AH-WR-0880

Merci Jesus

Freighter · United States · Lost 1998 · Florida's Atlantic Coast

A drug-trafficking freighter seized by Customs and sunk in 1998 as the northernmost wreck of Fort Lauderdale's popular Wreck Trek.

Become Captain of Record See Shipwreck on Map

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents. See the documented evidence.

Interpretive Reconstruction, drawn to convey the vessel's era, type and general form. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

The 90-foot freighter Merci Jesus was seized by U.S. Customs officials in April 1998 for drug possession. The Broward County Artificial Reef Program sank her off Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on August 11, 1998, making her the northernmost vessel of what became known as the Fort Lauderdale Wreck Trek, alongside the tug Jay Scutti and the supply vessel Ken Vitale.

Vessel

Built: Not established
Builder: Not established
Yard: Not established
Material: Steel
Length: 90 ft
Beam: 26 ft
Tonnage: Not established
Propulsion: Not established
Owners: Seized by U.S. Customs for drug possession prior to reefing

Loss

Date: August 11, 1998
Cause: Intentional sinking
Location: Fort Lauderdale Wreck Trek, offshore Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Water: Atlantic Ocean
Voyage: Not established
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: Not established
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: 50-75
Condition: Upright hull, bow pointing south, forming the northernmost vessel of a three-wreck complex.
Orientation: Upright, bow south
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established