A new wreck in Malta - the patrol boat P33 is about to go down!

The patrol boat P33 will be sunk near Zonqor, Malta, as early as Saturday, 31 July 2021.

The patrol boat P33 is another vessel that will undoubtedly enrich the underwater landscape of Malta. Once sunk, it will become the latest diving attraction on the north coast of the island of Gozo. A new wreck in Malta is… nothing new! Because there has been a programme of creating and expanding artificial reefs in the surrounding waters for years.

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Successive wrecks appearing on the seabed around Maltese islands attract not only divers, but also many representatives of the local fauna. Artificial reefs provide great shelter in their nooks and crannies, which gives a boost to underwater ecosystems. It is said that the final preparations are already underway, after which the vessel will begin a new chapter of its existence.

With the arrival of August, the P33 patrol boat will become the latest attraction for wreck divers in Malta. The new wreck will rest on a sandy slope, at a depth of about 38-40 metres. The wreck will be very close to shore, about 40-50 metres from the nearest water entry point.

Patrol Boat P33

TheP33 is a Bremse class unit. She was built in 1971-72 in eastern Germany. She measures about 23 metres long and about 5 metres high (7 metres including the mast).

She arrived in Malta in 1992 along with her sister P32 and two Condor class patrol boats P30 and P31. P33 was a patrol boat of the Malta Armed Forces Marine Squadron, where she served until 2005. The sinking of the vessel was already rumoured in 2012.

There are already three other wrecks on Gozo in Xatt l-Ahmar on the south-east coast. These are the extremely popular Karwela, Cominoland and Xlendi among divers. Also waiting for its turn is the The damaged tanker Hephaestuswhich will also land on the seabed near Gozo in the near future. Preliminary information says that it will rest on the bottom near Qala Point.