WreckfinderNorwegian destroyer · Sunk 14 April 1943
Eskdale wreck
The Eskdale is a Norwegian destroyer wreck lying roughly 3 to 10 nautical miles off Coverack in Cornwall. The top of the wreck is about 60 m down on a 67 m seabed. She sank on 14 April 1943. The exact GPS mark is in the Wreckfinder app.
- Top of wreck60 m
- Seabed67 m
- Nearest harbourCoverack
- ConditionCollapsed
Get the exact mark for the Eskdale
The Eskdale is one of 3,012 wrecks in Cornwall waters in the Wreckfinder app. Premium shows the exact GPS position to put in your chartplotter, plus your distance to it at sea.
Get the mark in the appFree to download. Exact positions with Premium, £3.99 a month or £19.99 a year.
Are you fishing or diving the Eskdale?
Thanks!
Fishing the Eskdale
What you might catch
- PollackAll year, best late summer to winter
- Conger eelAll year, best on summer nights and neap tides
- PoutingAll year
- LingAll year, bigger fish in deeper water
- CodMostly autumn and winter
- Coalfish (saithe)Winter and spring
Typical for wrecks like this (draft, until we have catch reports). Caught something here? Tell us.
Tide and method
Tide: Deep wreck. Neap tides and the slack water around high or low tide give you the best chance of holding bottom over it.
Method: The wreck is broken up, so drifting over it with shads, jellies or baited feathers covers the ground well. Anchoring uptide works too, but the marks are smaller.
Report a catch
Fished the Eskdale? Tell Dusty what you caught, when, and what worked. With your OK we'll add it to this page so other anglers know what's biting.
Diving the Eskdale
The dive
The top of the wreck is about 60 m down on a 67 m seabed. That is technical diving depth: mixed gas, decompression and a dedicated dive boat.
Condition: Collapsed, bows possibly sw, debris lies ne (from the last survey).
Before you dive
- This is a military wreck. Military wrecks may be protected under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 and some are war graves. Look, don't touch, and check before you dive.
- Anything you recover from a wreck must be reported to the Receiver of Wreck.
- Plan around slack water and check the weather. Skippers who know the wreck make all the difference.
History of the Eskdale
A Hunt-class escort destroyer built in 1942 for the Royal Navy and lent to the Royal Norwegian Navy. On 14 April 1943 she was torpedoed and sunk by German motor torpedo boats while escorting a convoy off the Lizard.
| Type | Norwegian destroyer |
|---|---|
| Sunk | 14 April 1943 |
| Tonnage | 1,087 tons gross |
| Length | 85.3 m |
| Beam | 8.8 m |
| Top of wreck | 60 m |
| Seabed | 67 m |
| Area | Cornwall (nearest harbour Coverack) |
Where is the Eskdale wreck?
The Eskdale lies roughly 3 to 10 nautical miles off Coverack, in Cornwall. We don't publish exact positions on the website. The GPS mark is in the Wreckfinder app.
Other wrecks in Cornwall
- SpitalBritish steamship, 1918
- HMS CometBritish tug, 1940
- Ben ReinBritish steamship, 1941
- HMS RinoviaBritish trawler, 1940
Eskdale wreck: questions
How deep is the Eskdale wreck?
The top of the wreck is about 60 m down on a 67 m seabed.
Where is the Eskdale wreck?
It lies roughly 3 to 10 nautical miles off Coverack in Cornwall. The exact GPS position is in the Wreckfinder app.
Can you fish the Eskdale?
Yes. Wrecks like this typically hold pollack, conger eel, pouting, ling. The wreck is broken up, so drifting over it with shads, jellies or baited feathers covers the ground well. Anchoring uptide works too, but the marks are smaller.
Can you dive the Eskdale?
The top of the wreck is about 60 m down on a 67 m seabed. That is technical diving depth: mixed gas, decompression and a dedicated dive boat.
How do I get the GPS coordinates for the Eskdale?
Download Wreckfinder, search for Eskdale, and Premium shows the exact position to enter in your chartplotter.
Got a question about the Eskdale?
Ask Dusty, our Cornish pirate AI assistant. Arrr, he knows his wrecks.
Ask DustyFind the Eskdale with Wreckfinder
Over 20,000 UK and Irish wrecks with exact GPS for your chartplotter. Built for boat anglers and divers.
