Hydro Atlantic
Hopper Dredge · United States · Lost 1987 · Florida's Atlantic Coast
An 1905-built Army Corps dredge that sank while under tow to the scrapyard, becoming a deep technical wreck off Boca Raton.
Become Captain of RecordSee Shipwreck on Map
The Vessel and Her Loss
Built in 1905 for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as the hopper dredge Delaware, the vessel worked river and harbor projects for decades and was rebuilt in 1961 to increase capacity. Sold multiple times and renamed Hydro Atlantic by 1968, she was ultimately condemned for scrap. While under tow to a Texas scrapyard in December 1987, her old hull gave way and she sank off Boca Raton before ever reaching the breakers. She now lies deep, largely intact, and is regarded as a demanding technical dive.
Vessel
- 1905
- Official number 260377
- Maryland Steel Company
- Sparrows Point, Maryland
- Steel
- 300 ft
- 64 ft
- Not established
- Twin-screw diesel-electric
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (originally); Hydromar Corporation (at loss)
Loss
- December 7, 1987
- Mechanical failure
- About 1 mile east of Boca Raton Inlet, Florida
- Atlantic Ocean
- Brownsville, Texas (scrapyard)
- Not established
- 0
- 0
- Not established
The Wreck Today
- 120-175
- Upright, bow pointing south, with collapsed aft superstructure; considered a technical dive.
- Upright
- Not established
- Not established
Position
- 26.32° N 80.05° W
- Approximate position
- Boca Raton, Florida
Evidence
Overall confidence: Documented (82/100)
Build history, name changes, loss circumstances.
Depth and site description.
