know what caused the dissatisfaction?  Why were these two still in a state of quarrelsome disagreement?

Just perhaps, this Christmas, it may come to pass that these two Lighthouse Keepers will put their history behind them and find harmony and agreement, or perhaps, they are already well on their way to resolving their discord by amicably agreeing to disagree in the mistiness of Cape Recife Lighthouse.

The Last of the South African Lighthouse Keepers: Japie Greeff cont.

Japie Greeff
Photo: Keri Harvey – www.keri-harvey.com

Cape St Lucia Lighthouse and the Jolly Rubino

On a densely wooded sand dune, the Cape St Lucia Lighthouse rises 113 metres above the sea.  Erected in 1906, it is one of the oldest lighthouses on the Zululand Coast.

Reinforced yet again, is the all-important role of manned Lighthouses and the enormous contribution Keepers have made to the safety of all those at sea. Japie’s recollection involves the loss of the Jolly Rubino whilst stationed at Cape St Lucia Lighthouse.

The Jolly Rubino was a 31,262 tonne deadweight Italian-flagged Ro-Ro vessel, which caught fire off Richards Bay in 2002 and drifted helplessly towards the St Lucia Sanctuary, a proclaimed world heritage site. This caused grave concern to environmental authorities, particularly as her cargo included a range of hazardous chemicals. The Jolly Rubino, en route from Durban to Mombasa, ran aground just northeast of the Cape St Lucia Lighthouse, where Japie was stationed.

“On 11^th September 2002, my wife and I were watching the TV, when news came of a ship on fire just off Richards Bay. I said to my wife, ‘Here comes trouble. That ship will wash ashore close to the Lighthouse and sink.’ My wife didn’t believe me and said that my predictions were wrong and the ship would sink before it reached the Lighthouse.

The next morning I was pumping fuel for the generators when my wife called me and said that the Port Captain was on the phone and wanted to talk to me urgently. I rushed to the phone and the Port Captain told me to be on the lookout for this Italian ship and to closely monitor her movements, because she was drifting in the direction of the Lighthouse!

With a huge smile on my face, I turned to my wife and said to her that she owed me an apology, because the ship was drifting to the Lighthouse! I finished pumping fuel and at 10 o’clock I began to monitor the ship’s movements.

During the course of the night and in stormy weather, the Master, Officers and crew of Jolly Rubino, were airlifted off the ship, but unfortunately the ship’s dog was nowhere to be found.

People began visiting the Lighthouse, interested to see what would happen to the ship, which, by this time, was heading for the beach, just north-east of the Lighthouse, where she later ran aground in adverse weather conditions.

The next morning, the salvage tug Wolraad Woltemade arrived and salvage arrangements were being made. Jolly Rubino’s position was being monitored by the Anchor Handler ‘Pentow Service’ and the oil pollution abatement vessel Kuswag I, remained in the vicinity. 'Kuswag VII' the oil pollution patrol aircraft, regularly flew over the scene.

SMIT Salvage was awarded the salvage contract and I became good friends with the team. It was at this time that my son had just finished high school and the salvage company offered him some casual employment. It was thrilling for him as he and the team were airlifted by helicopter from Richards Bay airfield to the Jolly Rubino.

My wife, our two daughters and I, watched his helicopter fly past the Lighthouse and hover above the ship to offload the team. Suddenly, a heavy duty sack or sugar bag came loose and hit the tail rotor of the helicopter and the helicopter fell onto the deck of the Jolly Rubino and burst into flames!

My wife and daughters were in tears and screaming at me to do something. I immediately reached for the phone and contacted the SMIT team, who urgently contacted a standby helicopter and within 25 minutes all the team members were rescued and flown to hospital.  It was a miracle that there were no fatalities that day.

The suddenness and seriousness of that situation made us realise how short life is and how much all of us take it for granted.”

Undoubtedly, due to the co-ordinated and speedy response to the vessel’s crisis by all parties acting cohesively, potential huge environmental damage was avoided.

Footnote:  

News Report - 16 September 2002: 

Burnt Bella gets shipshape 

The ship’s dog was rescued from the burning Jolly Rubino on Friday by the Smit Salvage Team and is under veterinary care and doing well.

Bella (Italian for "beautiful"), as she is now known, had badly burnt paws and the Veterinarian treating Bella, said that it was a miracle she had not suffocated from the smoke. Staff had washed oil and diesel from her body.

Bella, whose real name was said to be Chicca, was sent back to her homeland and owners, on the sister ship Jolly Esmeraldo, some several weeks later once she had recovered.

A series by Suzanne-Jo Leff Patterson

October 2015

The Last of the South African Lighthousekeepers: Japie Greeff

 A series by Suzanne-Jo Leff Patterson - 2015, October

Japie Greeff at Cape Columbine Lighthouse
Photo: Keri Harvey – www.keri-harvey.com

In another of his anecdotes, Japie Greeff, who is currently stationed at Cape Columbine Lighthouse, continues to delight us with his interesting recollections of his first involvement with a sea rescue, whilst he was stationed at Cape Point Lighthouse.  

 I was on the morning shift and just about to be relieved, when a radio   broadcast came through from Cape Town Radio of a storm warning, reporting a north-westerly gale gusting to 50 knots with heavy swells up to 8 meters. Fishing vessels were at sea catching crayfish near Cape Hangklip, which is approximately ten miles off Cape Point.  The skippers, on hearing this warning, made ready to head directly for the nearest harbour. 

 Facing large swells and roaring winds whilst returning to a safe harbour, suddenly, without warning, one of the fishing vessels suddenly sprang a leak in the bow.  A hull plank had been battered loose and the vessel started taking water – fast! I radioed the skipper and told him to swing to stern and keep steaming astern towards the Lighthouse, whilst I notified the South African Navy. It was necessary for me to call upon the Navy, as the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) vessel would not have been able to handle these conditions. The Navy immediately deployed a Strike Craft and despite battling heavy swells and high seas, their excellent team work and co-ordination, had the fishing crew rescued and taken back to safety within two hours! 

 Some weeks later, we met with the rescued skipper and his crew for drinks at the Ski Boat Club. He told us they were so grateful for the fast response from all involved in rescuing them from such dangerous seas, but unfortunately, their fishing boat had been lost when it sank just next to the Lighthouse.  

 Whilst under the threat of sinking and struggling to save his boat, the skipper could not believe that the simple maneuver I had instructed him to follow, of turning his ship to stern to avoid the bow taking excessive water, had saved all their lives.