Ghost ship facts for kids

The mysteriously derelict schooner Carroll A. Deering, as seen from the Cape Lookout lightship on January 28, 1921 (US Coast Guard)

A ghost ship, also known as a phantom ship, is a vessel with no living crew aboard. It can be a made-up, spooky ship from stories, like the famous Flying Dutchman. Or, it can be a real ship found floating empty at sea. Its crew might be mysteriously gone or have passed away, like the Mary Celeste.

Sometimes, the term is also used for ships that are no longer in use. These ships haven't been taken apart yet. It can also mean boats that have broken free from their ropes. They then drift away, carried by the wind or waves.

Most real ghost ships did not float around for a very long time. However, some have been reported to drift for many years. Their final whereabouts are still a mystery. Examples include the SS Baychimo and Governor Parr.

More recently, some ships turn off their tracking systems. These are called AIS. They do this to avoid being seen or monitored. These ships are also sometimes called ghost ships.

Ghost Ships: Real and Legendary Mysteries

The Flying Dutchman by Albert Pinkham Ryder

Famous Ghost Ship Stories

• Undated – The Chasse-galerie is a legendary haunted canoe. It is said to paddle through the skies of Quebec, Canada.
• Undated – The Caleuche is a mythical ghost ship. According to local stories, it sails the seas around Chiloé Island, Chile at night.
• Undated – The Fireship of Baie des Chaleurs is a strange light. It appears near Bathurst, New Brunswick, Canada. People say it looks like a burning ship with three masts.
• 1748 onwards – The Lady Lovibond is a ship said to have been wrecked. This happened on February 13, 1748, off Kent, England. It supposedly reappears off the Kent coast every fifty years.
• 18th century onwards – The Ghost Ship of Northumberland Strait is a vision of a burning ship. It is often reported between Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, Canada.
• 1795 onwards – The Flying Dutchman is a famous legend. It tells of a captain and his ship. They are said to be cursed to sail the seas forever. This story has inspired many works.
• 19th century onwards – The Princess Augusta was a ship that wrecked in 1738. This happened near Block Island, Rhode Island, U.S. Since then, a mysterious light, the Palatine Light, has been reported.
• 1813 onwards – The American schooner Young Teazer sank in an explosion. This occurred in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada, during the War of 1812. After this, a burning light, the "Teazer Light," has been reported.
• 1858 onwards – The Eliza Battle was a paddle steamer that caught fire in 1858. This happened on the Tombigbee River, Alabama, U.S. It is said to reappear, fully aflame, on cold winter nights. People believe it warns of upcoming trouble.
• 1872 or 1882 – A story says the Iron Mountain disappeared in 1872. It supposedly left its barges floating down the river. In reality, the ship ran aground and sank in 1882. This was near Vicksburg, Mississippi, United States. Its end was not mysterious.
• 1878 onwards – A vision of HMS Eurydice has been reported. This is where the ship sank in 1878. It was off the Isle of Wight, English Channel. Even a Royal Navy submarine crew saw it in the 1930s.
• 1886 – The Phantom Canoe of Lake Rotomahana was a spirit canoe. It was seen in Lake Rotomahana, New Zealand. It appeared eleven days before the deadly eruption of Mount Tarawera. This eruption devastated the lake and nearby areas.
• 1895 – A ghostly Galleon was reportedly seen in Chapel Cove, Newfoundland. Local stories say pirates buried treasure there. People searching for it have seen the phantom ship or other ghostly figures.
• 1902 – The SS Bannockburn vanished on Lake Superior on November 21, 1902. It later gained a reputation as "the Flying Dutchman of the Great Lakes."
• 1906 – The SS Valencia wrecked in 1906. This was off the coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. After this, people reported seeing strange things. These included lifeboats rowed by ghostly figures. They also saw a phantom ship like the Valencia. Sailors claimed to see the ship itself in the area for years. One of its lifeboats was found drifting in 1933.
• November 22, 1912 – The Rouse Simmons was carrying over 3,000 Christmas trees. It sailed from Thompson, Michigan, for Chicago. The next day, it disappeared without a trace. For years, sailors on Lake Michigan claimed to see the 'Christmas Tree Ship'. It would appear suddenly with torn sails.
• 1928 – The København was last heard from on December 28, 1928. For two years after it disappeared, people reported seeing a mysterious five-masted ship. It matched the København's description in the Pacific Ocean.

Unexplained Sightings at Sea

The discovery of the Marlborough, as depicted by Le Petit Journal in 1913

• 1775 – The Octavius, a British merchant ship, was supposedly found drifting. This was off the coast of Greenland. It was returning from China. The captain's log showed the ship tried to sail through the Northwest Passage. This route had never been successfully crossed. The ship and its crew, preserved by the cold, apparently completed the passage. They drifted among the ice for 13 years.
• 1811–1813 – A French frigate reportedly found the French privateer Duc de Dantzig drifting. The ship was covered in blood, and the crew had disappeared mysteriously. Official records state the Duc de Dantzig was lost with all hands by 1813.
• 1840 – The schooner Jenny was supposedly discovered. It had spent 17 years frozen in ice near the Drake Passage. Captain Brighton of the whaler Hope found it. The ship had been stuck since 1823. The people aboard, preserved by the Antarctic cold, were laid to rest at sea. The Jenny is remembered by the Jenny Buttress on King George Island.
• October 27, 1913 – A Singapore newspaper, The Straits Times, published a story. It claimed the Marlborough was found near Cape Horn. No one was found aboard. This story came from a London paper, the Evening Standard. It said the report from New Zealand was not yet confirmed.
• 1947 – The Ourang Medan is said to have been found drifting off Indonesia. No one was found alive aboard. The ship reportedly exploded and sank before it could be towed. There is no official record of a ship with this name. So, it is likely an urban legend.
• 2014 – Many people disappeared in the summer of 2014. A person who arranged their journey to Europe claimed they were to leave from Khums, Libya. However, no ship was ever named. No sign of a ship or the people has been found. This event is known as the ghost boat investigation.

Real-Life Ship Mysteries

• 1750 or 1760 – The SV Sea Bird: This merchant ship ran aground at Easton's Beach, Rhode Island. Its small boat was missing. The ship was returning from Honduras. It seemed to have been left quickly. Coffee was still boiling on the stove. Only a dog and a cat were found alive on board.
• May 15, 1854 – HMS Resolute was a British Royal Navy ship. It was abandoned after getting stuck in ice in Viscount Melville Sound, Canada. The ship drifted about 1,200 miles (1,900 km). It was found on September 10, 1855, off Baffin Island, Canada, free from the ice. The Resolute desk, now in the Oval Office of the White House, was made from its wood.

An engraving of Mary Celeste as she was found abandoned

• November 25, 1872 – The SV Mary Celeste: This merchant ship was last seen near Santa Maria Island in the Azores. It was found drifting empty on December 4, 1872. This was between Portugal and the Azores. No one was aboard, and its lifeboats were missing. The ship was mostly fine and still sailing towards the Strait of Gibraltar. Arthur Conan Doyle's story "J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement" is based on this mystery.
• August 29, 1884 – The SV Resolven: This merchant ship was found empty between Baccalieu Island and Catalina, Newfoundland and Labrador. Its boats were missing. The ship's logbook was up-to-date. It had only minor damage. The galley fire was still lit, and lamps were burning. A large iceberg was nearby. It was thought the crew might have panicked and left the ship.
• 1885 – The SV The Twenty One Friends: This three-masted ship was built in 1872. It was named after 21 Philadelphia Quakers who funded it. In 1885, it was hit by another ship off Cape Hatteras. The captain and crew left the vessel. However, the ship proved very strong. It was seen drifting on both sides of the Atlantic for two years. It finally landed in Ireland. Its cargo was saved, and it became a fishing vessel.
• 1897 – The abandoned whaling ship Young Phoenix was reported drifting in the Arctic.
• January 22, 1906 – The SS Valencia's lifeboat no. 5: This lifeboat drifted away when the ship sank. This was off Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. It was found floating in Barkley Sound 27 years later. It was in surprisingly good condition.
• October 1917 – The SV Zebrina: This sailing barge left Falmouth, England, with coal for France. Two days later, it was found aground near Cherbourg, France. The ship was undamaged, but its crew was gone.
• January 1921 – The SV Carroll A. Deering: This five-masted cargo ship was last seen near Cape Lookout Lightship on January 28, 1921. It was found drifting empty on January 31, 1921, off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Its lifeboats and logbook were missing. This ship's final journey caused much discussion. It was one of many ships that disappeared around that time. While some thought of spooky reasons, it's more likely there was a disagreement among the crew or an attack.
• October 3, 1923 – The SV Governor Parr: This four-masted ship was left by its crew after a storm damaged its masts and deck. It was sailing from Ingramport, Canada, to Buenos Aires, Argentina. The ship did not sink. People tried to destroy or tow it, but failed. The Governor Parr was seen drifting across the Atlantic for many years. It was a danger to other ships, drifting as far as the Canary Islands. Its final fate is unknown.
• November 24, 1931 – The SS Baychimo: This cargo steamer was abandoned after getting stuck in ice near Barrow, Alaska, U.S. Everyone thought it would sink. However, it stayed afloat and was seen many times between 1931 and 1969. It drifted in the Chukchi Sea off Alaska, without ever being saved. People boarded it several times. But bad weather always stopped them from salvaging it. This makes it one of the longest-sailing ghost ships.

MV Joyita. The ship was partially submerged and listing heavily to port side.

• October 3, 1955 – The MV Joyita: This refrigerated trading and fishing boat left Apia, Samoa. It was found drifting empty on November 10, 1955, north of Vanua Levu, Fiji. Its small boat, three life rafts, and logbook were missing. An investigation found the ship was in poor condition. However, the reason for the crew and passengers disappearing was "inexplicable."
• 1959 – The Royal Navy submarine HMS Virulent was found empty in the Bay of Biscay off northern Spain. It had been lent to the Greek Navy. It turned out its tow chain had broken three weeks earlier.
• July 1, 1969 – The SV Teignmouth Electron: The last entry in its log was on July 1, 1969. This trimaran yacht was found drifting empty on July 10, 1969, in the North Atlantic. An investigation suggested its sole crewmember, Donald Crowhurst, had experienced mental difficulties during a solo race and disappeared from the ship.
• 1975 – The SV Ocean Wave: Bas Jan Ader disappeared at sea. He was trying to cross the Atlantic alone. He was in a small 13-foot (4-meter) boat called Ocean Wave. Radio contact stopped three weeks into the trip. The boat was found 10 months later, partly underwater, off the coast of Ireland. His body was never found. The boat was later stolen.
• December 2002 – The MV High Aim 6: The owner last spoke to the captain on December 13, 2002. The ship was near the Marshall Islands. The MV High Aim 6, a fishing boat, was found drifting empty on January 3, 2003, off Broome, Australia. Taiwanese police thought a disagreement among the crew was likely. The ship was later sunk.
• March 24, 2006 – The MT Jian Seng was found drifting southwest of Weipa, Queensland, Australia. No one could figure out where the ship came from or who owned it. Its engines had not worked for some time.
• August 24, 2006 – The SV Bel Amica, a classic schooner, was found empty near Punta Volpe, Sardinia, Italy. The owner later said he went home for an emergency. Italian news suggested he might have been avoiding taxes on luxury boats. The Coast Guard found half-eaten meals, French maps, and a flag of Luxembourg on board.
• April 18, 2007 – The SV Kaz II: This 12-meter (39-foot) catamaran sailed on April 15, 2007. It was filmed passing George Point, Queensland, that day. Later, GPS data showed it was drifting. It was found on April 18, 2007, near the Great Barrier Reef, off Townsville, Australia. When boarded on April 20, the engine was running, a laptop was on, and a meal was set. But the three-man crew was not there. All sails were up, but one was torn. Life jackets and emergency gear were on board. The search for the crew was stopped on April 22. The coroner believed the men might have fallen overboard.
• October 28, 2008 – The MV Tai Ching 21 (Chinese: 大慶21號): The last radio message from this fishing vessel was on October 28, 2008. The boat was found empty on November 9, 2008, near Kiribati. Its lifeboat and three life rafts were missing. The abandoned Taiwanese ship had been damaged by fire days before. No distress call was sent. A large search by air forces found no trace of the captain or crew.
• January 2009 – The SV Lunatic: In December 2007, Jure Šterk, at age 70, began a solo trip around the world. He used radio to communicate. He was last heard from on January 1, 2009. His sailboat Lunatic was spotted on January 26, off Australia. The boat looked damaged, and Jure Šterk was not on deck. Three months later, on April 30, 2009, the boat was found drifting by a science vessel. The sails were torn, and no one was on board. The last log entry was from January 2, 2009.
• March 20, 2012 – The MV Ryou-Un Maru: This fishing vessel was swept away from Japan during the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. It was thought to have sunk. But a year later, it was found drifting off Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, Canada. The United States Coast Guard sank it on April 5, 2012.
• June 19–20, 2012 – The T.T. Zion, a private yacht, ran aground on Fort Lauderdale Beach on June 20. Its lights were on, and engines were running. The ship seemed fine, but a broken part might have caused steering problems. Items belonging to the owner, Guma Aguiar, were found. However, no sign of him or any other person was found.
• February 2013 – The MV Lyubov Orlova, a former Soviet cruise ship, was being towed to a scrapyard. The tow cable broke, and it drifted into international waters. This happened one day after leaving St John's, Newfoundland, Canada. On February 4, 2013, it was found drifting east of St. John's. The crew did not chase it due to safety worries.
• 2011–ongoing – Every year, many small wooden boats, called ghost ships, reach Japanese waters. They are believed to be fishing boats from North Korea. Some boats are empty. In others, people have been found who likely passed away from lack of food or exposure.
• January 31, 2016 – The Sayo: Manfred Fritz Bajorat of Germany was found in his private yacht. It was drifting in the Philippine Sea. His body was found by a racing yacht crew. The yacht was rediscovered on February 25, 2016. An examination showed Bajorat had passed away from natural causes about a week before being found. The sea conditions helped preserve his body.
• October 2018 – The MV Alta was abandoned in October 2018 due to engine problems. The United States Coast Guard rescued the crew. The ship drifted for a year and a half. It then ran aground near Ballycotton, County Cork, Ireland, during Storm Dennis.
• January 2021 – The Yong Yu Sing No. 18 was found drifting near Midway Island. All crew and a lifeboat were missing. It also had damage that looked like it came from a collision.
• April 2024 – Fishermen found an unnamed fishing ship on the Caeté River in Bragança, Pará, Brazil. It was near the Amazon Delta. It is thought to have come from Mauritania. It is believed the people on board were migrants heading to the Canary Islands. The ship likely got lost at sea and drifted. It was last seen in Mauritania in January 2024. This means the journey might have lasted three months. No one was found alive on board. It is thought that some people may have passed away earlier in the journey. The cause of death for those found was lack of food and water.

See also

• Ghost plane
• Ghost town
• List of ghosts
• List of missing ships
• North Korean ghost ships