Kemiönsaari Underwater Park

Garpen 1

The location is in the western part of the sea off Hanko, approximately 450 meters west-southwest of the island Garpen in the Garpgrunden island group.

At the site, there is the wreck of a wooden-hulled vessel, with a length of 30 - 35 meters and a width of about 11 meters. The vessel was a two-masted ship and was copper-clad. Based on the items found (such as porcelain and ink bottles), the vessel is presumed to date from the latter half of the 19th century.

The wreck has been known since the 1960s. Objects recovered from the wreck are in the collections of the Hanko Museum. According to information from www.hylyt.net, in October 1847, the English brig "Conservativ" ran aground in the area of the Garp islands. The wreck and the small boats were auctioned the following summer in Tammisaari. At the time of the shipwreck, the vessel was carrying ballast on its journey from Glasgow to Kronstadt. The captain of the ship and the five-member crew survived the shipwreck.

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Keulakuvahylky

The location is in the western sea off the tip of Hanko Peninsula, northwest of Trehålskäret or Tryhålskäret island, about 200 meters from the shore and at a depth of about 15 - 18 meters.

This is the wreck of a two-masted sailing ship, with a length of about 28 meters and a width of 7 meters. The hull of the wreck is fairly intact and upright. Most of the deck planking has come loose and shifted from its original position, with deck planks hanging outside the hull.

The wreck is presumed to be that of the English brig Osborn & Elisabeth, which was built in Ramsgate, England, in 1857, and which ran aground in September 1873 while on its way from London to Kronstadt. The captain of the vessel was named Wright, and the crew consisted of eight men. The ship was carrying ballast when it sank. The background of the wreck has been researched from archival sources by at least Pertti Hyvärinen and Veli-Pekka Paatero. Mauri Koski has made a scale model of the wreck. According to Lloyd's Register, the ship's length was 94.0 feet, width was 23.0 feet, and draft was 13.0 feet.

Since the 1980s, the wreck has been a diving destination for recreational divers. It received its nickname from a female figurehead at the bow, which fell from its place in the summer of 2001. The figurehead has been raised and conserved. It is now on display at The Maritime Museum of Finland in Kotka's maritime center Vellamo. The wreck has suffered from careless anchoring and its condition has significantly deteriorated over the years. Many divers have reported changes in the wreck to the Finnish Heritage Agency over time. In 2013, the wreck was buoyed by a private entity for three years to reduce damage and wear caused by diving activity. The wreck was part of the joint BALTACAR project in 2017-2019 between Estonia, Sweden, and Finland, which aimed to harness the tourism potential of underwater cultural heritage. During the active diving season, there is a buoy on the wreck for boat mooring and divers' descent. The wreck also has underwater guide signs.