Alko Wreck
June 15, 2018Any observations about the wrecks or park facilities: info@wreckpark.eu or +358 44 920 1647 (sms)
The Alko wreck is well suited dive site for entry level scuba divers or even snorkelers, as the shallowest parts of the stern rise up to 4-5 meters depth. The bow lies in about 9-10 meters on a rocky slope of the reef. The wreck can also be dived from the island shore and it’s well protected from most winds.
The faith and origins of this 19th century coastal freighter are well known. It was wrecked in May 1880, on its way from its home port Parainen to Helsinki. It was fully loaded with lime stone cargo, which is still abundant in the wreck. The name of the captain was Johan Karlsson. Rumors of an insurance fraud were heard long after, as the ship wrecked so close to the island, that it should have been observed, no matter the weather.
The wreck remains about 15 meters long from the bow and in fairly good shape, given the shallow depth it lies in. Most of the deck planking is gone, but half a dozen beams remain, keeping the both boards intact.
Easily recognizeable details include the anchor windlass next to the bilge pump pipe in the middle of the stern section. The rosted piece of metal amidships is the rachet of the anchor windlass
Most visible diver wear in this wreck, is the current location of the windlass in the stern. Just a few years ago, it was still intact in its cradle in the bow, remains of which still can be seen there. Most likely the windlass has been used for mooring.
This kind of unintended damage is the greatest threat to most Baltic wrecks. Hence the Träskö-project seeks to diminish it by installing mooring buoys for the most popular wrecks and enhancing diver awareness and appreciation of the wrecks by establishing wreck park information boards.
The Sketchfab window embedded below, presents a 3D model of the wrecksite, based on which the above depictions and illustrations were created. The images were extracted from SONY 4k video and Agisoft Photoscan was used for photogrammetric modeling.
More information (in Finnish) may be found at Hylyt.net or from the Finnish Heritage Agency.