MERCEDES
Freighter class ship 194′ long with a 30.6′ beam in 97′ Her wreckage is twisted in two pieces with large gaping holes. Penetration is tricky, so watch out for entanglement. The midship is collapsed except for the gasoline truck bodies. Despite the damage to the wreckage it is still a great fish haven with a colorful history.
This freighter was built in Hamburg, Germany, in 1952.On November 23, 1984, a powerful storm ripped the freighter from her anchor and the storm left the Mercedes I high and dry on the beach up against the sea wall of Palm Beach socialite, Mollie Wilmot, who owns the house next to the Kennedy family compound. The owners of the Mercedes abandoned her, leaving the state to have to pull her off the beach.
Because the Mercedes landed on one of the most expensive stretches of beach, the media frenzy made her famous. The ship was then purchased by the Broward County Environmental Control Board and prepared for sinking as an artificial reef.
QUICK FACTS:
- Type: Wreck
- Min. Depth: 60ft. / 18m
- Max. Depth: 90 ft. / 27m
- Skill Level: Advanced Open Water Diver
- Location: (See Map Below)