The MV Carmel is an abandoned, grounded general cargo vessel in Tipner Lake, Portsmouth, that came to rest during Storm Eunice in February 2022. Originally built in 1971, the vessel is now a derelict fixture on the northern side of the lake, having suffered significant damage and becoming difficult and costly to refloat.
It is popular with mindless, thieving local vandals intrepid urban explorers, fittings and wiring have been removed along with personal possessions of the owqners who were attempting to turn it into a liveaboard. All glass in the stripped out wheelhouse is smashed.
There is another, older wreck slightly closer to the M275 shore which has been there for many years. Searching for information on the internet has produced several wild tales for the origins of both vessels. The wooden boat has attreacted various comments:
ex-RN MFV (Motor Fishing Vessel), that was named ‘Fisherman’s Wife’.
The smaller boat has been there for years. Again, Facebook says it was seized by HW Customs as it was being used to transport drugs (no actual source for this info other than speculation and rumour) and was disposed of and it ended up there.
The fishing boat also broke its morning back in 2006/7 her owners live in wales but have consistently refused to recover her
Think they’re Russian
photo by Greg North
Here is the wooden boat in slightly better condition some years ago when Pounds yard still had a crane. I assume that that is the floating crane to which MV Carmel was moored when they broke free during storm Eunice. The crane was recovered. The Carmel’s owners would not, or could not, pay for their vessel to be salvaged.
