South Funen Archipelago · Denmark · Wreck
Skansen
A dredger that went down while working on a lighthouse
The Skansen is a Dutch-built dredger that sank on 30 September 1978 while carrying stones to the Højbjerg E lighthouse in the Langelands Belt. It is one of the easiest wrecks in the belt to find, lying beside the lighthouse foundations, and one of the most recent, still largely intact apart from its removed bridge and mast.
Also known as The Skansen.
Where it is and how deep
54.8783° N, 10.8350° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The wreck lies close to the west side of the lighthouse foundations with its bows pointing north, between 14 and 18 m. Divers can drop into the hold, where a fish or two may hide, or swim into the wheelhouse; behind it the funnel is beautifully overgrown, like the rest of the ship.
The stern is intact, often hung with fishing lures on the remains of the railings, and divers can go beneath it to see the rudder and propeller shaft; the propeller itself has been removed. The current ranges from slack water to 3 knots, so conditions on the day decide how freely the hull can be explored.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Skansen
- Type
- Dredger
- Length
- 26 m (85 ft)
- Built
- 1937
- Sunk
- 1978
- Cause
- A powerful swell threw it against a metal fitting on the lighthouse, gashing the hull; it sank in 20 minutes
- Lies
- Beside the west side of the lighthouse foundations at 14–18 m, bows pointing north
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 | Fair |
Season follows South Funen Archipelago: Dive trips run all year; December to March is the cold end, and no month is singled out as the best for the wrecks.
Know before you go
- A diver swept off the wreck by the current can be carried right into the shipping lane.
- Braided fishing line still attached to lures on the wreck is very strong and lasts for years, an entanglement hazard.
Sources
- Skansen – dive spot, South Fyn Archipelago — Dyk Sydfyn
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