When it comes to ghost ships, some of the circumstances surrounding found vessels that were once lost or sunken often lead some historians and explorers to ponder on the fates of former crewmembers. In this article, you will learn about ghost ship legends involving vessels, such as the Mary Celeste in Portugal and Baychimo in the Arctic Ocean.
Mary Celeste
In 1872, the Mary Celeste has a historical reputation in the world of ships. The vessel was retrieved in an abandoned state between the mainland of Portugal and the Azores archipelago. All of the crew was nowhere to be found and yet, the ship was found intact, under sail, and traveling toward the Strait of Gibraltar. The last log entry showed life 11 days prior to being discovered, but according to Arthur Conan Doyle, tea found in the mess hall was still hot.
Carroll A Deering
In 1921, the five-masted cargo schooner was discovered stranded on a beach on Diamond Shoals, North Carolina. With a cloud of controversy, the final voyage of the ship had always brought on debate, but it eventually led to an investigation headed by six departments of the United States government. For starters, the ship was placed in a group of dozens of ships that had vanished or sank within a short time period. There is debate as to whether paranormal circumstances played a role, but most people believe that mutiny or piracy contributed to the odd ending of the Carroll A Deering.
Baychimo
Abandoned in the Arctic Ocean in 1931, the Baychimo was believed to have sunk because it became trapped in pack ice, but the vessel stayed above water and was seen a multitude of times over the next 38 years without ever being salvaged.
The Octavius
It is unclear what actually happened to the Octavius , the English trading ship that was supposed to return from China, but was supposedly located drifting off the coast of Greenland in 1775. The captain’s log revealed that the ship was trying to cross the Northwest Passage, but never successfully met its goal. Eerily, it is believed that the ship , complete with the bodies of frozen crewmembers finally completed the passage after drifting in pack ice for 13 years.
Bel Amica
It’s pretty hard to ignore the odd circumstances under which the Bel Amica was found, when it was uncovered off the coast of Sardinia in 2006. When the Coast Guard crew stepped inside the ship, they discovered half eaten Egyptian meals, French maps of North African seas, and a Luxembourg flag.
Ivan Vassili
Rumor has it that in 1907, the Russian freighter called Ivan Vassili crossed paths with a spirit in Zanzibar, which eventually led to nine crew members committing suicide, including two captains. Some say that the ship was set on fire in an effort to eliminate the ghost’s spirit.