The wreck identified as the Caernarfon Bay Lightship lies in 30m of water with its keel orientated 000/180 degrees. It has a surveyed length of 17.3m, and a width of 5.5m.
This wreck was originally located and reported by divers in 1993. It was described as having no cargo, boiler, engine, machinary of propellers, and with a tower or platform structure lying close by, with a two foot diameter hole at the top. It was dived again in 1994 and reported as being the remains of a small lightship, suggested as the Caernarfon Bay Lightship by J. Shaw which was reported as having sunk in the First World War.
The wreck was located and examined by the UKHO in 2015. It was subject to a detailed survey by Bangor University in May 2019. Associated research was undertaken by Dr Innes McCartney (2022) for the Echoes from the Deep project, largely corroborating the existing interpretation of the wreck as a lightship, albeit while noting that no evidence could be found for the Caernarfon Bay Lightship (NPRN 506398) that was in service until 1926 to have been sunk in the area. To the contrary, LV 44 was sold at the end of its life and is listed in the National Historic Ships Register as lying at Pitsea Country Park and has overall dimensions that are considerably larger (32m length) than the wreck of UKHO 7466.
The wreck therefore seems likely to be that of a lighthship, refuge, or part of a wartime buoyage scheme. But its identification as the former Caernarfon Bay Lightship (LV44) seems unlikely, pending further information.
Sources include:
Hague, D B, 1994, Lighthouses of Wales, p.35
https://www.nationalhistoricships.org.uk/register/140/light-vessel-44-carnarvon-bay
UKHO ID 7466: Contains public sector information, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0, from UK Hydrographic Office.
J. Whitewright, RCAHMW, January 2025.