Storm off Cape Town
On Monday 1st August 1825, while in the South Atlantic at Lat 38.24S Long 55.41E, the Warren Hastings was severely damaged in a Storm.

Monday August 1st: Fresh gale with hard squalls increasing at midnight to a hard gale with very violent & long continued gusts with rain. At half past 7am a sudden shift to the SSW 7 much more moderate, cloudy weather. A very heavy sea. Ship rolling deep.

Tuesday August 2nd: Moderate breezes in the first & latter parts ---- in the middle mostly fine weather. Sick List 5 men. Employed as necessary. Carpenter & Caulker caulking in the bow ports & overhauling the butts on the top sides. Sailmaker on the 3rd Main Top sail.

Wednesday August 3rd: Moderate breeze increasing in the latter parts – cloudy weather. Discovered that the Beam in the after part of the main hatchway in the hold to be considerably sunk & the stanchions in the Orlop Deal immediately above it & this one abaft to be out of their mortices & fallen. I immediately went below with the Officers & Carpenter & inspected it when we found sunk about 1½ ins amidships, considerably more in the Quarters & the ends apparently sprung, having fallen from the knees at the end bolts. – Immediately set the Carpenter & his crew to work to secure it with shores in the best manner we thought practicable for the present. Cast loose the booms and got out a Teak Jib Boom for the purpose.

People employed clearing the upper part of the main hold for the Carpenter – sent down the Jib Boom & secured it athwart the hold, below the sprung beam & fixed shores as a temporary support to it.

Thursday August 4th: Increasing in the first part to a fresh gale with very violent gusts – latterly more moderate – a high sea running. Carpenter employed in the hold fixing the shores more securely & adding others in the best way practicable & cleating the Heads of the stanchions in the Orlop deck.

Upon inspecting the injury sustained & upon questioning the Carpenter on the subject it is my opinion that it would be highly improper to trust to any partial repair we can effect at sea. I therefore deemed it my duty to call a consultation of my Officers as to the propriety of deviating from the prescribed route for the purpose of getting the Damage effectively reprised & after pointing out to them my reasons for supposing it would be necessary to do so (for which see the minutes taken on the occasion) I received their opinions in writing, which unanimously coincided with my own – it was decided we should proceed to Penang where we could procure assistance & materials & ascertain the extent of the Injury.

The erratic course the Warren Hastings took in the storm.

It is clear that she was difficult to manage as she limped towards Penang. While attempting to enter Penang there was an incident with the ship Windsor:-

Saturday continued: At 2pm The Island of Point Penang a head dist.10 or 12 leagues. At 4.40pm Point Bounting N74E. Extreme of Queda from N80E to S83E. At 5.40pm Point Bounting N61E. Point Penang SEbS. At midnight upon nearing the shipping it fell suddenly calm & the tide running strong the Ship became unmanageable in her steerage & came in contact with Hon’ble Comp’ys Ship Windsor & carried away our Flying Jib boom – Fore Top Gallant mast & Larboard Whisker, swung clear of her & anchored in 14 fms.

The ship was patched up and continued on her journey to Whampoa, China, when she was hit a Typhoon at Lat 5.55N Long 99.34E. Typhoon off China

Thursday October 20th: Fresh southerly gale in the first part middle & latter increasing & veering to the SE with very high cross sea running which makes us roll deep.

Friday October 21st: First part a brisk gale from the SE & cloudy weather. At 1.30pm it increased suddenly to a strong typhoon which fortunately moderated a little at 6am – but still continued blowing a heavy gale throughout – with rain & very thick weather – a tremendous high sea running. In the storm our Top sail sheets went, split Fore & Main which immediately blew all to atoms, the loss of sail caused the Ship to roll very heavy & in a deep lurch carried away our Main Top mast – Cut away the wreck to save the Main mast. Kept the pumps going.

The erratic course the Warren Hastings took in the typhoon.