MV Robert

The MV Robert was a small, single screw coaster which, on 20 January 1975, was en route from Newport in South Wales to Rouen in north-west France. She was carrying a cargo of coal dust in her hold. When in the vicinity of Lundy, rough seas led to the coal dust shifting and causing the ship to list dangerously to starboard. She sought shelter in Lundy Roads off the island’s east coast. The Clovelly lifeboat was called out and managed to rescue the captain and the three crew. By 11:40 am the following morning however, the barely floating ship gradually disappeared from sight, sinking stern first.

To this day, the Robert remains an intact wreck lying on her starboard side on a seabed of sand and muddy gravel at 18 m below chart datum, with the top of the wreck at about 10 m below chart datum. The intact hull, deck railings, windlass wheels, air vents and even the dark surfaces hidden within the hold, have all become adorned with marine life. The wreck has effectively become an artificial reef. On positions affected by most water movement, large plumose anemones Metridium senile and stringy-like hydroids tend to be found, whilst conger eels Conger conger and lobsters Homarus gammarus prefer to be partially hidden away in tight cavities. Shoals of bib Trisopterus luscus are often to be seen swimming around the superstructure, with an assortment of wrasses remaining closer to the seabed.

The Robert is Lundy’s most popular wreck to visit for recreational divers, largely because it’s not too deep and it’s a shipwreck that still resembles a ship! Divers need to be aware that there may be the occasional angler’s fishing line and the odd hook snagged on the wreck (the Robert lies just outside the No Take Zone).