Weekly Discussion #34 - Famous Ghost Ships
Ghost ships sit right at the intersection of maritime history, folklore, and the human fear of the unknown. Some are grounded in real, documented events, and others drift closer to legend.
Let's take a look at a few of the most well-known ghost ship hauntings. Which ones stand out to you? Do you have a story about a ghost ship?
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲
The Mary Celeste is one of the most famous and documented maritime mysteries. After leaving New York on her way to Italy in November 1872, she was found adrift in December 1872 in the Atlantic Ocean. There was no trace of the captain, his family, or the crew of 7. Cargo, food, and personal belongings were untouched, and log entries had not been made in 10 days. However, a lifeboat was missing, and no crew was ever found. While some theories suggest mutiny or piracy, another suggests that the captain believed the ship was sinking, and due to a broken water pump, everyone evacuated. If so, what happened to everyone? The Mary Celeste remains one of the greatest maritime mysteries to this day.
𝗦𝗦 𝗕𝗮𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗺𝗼
The SS Baychimo might be the closest thing to a real-life wandering ghost ship. Abandoned in Arctic ice off the coast of Alaska in 1931, most of the crew abandoned the ship and were evacuated by a plane. A few stayed behind to wait out the winter in a shelter. One night after a blizzard, the crew emerged from the shelter to find the ship gone. They assumed it had sunk, but it had broken free and was drifting in the Arctic. For decades, the ship drifted without a crew. It was spotted numerous times with attempts to board or salvage the vessel, but the ice and weather conditions kept it from being captured. The last time it was seen was in 1969. Is it possible the ship is still out floating around the Arctic?
𝗠𝗩 𝗝𝗼𝘆𝗶𝘁𝗮
The MV Joyita was a luxury yacht-turned-commercial vessel that disappeared in the South Pacific in 1955. It set sail on October 3rd with 25 passengers and crew from Samoa, en route to the Tokelau Islands 300 miles away. 5 weeks later, it was found more than 600 miles off course, partially submerged, and all 25 people were missing. The cargo, the ship's logbook, and navigational equipment were also missing. No SOS call had ever been received. There were never any clear answers to what happened, though piracy, mechanical failure, or even kidnapping by a Soviet or Japanese fleet have been considered.
𝗦𝗦 𝗢𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗮𝗻
This ship is one of mystery and possibly an urban legend. It even inspired a video game. According to the story, in the late 1940's, the Dutch ship SS Ourang Medan was passing through the Strait of Malacca off the coast of Indonesia. A distress call was made claiming the officers were dead, the remaining crew were probably dead, and the final message, "I die". A rescue ship was sent but when the Ourang Medan was found, the entire crew was found dead, bodies lying where they had been working, their faces frozen in expressions of fear, and arms outstretched, as if reacting to something unseen. There were no visible injuries, no signs of struggle. Before the ship could be investigated, a fire broke out, and the ship exploded and sank, taking any physical evidence with it.
Theories surrounding the incident suggest the ship was carrying hazardous chemicals, and seawater could have caused a chemical reaction. It could have been carbon Monoxide or gas poisoning, but that doesn't explain the "fear poses".
But that's not all, here’s where things get complicated. Unlike the Mary Celeste or MV Joyita, there are no verified shipping records for the Ourang Medan. No official registry of the ship or confirmed logs from the rescuing vessel. The story first appeared in postwar newspaper reports and maritime journals, not official archives. Many historians believe the story may have been exaggerated from a smaller real incident, a piece of maritime folklore that grew over time, or entirely fabricated for the newspaper.
There are other stories of ghost ships, so if you would like to read more, here is a link to a few more ghostly ships.
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Weekly Discussion #34 - Famous Ghost Ships
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