The stories of haunted ships, or of ‘phantom ships’ as people often call them, have been around us for centuries. Sailors, anglers, and just people who are interested in ghostly tales have reported multiple occasions of mysterious ships that disappeared in the middle of the sea without any trace. The strangest part of these tales is that some of these ghost ships have reappeared empty, with no sign of their crew!
In this article, we’ll tell you 5 stories related to eerie ghost ships that will leave you wondering what really happened to their passengers. Unfortunately, we’ll never know the answer to that question for sure.
Flying Dutchman
Let’s start with the most iconic ghost ship tale of all time, which is the story of the Flying Dutchman. The legends about this ship started in the 17th century and according to them, the ship would sail the oceans forever, never being able to reach the port. The reason for this is that the ship’s captain, Van der Decken, had a deal with the devil. While the Flying Dutchman was reaching the East Indies, a terrible storm threatened the fates of the crew. The only choice the captain had was to gamble with his life and make a deal, which determined their fate.
This mysterious ship has become a symbol of unpredictable risks in modern culture. Today various movies and games capture the essence of the Flying Dutchman’s tale. For instance, a famous gambling rocket game, Rocket Ship, reflects uncertain outcomes that define the legend. While the gameplay is very straightforward and transparent, the end result is almost as unpredictable as the story of the Flying Dutchman — the ship that never made it to the port.
Octavius
The story of Octavius is another legendary spooky ship tale that has been around since 1775. Everything started when a ship named Herald was found adrift off of Greenland. Believe it or not, each member of the crew of the ship was frozen. What’s even more surprising, they remained in the positions they had been in while alive. Imagine how horrified people would feel while discovering this scene.
Experts say that the ship had been sailing since 1762. This, in turn, means that the crew had been frozen on the ship for 13 years, no less!
Mary Celeste
Mary Celeste is one more famous ship that’s considered haunted. The crew of this ship consisted of people who were traveling from New York to Italy to deliver a cargo of alcohol — nothing strange at first glance. However, what happened next remains one of the greatest ship mysteries of all time.
The ship left New York on November 7, 1872. It sailed for almost a month but on December 4 it was found adrift in the Atlantic Ocean. Not a single person from the crew was on board anymore. The only thing we know about Captain Briggs of the Mary Celeste is that he was an experienced seaman and everyone knew he wouldn’t accidentally abandon ship without a very good reason.
Besides, the ship was found in good condition and the cargo was still there. But the fate of the captain, his family, and his crew remains unknown.
Sajo
This one is the least famous spooky ship story, but no less terrifying than those previously discussed. Sajo is the name of the Japanese fishing vessel. It was found adrift in 1947, close to the coast of the Philippines. Again, there was no sign of the crew on the ship, while everything else on board appeared normal. The only man who was found there was Manfred Fritz Bajorat who had been dead for more than 4 days when the ship was found.
No one knows what happened to Bajorat for certain. While experts believe he might have died from natural causes, some people prefer to believe the entire crew was taken by mysterious, supernatural forces.
SS Ourang Medan
Our final ghost ship tale is a chilling story of the Ourang Medan — another cargo ship that was found without any signs of the crew. But the story is different this time. In 1947, two American ships heard a distress call from the Dutch ship Ourang Medan. The message itself was terrifying. It was something like “All officers including the captain are dead… I am dying.” Of course, the American ships tried to deliver help and they discovered the entire crew, including the dog, dead. As they say, they had scared expressions, which indicates that something horrific had happened.
Final Words
These 5 spooky ship tales are just a small part of the mysteries the oceans hide. As time goes by, these haunting stories make the reader even more puzzled, as it’s impossible to explain what was behind the tragic deaths of the crews. The true fate of these ships and their crews may never be known, but one thing is for sure: their stories will always remain among us, making horror enthusiasts thirsty to explore the unknown.
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