Andro

The Andro was a 165 foot luxury yacht built in Germany in 1910. It was constructed mostly of wood, with the classic high bow and rounded-off tail of cruising yachts. During World War II, the electric motors were converted to diesel, machine guns were added, and the Andro became a patrol boat used to chase submarines. After the war, the Andro served as a freighter up and down the U.S. Atlantic coast. Eventually the Andro was seized by U.S. Customs for transporting illegal drugs. The Department of Environmental Resource Management purchased the Andro to be added to the Haulover Artificial Reef Site. The Miami Bomb squad orchestrated the explosion which sunk the Andro on December 17th, 1985. The Andro is one of the most popular wrecks in the Haulover site. The ship settled upright in the sand at a depth of 103 feet. With a 38 foot profile there is plenty to explore at a range of depths. The ship has twin propellers, two smokestacks and a large wheelhouse still intact. Hurricane Andrew broke the ship into three sections and exposed the engine block. This has actually made the wreck more varied and interesting to explore. Numerous fish inhabit the Andro. This is a great wreck for underwater photographers. The Andro is a popular fishing site also and can be crowded at times. This, along with the jumbled structure of the wreck, make the Andro a dive spot best suited for advanced divers.