Ghost Ships: The Baychimo

Ghost ship sightings take place all over the world. The Baychimo is a vessel that belongs to this collection of ships that would like to still be remembered. In this article, you will learn the history, circumstances, and sightings associated with the Baychimo.

When the Baychimo was built in 1914, the steel cargo steamer weighed 1,322 tons. The Hudson’s Bay Company owned the vessel, which was used to trade pelts for provisions in Inuit settlements found along the Victoria Island coast of the Northwest Territories of Canada. When the ship was based in Scotland, it finished nine successful voyages along the northern coast of Canada. The ship is known for being haunted, as it has been spotted several times along the coast of Alaska even though it was abandoned.

Following the end of a trading run in October 1, 1931, the Baychimo was filled with furs, but became trapped in pack ice. The crew briefly left the ship , traveling more than ½ mile of ice to reach a town named Barrow. They stayed for two days until they learned that the ship had broken free of the ice. However, the ship was once again stuck in ice on October 8. The Hudson’s Bay Company sent aircraft a week later to pick up the crew , 22 men in total.

Fifteen men stayed behind to wait for the ship to break free of its winter prison. Close to the ship, they built a wooden shelter. On November 24, an intense blizzard arrived and after it had cleared, the Baychimo had disappeared. The skipper believed that it had become dislodged and sunk during the poor weather conditions. A few days had passed and an Inuit seal hunter reported to have seen the ship around 45 miles away from where the crew were positioned. The men set off to track down the ship. When they reached the ship, they removed the most valuable furs from the hold so that they could be transported by plane. The Baychimo was officially abandoned after this point.

The Baychimo did not sink, but continued to travel the waters , prompting many different sightings of the ship. Some people have actually boarded the vessel, but every time, an obstacle appeared which made it difficult to salvage the ship. Often times, bad weather became a factor. The last sighting recorded of the Baychimo was by a group of Inuit. In 1969, they saw the ship stuck in pack ice off the northwestern Alaskan coast , in the Beaufort Sea.

Many believe the ship has finally found its way to the bottom of the ocean. However, the true fate of the Baychimo is unknown. In 2006, the Alaskan government launched a project to uncover the whereabouts of the ship they have dubbed “the Ghost Ship of the Arctic”. To date, the vessel has not been found , it could still be possibly floating about the ocean.