Parowiec Hel (Steamer)

Little is known about this wreck. It lies near Hel harbour, on the depth of 63 meters on the bottom, and about 53 meters on the top of the bow. Due to unknown reasons, the wreck’s stern was crushed and buried in the muddy bottom, and the remaining part protrudes steeply, making an unforgettable impression. Most probably it used to be a German tugboat. On the top of the wheelhouse there is a well preserved, though covered in nets, wooden steering wheel. Also there, on the edge of the superstructure, lies a broken binnacle (compass) column. You can peek into the wheelhouse through one of the entrances on the sides. Inside the wheelhouse there is another steering wheel and a column with compass. On the bottom next to the wreck, a life raft can be seen.

 

In September 2024, the National Maritime Museum decided, that the binnacle from top of the wreck should be lifted to surface, renovated, and will join the museum's collection. The operation of lifting the binnacle was performed by Dive Land dive center in cooperation with me and other divers. In the gallery below you can see some photos of the binnacle and the removal operation.