Buzz
My inspiration for compiling this list stems from my extensive naval career and countless hours spent at sea. While much of the time is uneventful, I’ve been fortunate to witness extraordinary sights—both stunning and bizarre. Among these are an abandoned Catamaran discovered in the Atlantic, eerily devoid of life except for freshly caught fish, and a century-old buoy that had drifted unnoticed for decades. These encounters left a lasting impression on me.
Additionally, stepping aboard an abandoned vessel, particularly a warship, evokes an unsettling feeling. The stark contrast between its once-bustling activity and its current desolation creates an eerie and isolating atmosphere.
Ghost Ships are typically described as vessels found adrift with their crews mysteriously missing or deceased, or those decommissioned but not yet dismantled. For this reason, I’ve excluded reputedly haunted ships like the Queen Mary or the USS Hornet from this list.
10. Carrol A. Deering
Constructed in 1911, the Carrol A Deering was a five-masted schooner named after the owner’s son. Primarily used for cargo, her last journey began on December 2nd, 1920, departing from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Initially commanded by William Merrit and his son, Sewall Merrit, the crew consisted of 10 Scandinavians. However, both Merrits fell ill, leading to the recruitment of Captain W. B. Wormell as their replacement.
Following its departure from Rio, the Deering made a stop in Barbados to replenish supplies. During this time, First Mate McLennan, intoxicated, vented to a fellow sailor about Captain Wormell’s lack of discipline and his reliance on McLennan for navigation. McLennan was arrested after boldly declaring, “I’ll get the Captain before we reach Norfolk.” Despite this, Wormell pardoned him, secured his release, and the ship continued toward Hampton Roads.
The Deering was next seen on January 28th, 1921, when a red-haired man with a foreign accent approached the foredeck and informed a lightship keeper that the vessel had lost its anchors. Unfortunately, due to a faulty radio, the keeper couldn’t relay this information.
Three days later, on January 31st, the Deering was discovered stranded on Diamond Shoals near Cape Hatteras. Adverse weather delayed boarding until February 4th, when rescuers finally accessed the ship. What they uncovered cemented the Deering’s place in maritime lore. The ship was deserted, with logs, navigation tools, and two lifeboats missing. The galley showed signs of interrupted meal preparation. Sadly, the vessel was destroyed with dynamite before a thorough investigation could be conducted.
The crew's disappearance took place within the Bermuda Triangle, a region notorious for vanishing ships during the same period, including the sulfur freighter Hewitt. Numerous theories emerged during the investigation, ranging from paranormal activity and mutiny to piracy and rum-runners commandeering the ship for a voyage to the Bahamas. The official inquiry concluded in 1922 without a definitive explanation for the mysterious abandonment of the Carrol A. Deering.
9. Baychimo
Constructed in Sweden in 1911, the Baychimo served as a pelt trader along Canada's Northwest routes. Originally German-owned, it was transferred to Great Britain as part of war reparations.
In October 1931, the 20-year-old cargo steamer embarked on its final crewed voyage, laden with fur. Off the coast of Barrow, the ship became trapped in ice. The crew abandoned it temporarily, seeking refuge half a mile inland. A week later, on October 8th, the Baychimo broke free, prompting the crew to return. However, by October 15th, it was once again icebound. Fifteen crew members constructed a temporary shelter nearby, planning to endure the winter and eventually free the ship.
On November 24th, a fierce blizzard hit. Once the storm subsided, the crew discovered the Baychimo had disappeared, believed to have sunk. However, days later, a seal hunter reported spotting the ship approximately 45 miles from their camp. The crew located the vessel to recover their valuable cargo, then abandoned the Baychimo to its uncertain destiny.
Over the next 40 years, the Baychimo was frequently sighted along Canada’s coastline. While several attempts were made to board the ship, few succeeded, and those who did often found themselves trapped due to harsh weather. The last verified sighting was in 1969, 38 years after its abandonment, when it was seen frozen in an ice pack. In 2006, the Alaskan government launched a mission to locate the 'Ghost Ship of the Arctic,' but it remains elusive to this day.
Whether trapped in ice, adrift, or resting at the ocean’s depths, the ultimate fate of the Baychimo continues to be shrouded in mystery.
8. Eliza Battle
Constructed in Indiana in 1852, the Eliza Battle was a lavish wooden paddle steamer that often hosted presidents and distinguished guests. Tragedy struck on a frigid February night in 1858 as the ship sailed along the Tombigbee River. A fire ignited in cotton bales on the main deck, rapidly spreading due to strong winds. The flames engulfed the upper deck, and the Eliza Battle, now uncontrollable, drifted downstream before settling at Kemp’s Landing. Many perished attempting to save loved ones, with women sacrificing themselves to protect their children. Fortunately, the ship carried few passengers on its ill-fated voyage. Of the roughly 100 aboard, 26 lost their lives, primarily to exposure. The vessel sank in 28 feet of water, where its wreckage remains to this day.
Legend has it that during spring floods, under the light of a full moon, the Eliza Battle can be seen rising from the river, floating upstream with music echoing and flames flickering on its deck. Sometimes, only the ship’s silhouette is visible. The fire is said to be so vivid that the name 'Eliza Battle' can be read on its side. Local fishermen consider sightings of the ghostly steamer a harbinger of disaster and a bad omen for ships navigating the Tombigbee River.
7. MV Joyita
Built in 1931 in Los Angeles, the MV Joyita was originally a luxury yacht commissioned by movie director Roland West. During World War II, it was converted into a patrol boat and operated near the Hawaiian coast until the war’s end.
On October 3rd, 1955, the Joyita departed from Samoa, heading for the Tokelau Islands, 270 nautical miles away. Its departure was delayed due to a faulty clutch on the port engine, which remained unrepaired, forcing the yacht to rely on a single engine. Aboard were 25 individuals, including a government official, two children, and a surgeon en route to perform an amputation. Although the trip should have lasted no more than two days, by the third day, the Joyita had failed to arrive. No distress signals were received, despite the ship being within radio range of coast guard and relay stations. A massive search covering 100,000 square miles was conducted by the Royal New Zealand Air Force, but no trace of the yacht, its crew, or passengers was found.
The Joyita was finally discovered on November 10th, five weeks later, by the Tuvalu, 600 miles off its intended course. The vessel was tilted heavily to port, with its deck partially underwater. Four tonnes of cargo were missing, and none of the crew or passengers were on board. The VHF radio was set to the international distress frequency. The ship was still running on one engine, with an auxiliary pump rigged but inactive. All clocks had stopped at 10:25, and cabin and navigation lights were switched on. A doctor’s bag containing four blood-stained bandages was found on the floor. The logbook, sextant, chronometer, and three life rafts were missing.
An inquiry later revealed that the hull was intact, and the fate of the crew remained 'inexplicable based on the evidence.' The absence of life rafts was particularly puzzling, as the cork-lined vessel was virtually unsinkable—a fact well-known to the captain and crew. The investigation made no mention of the medical equipment’s use, and the missing cargo remained unexplained.
Various theories emerged, ranging from the bizarre—such as remnants of Japanese forces from World War II operating from a hidden base—to more plausible explanations like insurance fraud, piracy, or mutiny.
Although the Joyita was repaired, it repeatedly ran aground, earning a reputation as a cursed ship. It was eventually sold for scrap in the 1960s.
6. Flying Dutchman
The Flying Dutchman is arguably the most renowned ghost ship, popularized by 'The Pirates of the Caribbean' and, for the more lighthearted, 'Spongebob Squarepants' (The Frying Dutchman). However, many are unaware that 'The Flying Dutchman' refers to the ship’s captain, not the vessel itself.
Numerous spectral ships worldwide bear the name 'The Flying Dutchman,' but I will focus on the original, said to haunt the waters near the Cape of Good Hope. Here is the embellished tale:
The ship’s captain, Hendrick Van Der Decken, was sailing around the Cape of Good Hope en route to Amsterdam. He vowed to round the cape, even if it took him 'until Doomsday.' Amid a ferocious storm, Van Der Decken ignored his crew’s pleas to turn back. As colossal waves battered the ship, the captain sang vulgar songs, drank beer, and smoked his pipe. When mutiny broke out, he awoke from his drunken haze, shot the lead mutineer, and tossed his body overboard. Suddenly, the clouds parted, and a voice thundered from the heavens.
‘You’re an incredibly stubborn man,’ the voice declared. The captain retorted, ‘I never sought a peaceful journey or asked for anything, so leave before I shoot you as well.’ Van Der Decken aimed his pistol skyward, but it exploded in his hand.
‘You are cursed to sail the seas forever, commanding a crew of the dead. Your ghostly ship will bring doom to all who see it, and you shall never find harbor or peace. Your drink will be gall, and your food red-hot iron.’
The Flying Dutchman has been sighted numerous times, often by credible and seasoned sailors, including Prince George of Wales and his brother, Prince Albert Victor of Wales.
Admiral Karl Doenitz reported that U-boat crews documented sightings of The Flying Dutchman near the Cape Peninsula. For most, if not all, of these crews, it was a dire omen. The spectral East Indiaman was also spotted at Muizenberg in 1939. In 1941, on a calm day, a crowd at Glencairn beach witnessed a ship with billowing sails, which vanished moments before crashing onto the rocks.
5. Young Teazer
Constructed in 1813, the Young Teazer was an American privateer schooner that targeted British trade ships near Halifax. Known for its exceptional speed, it captured numerous prizes off Nova Scotia, some even at the entrance of Halifax Harbour. In June 1813, the Teazer evaded the Nova Scotian privateer brig Sir John Sherbrooke by disappearing into the fog. Later, the 74-gun HMS La Hogue, a third-rate ship of the line, pursued the schooner, cornering it in Mahone Bay. As night fell, HMS Orpheus joined La Hogue, leaving the Young Teazer with no escape route.
La Hogue dispatched a five-boat boarding party to seize the schooner. As they approached, the Young Teazer suddenly exploded. Seven crew members survived, claiming they last saw First Lieutenant Frederick Johnson, deemed insane, rushing to the main magazine with burning embers. Johnson ignited the ammunition, killing himself and 30 others, many of whom rest in unmarked graves at an Anglican cemetery in Mahone Bay.
Shortly after the explosion, reports emerged of the Young Teazer reappearing as a fiery ghost ship. On June 27th the following year, residents of Mahone Bay were stunned to see a spectral vessel sailing into the waters where the Teazer had been destroyed. As it drew closer, they recognized it as the privateer before it vanished in a burst of flames and smoke. The tale spread nationwide, and on subsequent anniversaries, crowds gathered to witness 'the fire ship.' The ghostly vessel, locally called 'The Teazer Light,' is said to appear on foggy nights, particularly within three days of a full moon. Witnesses often describe an overwhelming sense of dread as the phantom ship seems to charge toward their vessels.
4. Octavius
On October 11th, 1775, the Octavius was reportedly found west of Greenland by the whaling ship Herald. Crew members from the Herald boarded the seemingly abandoned vessel, only to discover the entire crew frozen in place, as if death had struck them instantly. The captain was found in his cabin, frozen at his desk with a pen in hand, mid-entry in his log. Beside him were the bodies of a woman, a child wrapped in a blanket, and a sailor clutching a tinderbox. Terrified, the boarding party fled, taking only the logbook. However, due to its frozen state, the log fell apart, leaving only the first and last pages intact. The final entry was dated 1762, indicating the ship had been adrift for 13 years.
The Octavius had departed England in 1761, bound for the Orient. The captain chose the perilous but shorter route through the uncharted Northwest Passage. It is believed the ship became trapped in ice near Northern Alaska. Its discovery revealed that the Octavius was the first vessel to navigate the Northwest Passage, though its crew perished before achieving this feat. The ship likely broke free during winter, drifting for 13 years with its frozen crew. After this eerie encounter, the Octavius was never seen again.
3. Ourang Medan
In June 1947, desperate Morse Code messages were transmitted from the Dutch freighter Ourang Medan. Multiple ships received the distress call, with several responding. The initial message read, ‘All officers, including the captain, are dead in the chartroom and bridge. Possibly the entire crew is dead.’ A second message followed, this time a voice over the radio simply stating, ‘I die.’ Dutch and British listening posts pinpointed the ship’s location and coordinated a rescue mission. Hours later, the Silver Star arrived at the scene. After unsuccessful attempts to contact the vessel using whistle signals and flashing lights, a boarding party was sent to investigate. They found the Ourang Medan seemingly intact. Upon entering the bridge, they discovered a radio still playing and several crew members, including the captain, lifeless. More bodies were found on the cargo deck, including a dog frozen in a snarling stance.
No survivors were found aboard the Ourang Medan. The most unsettling detail was the state of the bodies—all frozen in place, faces turned upward toward the sun, arms outstretched, mouths agape, and expressions of sheer terror. In the communications room, the sender of the SOS messages was found dead, hand still on the Morse key, eyes wide, and teeth bared. Remarkably, none of the bodies showed signs of injury. When the Silver Star crew attempted to access the cargo bay, a sudden explosion triggered an uncontrollable fire. Forced to retreat, they abandoned the ship, which sank shortly after.
Despite the lack of official records confirming the existence of a ship named Ourang Medan, many conspiracy theorists speculate that the vessel operated under a false identity and carried cargo that was ‘officially’ nonexistent.
The fate of the Ourang Medan and its crew remains shrouded in mystery. Some suggest pirates killed the crew and sabotaged the ship, though this fails to explain the eerie expressions and absence of injuries. Others propose that methane or toxic gases from seabed fissures may have overwhelmed the ship. More outlandish theories involve extraterrestrials or supernatural forces.
2. Mary Celeste
The Mary Celeste is widely regarded as the most infamous maritime mystery, with the most extensively documented case of a vanished crew. To this day, the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of its eight crew members and two passengers remain a subject of intense debate and speculation.
On December 13th, 1872, observers spotted a small two-masted vessel entering Gibraltar Bay. The Mary Celeste had departed New York on November 7th, en route to Genoa with a cargo of 1,701 barrels of alcohol. On the afternoon of December 5th, Captain Morehouse of the Dei Gratia noticed a brigantine on a parallel course, which he recognized as the Mary Celeste. Morehouse and the ship’s master, Captain Briggs, were close friends who had dined together before setting sail. Alarmed by the Celeste’s erratic movements, Morehouse attempted to hail the ship for two hours without success before boarding the seemingly abandoned vessel.
The Mary Celeste appeared seaworthy but had been hastily deserted. All ship documents were missing except for the captain’s log, which recorded the ship passing the Azores on November 25th. While tales of warm tea, half-eaten meals, and smoking pipes are likely exaggerated, it was evident the ship had been abandoned abruptly, with no signs of violence or struggle. A six-month supply of uncontaminated food and water remained, along with the crew’s personal belongings. All cargo was accounted for, save for nine empty barrels. Water damage suggested the ship might have been abandoned due to severe weather, though this contradicted Briggs’ reputation as a brave and skilled captain who would only desert his ship under dire circumstances. Morehouse sailed the Celeste to Gibraltar, arriving on December 13th.
A marine surveyor investigating the mystery discovered what he believed to be traces of blood in the captain’s cabin, an unclean ornamental cutlass in Briggs’ quarters, a knife, and a deep gash on a railing, possibly caused by a blunt object or axe. Although no such weapon was found, he concluded the damage was recent. Despite this, the vessel showed no structural damage and was deemed seaworthy.
Numerous theories have been proposed to explain the events: piracy, insurance fraud (suggesting collusion between Briggs and Morehouse), murder by the crew of the Dei Gratia, a seaquake or other natural phenomena, an explosion caused by fumes from the cargo, ergotism from contaminated flour driving the crew to madness, mutiny, and various paranormal explanations.
Over the next 13 years, the Mary Celeste changed ownership 17 times, often accompanied by tragic incidents. Her final captain intentionally ran her aground to file a fraudulent insurance claim. In 2001, the National Underwater and Maritime Agency claimed to have located the wreck of the Mary Celeste, though skeptics argue that the area contains hundreds of similar wrecks, making it impossible to confirm the vessel’s identity definitively.
1. Lady Lovibond
On February 13th, 1748, Simon Reed celebrated his marriage by taking his new bride, Annette, aboard his ship, the Lady Lovibond, for a voyage to Portugal. At the time, having a woman onboard was considered bad luck. Unbeknownst to Reed, his first mate, John Rivers, was secretly in love with the captain’s wife. Consumed by jealousy, Rivers attacked the helmsman with a belaying pin, killing him instantly. He then seized the wheel and deliberately steered the ship toward the treacherous Goodwin Sands, resulting in the loss of all onboard. The subsequent inquiry ruled the incident as misadventure.
Exactly 50 years later, on the same day, two separate ships reported seeing a ghostly vessel navigating the Goodwin Sands. On February 13th, 1848, local fishermen observed a shipwreck in the area, and lifeboats were dispatched to investigate, but no wreckage was found. In 1948, the spectral Lady Lovibond was sighted once more by Captain Bull Prestwick, who described it as appearing lifelike but emitting an unsettling green glow.
If you’re hoping to witness the next appearance of the Lady Lovibond, you’ll need to wait until February 13th, 2048, as the ghost ship is said to materialize only once every half-century—so be sure to mark your calendar. The Goodwin Sands, England’s most notorious site for phantom ships, is also believed to be the location of the mythical island of Lomea. The Lady Lovibond is joined in this eerie realm by two other ghostly vessels: the SS Montrose, a liner, and the Shrewsbury, a man-of-war.
