Shipwrecks 

Traveling at the sea, Shipwreck was the worst case of maritime trading. When the ships wrecked, not only the cargos but also the people would then fall into the sea and sank. The sea soon became their last resting place.

 

What caused shipwrecks?

 

Internal factors (which could be avoided by improvements):

• Incompetence of the crew

 

External factors (which could not be avoided and predicted):

• Piracy

• Poor weather such as typhoon

• Inadequate statistical information of the locations of reefs

 

Where did the shipwrecks mostly happen?

 

• Lei Yue Mun <Piracies>

• Kap Shui Mun <Piracies>

• The channels on the east and the west of the Harbour <Piracies>

• The Paracel Islands(located at around 200 miles southeast of Hainan, in the middle of the main shipping route between Hong Kong and Singapore) [1]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1] The Paraceals were regarded as dangerous places for maritime navigation in the middle of the main shipping route between Hong Kong and Singapore. The islands include 26 reefs and many of its islets will only be above water at low tide. When the sea is rough, waves will break over the reefs and it is difficult to tell where they are, endangering the ships passing by.