Malta & Gozo · Malta · Wreck · Artificial reef
P29 Patrol Boat
A 52 m minesweeper with her superstructure 12 m down
Area photo: Michaela Yos Niki Loxa · CC BY 4.0
An East German Kondor I-class minesweeper that ended her working life as a Maltese patrol boat and was scuttled off Ċirkewwa in 2007 to make a dive site. She sits upright on sand at 34 m, a shore dive 150 m off Ċirkewwa. Just under 52 m long, she has her highest point 12 m below the surface and a dip under the bow to 37 m, and openings were left in the hull for penetration.
Also known as P29 Wreck, Boltenhagen, GS09.
Where it is and how deep
35.9878° N, 14.3286° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
From the Ċirkewwa entry the swim out is about 150 m, and two markers on the way make the navigation easier: first a memorial stone on the sand, then an old anchor in the seagrass. The wreck sits upright on her keel with her stern nearest the coast and her bow pointing out to sea, so you meet her stern first. Her highest point is 12 m down and the sand around the hull is at 34 m.
Take the deep part first. The machine gun on the bow was left in place when she was scuttled and is the most visited spot on the wreck, and a dip in the seabed under the bow reaches 37 m. Then work back along the open deck and up past the bridge and radar mast, finishing on the superstructure rather than yo-yoing between levels. Bream and chromis circle the superstructure and draw in amberjack, and nudibranchs and fireworms hide in the weed growing from every crack.
Openings were left all over the hull for experienced divers. Swim-throughs run from mid-wreck to the bow, a shorter route enters by the stern, and more than one deck can be entered; the lower deck still has its switchboards and circuit breakers labelled in the original German. Quarters are often tight and there is very little light below deck, so going inside takes a torch and Wreck Diver certification.
Ċirkewwa supplies the rest of the dive. The same entry point serves underwater cliffs, caves and tunnels and an arch that reaches the seabed at 27 m, and the MV Rozi, scuttled here in 1992, lies close by, so a second dive rarely needs a change of entry. It is one of the most visited dive areas in the Maltese Islands and you should expect other groups working the same structure.
The wreck
- Vessel
- P29, ex-Boltenhagen
- Type
- Kondor I-class minesweeper, later patrol boat
- Length
- 51.98 m (171 ft)
- Built
- 1970
- Sunk
- 2007
- Cause
- Decommissioned in 2004 and scuttled as a dive site and artificial reef
- Lies
- Upright on her keel on sand at 34 m, about 150 m off Ċirkewwa, stern towards shore and bow to sea; highest point 12 m down
P29 was laid down as Boltenhagen at the Peenewerft shipyard in Wolgast on 8 October 1969, launched on 22 May 1970 and commissioned that September. She patrolled the river banks between East and West Germany and served as a minesweeper. Malta bought her in 1997, rejoining sister ships Ueckermünde and Pasewalk purchased in 1992, and she worked against smuggling and on border control until she was decommissioned in 2004. The Malta Tourism Authority bought her in 2005, and she was scuttled off Ċirkewwa on 14 August 2007 as a dive site and artificial reef.
Marine life and season
- Trevally & jacks
- Nudibranchs
- Squid
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair |
Season follows Malta & Gozo: Jun–Sep is the main season, with the sea averaging 21–26 °C; it never drops below 14 °C, so diving carries on through the winter.
Know before you go
- The seabed is at 34 m and the dip under the bow at 37 m, so no-stop time is short. Agree a turn depth before you descend and keep the deep part of the dive at the start.
- Swim-throughs inside are tight and dark below deck. Enter only with Wreck Diver certification and a torch, and turn back where the passage narrows.
- This is one of the most visited dive areas in the islands and several groups are often on the same wreck. Carry a light and keep visual contact with your buddy around the superstructure.
Dive videos
Scuba Diving the P29 Patrol Boat Wreck - Cirkewwa Malta · scubavidz on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is the P29 wreck in Malta?+
She sits upright on sand at 34 m, with a dip under the bow to 37 m, and her highest point is 12 m below the surface. The hull is advanced-level depth with a short no-stop time; the superstructure can be worked shallower.
Can you go inside the P29 wreck?+
Yes, with Wreck Diver certification and a torch. Openings were left for penetration: swim-throughs run from mid-wreck to the bow, a shorter one enters by the stern, and the lower deck still has switchboards labelled in German. The passages are tight and dark.
Is the P29 a shore dive?+
Yes. She lies about 150 m off Ċirkewwa at Malta's northern tip, reached by swimming out past a memorial stone on the sand and an old anchor in the seagrass. The same entry serves the MV Rozi and the Ċirkewwa arch.
What was the P29 before she was sunk?+
A Kondor I-class minesweeper launched in East Germany as Boltenhagen in 1970, which patrolled the inner-German border. Malta bought her in 1997 and ran her as patrol boat P29 against smuggling until 2004. She was scuttled on 14 August 2007.
Sources
- Maltese patrol boat P29 — Wikipedia
- Ċirkewwa — Wikipedia
- MV Rozi — Wikipedia
- The P29 Patrol Boat — New Dimension Scuba
- The P29 Patrol Boat Wreck — Divewise Malta
- P29 wreck – Cirkewwa — Malta Dive Sites
- P29 Wreck in Cirkewwa — Bluewaves Watersports
In The Logbook
- Malta and Gozo wreck diving, by depth and monthWrecks · 10 min read
- Ships sunk on purpose, and where to dive themWrecks · 14 min read
- Cheapest places to scuba dive, and the catchTrip planning · 15 min read
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