News report: …and authorities in Ireland
are warning people to stay away of that boat. A ghost ship, as it’s being called. It’s washed up on rocks near Cork on Sunday. The MV Alta is it’s name. It became disabled south of Bermuda in 2018
and has been drifting without a crew for more than a year. Exploring the abandoned MV Alta shipwreck
off the coast of Ireland had been spoken about between us ever since it’s abandonment went
global in 2020, with it being one of our biggest dreams to visit. On our recent trip, we finally got the chance
to see the iconic vessel for ourselves. In today’s Urbandoned video, join us throughout
the entire expedition to reach the infamous wreckage on a lengthy mission spanning over
eight hours. Theo: It’s time. Alistair: Alright, yeah? Theo: No. Alistair: I’ll start, just say something. Theo: It’s so awkward. Alistair: This is going to be hard because
we don’t usually film this sort of stuff, but we thought it would be good to have an inclusive behind the scenes of our whole trip. Whether it will come out all at once or it
will be split up, I’m not sure. Theo: I don’t know. It depends how much we film, but we’ve just
arrived in Holyhead in Wales and we’re about to jump on the four hour crossing to Dublin
to start the trip. Alistair: Yeah. Theo: So yeah, we’ll do a bit of behind
the scenes stuff. Alistair: Hopefully it will be a successful
trip… Theo: I hope so. Alistair: …and this will actually go somewhere. Theo: I hope so, because this might not even
make it, but we’ll see. Alistair: Disaster has struck. Alistair: Quick, quick! Theo: We’ve been seen. Police: Hey, hey, hey! Come here. Come here. Theo: He’s here. He’s coming out now. Police: Three of you? Theo: He’s coming. Hello. This is going to be a different style of video
than we usually do. We’ve wanted this one to be a bit more inclusive. That’s why there is this strange camera
setup at the beginning of the documentary. Currently, we’re in a BNB in the middle
of Ireland and our task for the rest of the day is to head to this ghost ship that drifted
for 18 months, almost two years and then washed up ashore on the coast of Ireland. It’s quite a famous ship, it made all of
the headlines, and today is the day we are going to head to it and hopefully get onboard,
but it’s a long way - it’s a proper mission. It’s going to take us the entire afternoon
and maybe a bit of time into the evening, as well, but also a scenic one. So, how we feeling going into this? Alex: I’m quite excited. I hope the tide is out. Alistair: That is very true, yeah. Theo: Yeah, there is a chance it could fail
depending on how the environment is when we get there, but I feel like even if we don’t
get onboard, it’s still going to be a really good mission for us, and it’s just a nice
way to travel, to be honest. Alistair: Yeah, the journey is going to be
really good. The tide being out is major, because we find
it hard to follow the times, so we’re just going to risk it and head straight there and
hope that it’s out when we arrive. Alex: So we are going to go get some food,
some supplies and then start our mission to this abandoned ship. Alistair: Hopefully it goes well… Alex: We’ve done a little bit of research
on the tides in the area and it’s currently 6.30pm. The tide was at its highest at 4pm and it
should be at its lowest at 10pm. Sunset is about 9.30pm, so we should be OK,
I think, to get onto the boat and maybe catch the sunset on the way out. Alistair: How far away are we now? Theo: About 10 minutes out from where we have
to park and then we have about a 30 minute walk. Alistair: Yeah, it’s a nice walk on the
coast with the cliffs. It should be nice. After driving towards the sea for a couple
hours, we eventually arrived at a parking spot in a small residential area closest to
the boat, prepared to begin our mission to reach the target. Theo: Let’s go! Alistair: It’s a beautiful place for it. Despite having a lot of daylight left, we
didn’t want to leave any room for mapping errors or unexpected events, particularly
knowing of the lengthy trek to the shipwreck. Therefore, we got on with the hike immediately. Theo: I think it’s this way. Alistair: That’s really helpful. It’s as if these homeowners know that a
lot of people are coming here to see this ship, and they’ve just been bored of people
asking them for directions. Theo: It’s very overgrown. Alistair: Yeah, it is very overgrown. It’s safe to say the journey truly begins
here. Alistair: I didn’t expect it to be like
this. Theo: Careful boys. When you get to here, if you step off, you’re
dead. Alex: I’ve been stung really badly. Alistair: Oh my god! Look at that! Blimey… Alistair: It’s no surprise that the locals
have got probably tired of tourists asking them where this boat is. I feel like if you’ve chosen to live here,
you’ve chosen to live in a remote area and all of a sudden, this crazy, almost miracle,
happens in the most random of places and then you’ve got news coverage, all of that coming
to your door wondering where this boat this and all the questions in the world, you can
imagine. It’s fascinating, though. I bet the news spread locally before it went
anywhere else. Alex: You can see the top of it, just there. Theo: Oh my god, yeah you can! I was looking at my screen, so I didn’t
see it for a second. That’s our first sighting. You can tell by the fact that it’s just
sticking over the cliff side here, that it’s going to be a huge vessel. We’ve seen photos, of course, online of
this, but I’m sure it’s going to appear much bigger in person. Theo: We’ve made it around the corner of
the cliff and we can now see the full scale of the ship. Alistair: It’s so surreal. Theo: I know, especially when you know the
story of how it ended up here and the fact that it’s still sat in the exact same position
after two years. Alistair: From this point, the tide looks
low, I feel like we’ll have a good chance getting on board. Theo: Yeah, it looks like the rocks are definitely
clear. I can see a clear path up to the side of the
ship, at least anyway. Everything was going well. With the MV Alta standing prominent in sight,
we knew that all we had to do was follow the twisting coastline and we would soon be within
touching distance. The picturesque setting was absolutely gorgeous,
almost stealing our attention from our prize, now less than a mile away. Alistair: Bearing down upon it now. Had to hop off the path we were using, because
we noticed that there was a significantly large hole in the barbed wire fence, which
we think is a route where we can get down to the boat and we’re getting closer and
closer. It’s just the ferns are getting taller and
taller. There’s a big cliff on our left, too, so
we always have to cautious of that, especially when the ferns are so tall like they are now
that you can’t see your feet. Just there - the cliff edge. Alistair: You can see wreckage that’s snapped
of it down there. Having made it to the destination of the derelict
ship, we stared incredulously at it’s appearance now. An array of storms had cut the ship in a clean
half, yet either side was still intact against all odds. Theo: We’ve found our descent. It looks like a lot of people have probably
used this path but it’s… Alistair: …steep! Theo: It’s very steep, it won’t show on
camera, so it’s not going to be easy to film walking down, so we’ll try and show
our method to gain entry or access to the rocks, should I say. Alistair: There you go. Alistair: Almost at the bottom. It’s so destroyed. Now, what’s probably the hardest part, I’d
say, but I’m not really sure. I think it will be different when we get close
- finding a way onto the boat. From here, the left side looks a lot more
appealing than the right in terms of access, but we’ll see. Got this rocky territory to cross first. It was an extraordinary scene, hopping from
jagged rock to rock, waves crashing besides us, gazing up at the colossal wreckage, which
was drained of its old paint, a ruin of the many journeys it would have undertook. Theo: It’s really fun trying to find creative
ways to film this ship, because we have to deal with this landscape and it just makes
it a lot more interesting when it comes to finding angles. The cargo carrying ship was constructed in
1976 named ‘Tananger,’ becoming the Alta in 2017, mostly travelling across the Mediterranean
Sea. The boat’s Automatic Identification System,
which permitted it’s movements to be tracked would commonly switch off during the ship’s
voyages, which is unusual and could indicate involvement in illegal activity. In 2020, the MV Alta ran aground on the shores
of County Cork. It had been drifting without a crew for 18
months before suddenly colliding with the bay of it’s final location. It’s history is plentiful, but with many
unknown gaps in it’s timeline, so we will get into that later. Alistair: Oh god! For now, after working our way around the
rockpools of the coast to visualise the vessel from all angles, we figured it was time to
see if accessing the destroyed structure was even possible. By the water, the moss and seaweed made everything
extremely slippy. Thankfully, after some careful choices as
to which path we selected, we were able to clamber up to the base of the ship’s front. Now, we just needed to find a way upwards,
without falling into the powerful tide below. Alistair: Oh my god! Theo: It moves. Alistair: I think we could do this. Theo: Is that on? Alistair: Yeah. Theo: It actually moves. You can feel the ship moving. Alistair: Shall I try it? Theo: Yeah. Alistair: Holy sh**! Oh my god… We had done it! Somehow, the rusty metal was very solid, allowing
us enough handholds to ascend to the boat’s second level, where ladders and staircases
could take us the rest of the way. Alistair: Wow, this is extremely disorientating. Alistair: We’re finally on. We skipped the first level, because it was
very dark down there. Everything appears normal right now and then,
I make it level and you see how strange this is to be on. Crazy, unbelievably scenes, though! Stood looking into the crack between the ship
and its other side. Alex: This is so weird. Alistair: Check this out - when there is someone
else here. When I put it upright, it looks so strange. This is so odd. Theo: It’s disorientating, to say the least. Once the others had also made it onboard,
we initially reacted to the bizarre feeling on opposing our walk to the ship’s lean. As well as the storm splitting Alta in two,
the way it landed on the rocks instills fear that it could eventually tip into the water,
as it’s tilt advances every year. Alistair: Look where we are, man! Theo: Oh wow, that’s a nice view to come
out too, isn’t it? Alistair: Right on the ship’s bow* (sorry
to ship lovers!). Behind us, this is the subject of the major
fire that happened here, the cabin, all the staff offices and bedrooms. Very unfortunate, because there was a lot
of stuff in there. Alistair: Look at the way this has bent in. It’s very strange going to the edge. Going to hold onto the ship, just because
of the overhang. Last year, the cabin and admin area of the
boat was engulfed in a blaze that is still under investigation by the Irish police force. It’s upsetting that we were never able to
see the vessel before this occurred, and we were about to inspect the damage caused as
we wandered into the fire’s heart. Alistair: This is the burnt section. So awkward to manoeuvre around this boat. Tragic. Can see the beds there. Seen a few videos on this place, none of them
have been done too insightfully into the ship, looking at every detail, and unfortunately,
a lot of these rooms went amiss and they were full of stuff. This one has totally flooded. Alistair: There’s a few things left here. I think that’s Alex above us. Looks like space for a kitchen with a massive
oven there. Theo: Back outside. This is in really good condition. Wow! This is unbelievable. Still seeing the extent of the fire damage
in this section here. Alistair: It’s very freaky when you come
down this bit. You’ve got this one little bit of bannister
and then that. On the other side, you can see where this
would have connected, so the two sides have drifted apart quite a bit, since they split
up. Alta was on a voyage from Greece to Haiti,
a weird task for a ship of it’s type and size, which generally stays close to the shoreline. Roughly 2,200km from the Bermuda Triangle
in the Atlantic Ocean, the ship’s engines failed forcing the United States Coast Guard
to rescue the 10 member crew and leave the vessel abandoned. Following it’s vacation, the ship’s next
moves are uncertain. An unverified report suggests that it was
towed to Guyana and possibly hijacked, only to be neglected a second time. It’s AI system was not functioning after
the ship’s crew left, so this might not be the case. It became a ghost and was likely forgotten
about for months. A year later on September 2nd 2019, Alta was
spotted for the first time. A UK Royal Navy vessel discovered the boat
in the Mid-Atlantic Ocean. The team attempted to make contact, but no
one replied. It was allowed to drift further into Europe,
past Spain and then slowly approached Irish shores. Irish lifeboat operator: Well, I simply couldn’t
believe it. I was astounded. As a member of the lifeboat, I couldn’t
believe that a boat would get in there without us, our lifeboat hadn’t been launched. I couldn’t understand how such a large vessel
was on the rocks without anyone knowing about it. 6 months onward, on the 16th February 2020,
the ship had run aground on the rocks of Cork, Ireland during Storm Dennis. It was in the eyes of the world, making headlines
around the globe, as a story of a modern day ghost ship, plus the duration it spent floating
without a captain, had caught the public’s curiosity. Many travelled afar to see the spectacle for
themselves, causing the the boat to be sealed off. Alistair: Ignore the beeping. We just took a little intermission and got
some drone shots. Not liking the floor, here, but, like everything,
it feels completely sturdy for some reason. It’s very bumpy. Theo: The fire has done so much damage. Alistair: It has. Theo: Yeah, this is really strange. The drone is back above our heads, again. Alistair: Crazy flooded in here. These are just more burnt out rooms for the
workers. Theo: The floor is probably all warped, because
of the fire and the head it experienced. The cabin is completely gone. Cabin may not be the right term, but I think
you’ll be able to tell what this was. Alistair: This must have been the heart of
the fire, right here. It was unfortunate that the cabin had been
burnt of all belongings, some of which remained obliterated, scattered across the floor. The fire had decimated the room, causing the
roof to bend inwards and the ground to warp. Although we had completed the exploration
of the first half of the ship, before we infiltrated the other side, there was something else we
wanted to do. Theo: F***ing amazing! Clutching onto the rusty ladder, the three
of us climbed the tilting tower to it’s peak, unable to leave the location without
doing so. Theo: Welcome up! Alistair: What the heck… Theo: Take in the view. Bro, don’t leave me hanging. It’s incredible, isn’t it? Alistair: It’s amazing! Alex: Welcome, man. The views were spectacular! It was a paradise for photography, looking
down on the defunct vessel with the infinite stretch of coast in the distance. Certain perspectives like this are the main
reason we love to explore and see things that stray away from the norm. However, noticing that the daylight was running
out rapidly, we fought to urge to stay at the summit of MV Alta forever and found our
way down, seeking the opposite end of the boat before sundown. Luckily, our small amount of tide research
had been correct and it was heading out, giving us a couple different options to enter the
dark chambers of the second half. Using an outstretch of mossy rock, we managed
to cautiously mount the rear end and were ready to switch on our torches and begin roaming
through. Alistair: Onto the other ship now, or the
other side. I don’t think this one has much, but here,
this is already really cool. This is the ship’s engine? A lot of the components are still here, just
rusting away. Theo: Heading upstairs in this one, still
not expecting much. This one feels more tilted. Alistair: Yeah, I think it is a little bit. That’s the most disorientating staircase
yet. Theo: I know. I’m struggling to keep my balance
on this one. Alistair: It feels like we’re drunk. Theo: There’s actually some stuff left here,
probably after they scrapped it. Alistair: I won’t get tired of looking outside
and taking in the breathtaking view. Surreal to think that this ship travelled
alone for so long and washed up here, and they don’t even know who owns it. I think that’s part of the reason they can’t
get rid of it. It’s a fascinating story and I think we
feel quite lucky to be here walking around it and exploring it. Alistair: Some vehicles on this third or second
level, I can’t remember. Not sure what that one is, but this is a forklift. Probably never going to be used again. We didn’t spend too long traversing the
interior as there wasn’t too much of interest within it. Gladly, with the light fading fast, we moved
with pace through the vessel only taking notice of it’s highlights. Alistair: Some more foreign signs. This is a steep staircase going down and I’ve
got no free hands with the torch and the camera. This takes us into the room with all the machines
that we looked down on a second ago. Got a control panel, too. Theo: Most likely the engine room. Alistair: This one has tipped onto this motor. The
evidence of seaweed dotted across the ground level engine room implied that during some
points of the day, this entire space would be submerged beneath the sea. Thinking about this was understandably concerning,
so we didn’t spend too long until we returned to the upper levels of the ship. Alistair: Back on the top. With this being the rear of the ship, it was
a lot more open. Can see how steep it was there, maybe you
can’t on camera, but it’s quite concerning. It’s getting dark fast. Thankfully, there is not much else to do on
this one, besides taking in the stunning views of the sea and the we’ll head off, I guess. This has been probably one of my favourite
places we have ever done. Not wanting to risk getting stranded on the
boat in the darkness, we decided to leave the wreckage behind us. The whole expedition had been mesmerising
and one we will talk about for years to come. Combining the beautiful scenery, dilapidated
abandonment, fascinating history and global attention together made for a truly breathtaking
experience. Little has been done for the ship during the
time it has been stowed away on the rocky shores of Ireland. It cannot be demolished because the Minister
for the Marine can’t determine who owns it and charge them for the costs it would
take to remove it from the coast, estimated to exceed £10 million. Some reports state that it was flying a Panamanian
flag when it was rescued, whilst others insist it was registered in Tanzania. Until that is worked out, MV Alta will crumble
and deteriorate more in it’s new, permanent home. Alistair: Despite the trespass portion of
our mission being finished, we’ve still got a very lengthy 30-40 minute walk through these
ferns on the cliff edge and now it’s by torchlight in the dark. Definitely important to keep very cautious
here and hopefully we will make it back in one piece. After the long traipse across the cliff top,
we would eventually return to our car. We hope you enjoyed this more immersive look
at one of our explorations. Be sure to leave a like if you did. Here are some of our photographs captured
at the abandoned ship. If you like the look of them, check out our
Instagram page in the description where we share images from our explores months before
they are seen on YouTube. Thanks for watching! To view our exclusive Behind the Scenes series
from our Ireland trip, visit our Patreon using the link below. You won’t want to miss it! See you next time!
