Hel Peninsula · Poland · Wreck
Abille
An intact tug with a windlass and a skylight that looks into the hull
The Abille is a tugboat that lies in one piece on a flat seabed just southwest of the entrance to Hel's fishing port. It is a deep dive from the start, with the top of the wreck well below recreational limits for new divers. Divers come for an intact tug they can reach on a short boat ride, with a fixed line down to it.
Also known as Abilla, Les Abeilles.
Where it is and how deep
54.5941° N, 18.7910° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
A permanent downline runs to the highest point of the wreck, the roof of the wheelhouse at 36 m. From there the dive moves forward to the foredeck at 40 m, where the windlass sits beside a broken skylight that gives a view into the wreck. The tug, about 38 m long and 9 m wide, stands on a flat seabed with its keel at 49 m. The wreck is heavily covered in silt, but there are no loose nets on it.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Abille
- Type
- Tugboat
- Length
- 38 m (125 ft)
- Cause
- Unknown; the origin of the wreck is not recorded
- Lies
- In one piece on a flat seabed at 49 m, 0.5 nm southwest of Hel's fishing port
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good |
Season follows Hel Peninsula: Two bases stay open all year with no set peak; January to March is the coldest stretch, about 2 °C in March.
Know before you go
- The downline is often broken at the surface in summer because of heavy boat traffic in the season.
- A mild current occasionally runs over the wreck.
Dive videos
Abille - Hel 2009 · KonradDubiel on YouTube
Sources
- Abille — Dive Land Foundation
- Mapa wraków Bałtyku — divingbaltic.pl
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