Bay of Storms and Tavern of the Seas: The Role of Risk in the Maritime Cultural Landscape of the Cape Town Harbour

Abstract

Until the opening of the Suez Canal, the passage around the Cape of Good Hope was one of the most important shipping routes in the world. The passage, however, became known for its characteristic storms that devastated shipping at the main port of call in Table Bay and developed the area’s reputation as the Bay of Storms. This chapter examines the way the British government at the Cape managed the risks associated with using Table Bay from 1806 to 1910. An amalgamation of social theory and recent archaeological approaches of risk analysis are used to examine how risk is evident in the cultural landscape of Cape Town harbour. Combinations of statistical and geospatial analyses are added to illustrate the maritime risks of using Table Bay during the selected time frame and visualize the behavioural responses to risk in the historic landscape. It is ultimately argued that the historical development of the harbour at Cape Town was intrinsically linked to the concept of risk and risk management.