AH-WR-0671

MV Mercedes I

Cargo Freighter · Venezuela · Lost 1985 · Florida's Atlantic Coast

The Venezuelan freighter that famously grounded in a Palm Beach socialite's backyard in 1984, later sunk off Fort Lauderdale as a dive reef.

Become Captain of Record See Shipwreck on Map

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents.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

Historically Reconstructed. Drawn from partial documentation of this vessel together with her known class and configuration. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

Built in Hamburg in 1952, the freighter traded under several names before a Thanksgiving 1984 storm drove her ashore at the Palm Beach estate of socialite Mollie Wilmot, who famously served her stranded crew champagne and caviar. The story drew worldwide press coverage during the 105 days she sat beached. After being refloated in March 1985, she was purchased by Broward County and scuttled off Fort Lauderdale on March 30, 1985, to create an artificial reef. Decades of storms have since broken the hull into scattered sections.

Vessel

Built: 1952
Registry: IMO 5428829
Builder: Herbert Ranke shipyard
Yard: Cranz-Neuenfelde, Hamburg, Germany
Material: Steel
Length: 197 ft
Beam: 30.6 ft
Tonnage: 496
Propulsion: Diesel, single screw
Owners: Distribuidora Navieras del Caribe (at loss)

Loss

Date: March 30, 1985
Cause: Intentional sinking
Location: Off Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Water: Atlantic Ocean
Voyage: Not established
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: 12
Lives lost: 0
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: 60-100
Condition: Storm-damaged over decades; large sections collapsed and scattered on the sand.
Orientation: Broken and scattered
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established