Unbelievable Ghost Ship Tales: 4 Historic Accounts of Ghost Ships

True Tales of Ghost Ships

While watching the movie Ghost Ship the other night, I became intrigued by the idea of ghost ships. Ghost ships seen in movies like Pirates of the Caribbean and Ghost Ship are often based on legends, but there are many amazing documented stories of ghost ships which have been found with their crews mysteriously missing. These are my top four unbelievable historic tales of ghost ships.

The Mary Celeste

The brigantine merchant ship The Mary Celeste is possibly the most famous of the true ghost ship stories. The ship was discovered still seaworthy and under sail heading towards the Straits of Gibraltar off the coast of Portugal, in December 1872. Although her cargo and all the belongings of the crew were discovered on board along with over six months worth of food and water, her experienced crew had vanished.

The Baychimo

The steel 1,322 ton cargo steamer The Baychimo, became trapped in pack ice in October, 1931. After a blizzard struck, the boat disappeared, but her crew had made it safely off the boat to shelter. A few days later, a seal hunter reported he had seen the ship about 45 miles away from the crew's position. For the next 38 years, the Baychimo continued to appear in documented sightings, floating alone and without a crew.

The High Aim 6

The Taiwanese vessel High Aim 6, equipped for long-line fishing, left Taiwan on October 31, 2002, and was found still underway with its motor running in Australian waters, on January 8, 2003. Although the crew's personal effects were still on board, and there was no apparent reason for the abandonment, no sign of the crew was ever found on this ghost ship.

The Jian Seng

The  80-meter tanker Jian Seng was found drifting in uncharted waters south-west of Queensland, Australia in March 2006. No sign of recent human activity could be found, although a large quantity of rice was found on board. It was determined that the tanker had been adrift for an exceptionally long period of time. No record was ever found of the Jian Seng's registration or origin, and the ghost ship was eventually sunk.

For more amazing true histories of ghost ships, see Top Ten Most Amazing True Ghost Ship Stories.

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