The story of the wrecking of the Zeewijck in 1727, although not as dramatic as that of the Batavia nor as fascinating as that of the Vergulde Draeck, is nevertheless, one of the most remarkable sagas in the annals of maritime history.

At about 7.30 in the evening of 9 June the VOC ship Zeewijck, with a crew of 212, ran violently onto Half Moon Reef, which skirts the western side of the Pelsaert Group, the southernmost reefs and islands of the Houtman Abrolhos off the coast of Western Australia.

Using the ship’s long boat Captain Jan Steijns ferried 96 survivors to nearby Gun Island. However, 30 people chose to remain on the wreck that somehow was able to hold together on the reef. They remained there for nearly five months.  On these islands the survivors found wells dug by human hands, edible vegetables and parts of a wreck of a Dutch ship.

On the 10th July, 12 men sailed to Batavia in the Zeewijck's long boat but were never seen again. Possibly, they too might have become marooned on the mainland.

By the end of October, the Zeewijck castaways concluded that the longboat could not have reached Batavia, as otherwise a relief ship would have appeared before then. Left with very few options they made the courageous decision to construct a small ship from the wreckage.

They set to work and a smaller vessel which they called Sloepje was completed in a little over four months, an amazing achievement, considering the extraordinarily difficult circumstances.  

On 26 March 1728 Sloepje, with 88 survivors on board, set sail for Batavia. Although six died during the month long voyage, 82 survivors made it back to Batavia reaching it on 30 April 1728. 

They had been marooned for nine months!

The survivors managed to salvage all ten money chests from the wreck, taking them to Gun Island in the first instance and then onto Sloepje. 

This was a remarkable feat, given the disintegrating state of the wreck and the fact that the total weight of the chests was more than 3 tonnes.

Read more about the Zeewijck at the Western Australian Maritime Museum website.