YouTuber Buys World War I Shipwreck For 400 Dollars On Facebook

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Instead of purchasing modern ships or boats and grumbling over their high maintenance costs, YouTube personality Deep Wreck Diver opts for a more cost-effective solution: acquiring an ancient shipwreck at a minimal price.

Just $400 For Your Dream Boat

Have you ever fantasized about owning an old shipwreck? In England, it’s surprisingly affordable! However, the catch is that these ships have been submerged at the bottom of the sea for over a century. For Dom Robinson, a 53-year-old British diver and maritime history buff, this was a golden opportunity. He bought the wreck of the SS Almond Branch, a steam freighter from World War I, for just 300 pounds (equivalent to $400) through Facebook Marketplace and is now the proud owner of a magnificent boat weighing approximately 3,000 tons and spanning around 100 meters (about 330 feet) in length. The SS Almond Branch was a steam-powered ship built in 1896 that was sunk by a German submarine off the coast of Cornwall in November 1917, resulting in one fatality. Now, the ship lies upside down and damaged on the ocean floor at a depth of about 58 meters (around 190 feet).

With A Great Boat Comes Great Responsibility

In the 1970s, the British government disposed of the ship. When its original owner no longer had interest in the sunken vessel, he decided to advertise it on Facebook Marketplace. It was there that Robinson stumbled upon the listing and eventually purchased it. Upon reaching out to the seller, Robinson received a formal document from the British “Receiver of Wrecks,” recognizing him as the shipwreck’s legitimate owner. The Receiver of Wrecks also mentioned that there are numerous ship and aircraft wrecks scattered along the coastline of the UK, and they provide guidelines for owners of these wrecks and those who dive and recover materials from them.

Divers Supporting Divers

Despite the fact that the shipwreck no longer holds any prized treasures, Robinson considers it a significant historical artifact and his own diving destination. On his YouTube channel “Deep Wreck Diver,” he documents his underwater adventures, yet there’s something he lacks:

So, if anybody finds the bell, they should report it to the Receiver of Wreck, who will ask me whether I want to keep it or not.

Robinson, who’s previously discovered more than twenty sunken vessels beneath the waves, such as Royal Navy ships, expresses a deep interest in the historical background of each submerged wreck. It’s important to note that while he possesses these underwater discoveries, other scuba divers are welcome and encouraged to explore the site.

What’s it like for you? Does it sound like a great adventure, or are you afraid of deep water?

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2025-04-29 21:39