Pico is built in 1954 for the US Navy, under number AM479. it was an offshore agile class minesweeper. One year later, the Portugese Marine became its owner - they baptised it M418 - Pico. In 1974, the Belgian Marine got it, for spare parts. In 1985, the Belgian Sea Scouts bought it. Since 1995, it is lying in Ostende, after a fire on board. It was then sold to a foreign businessman, who has disappeared.

On April 13th 1999, it sank. Luckily, no-one was on board (it was sometimes used as sleeping place by poor people).

The PICO is resting on the bottom of the dock with just her main deck visible above the surface. The city will probably have to pay for the salvage or demolition costs herself.


In August 2007, they started to get it out of the water. A huge work, as the bottom of such boats contains concrete, to make them more stable and deeper in the water.

The boat next to it is the M485 - Andenne. This is an inshore mainesweeper, built in 1959 and taken out of service in 1991. In 2006, it followed it neighbour... under the water. But it was taken on surface rapidly, and during the summer of 2007 it was brought to another place on the chanel Ostende-Bruges on the opposite side of Bredene-Sas.

Thanks to Speedic Ysos (Yves Soetens) and Hilde Vandamme.

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