Ghost Ships
Home Castle Ghosts Ghost Ships Battle field Ghosts Ghost Lights Ghost Hunting E.V.P Poltergiest Your Ghost Stories Paranormal Links Ghost Articles	In past times sailing the oceans would have been a hazardous journey, Storms, pirates and uncharted waters meant that many a ship meet its doom and final fate at the bottom of the worlds oceans. Nautical superstitions would have been rife among the crew and the sighting of a ghost ship would certainly have been regarded as a bad omen for the journey. The term ‘ Ghost Ship’ is generally used for apparitions of ships that have previously known to have sunk as in the example of the Flying Dutchman, or the term can be used to ships discovered floating with no sign of the crew as in the case of the most famous ghost ship the Mary Celeste. The Flying Dutchman In 1641 the flying Dutch man is said to have sank of the Cape of Good Hope with all hands perishing to the sea. There are various stories and legends that have been told of the crews fate and much of the events are now part of nautical folklore. According to legend the Flying Dutchman is a ghost ship that is doomed to sail the oceans, trying to navigate around the Cape for all time, never to return home. It is usually seen from afar and can be seen glowing with a ghostly light. To see the phantom ship is believed to be a bad omen for who ever sights the ship, it is said will meet an untimely end. There are Royal Navy accounts of sightings of the Flying Dutchman. The most famous account is that from the diary of King George V. In the year 1881 he was a midshipman aboard the H.M.S Bacchante. In his diary he recorded that the Flying Dutchman crossed the bow of the Bacchante. He described a strange red light. A phantom ship glowing in the mist. Many other sightings have been reported over the years including the keepers of the Cape Port lighthouse who have often reported seeing her during storms. Maybe as folklore would have us believe she is still to this day trying to find her way home. The Mary Celeste. In the year of 1872, November 5th. Captain Benjamin Briggs picked up a cargo of industrial alcohol and set sail from Staten Island, New York. The intended destination was Genoa, Italy. On board with the captain was his wife, young daughter and a crew of seven. Around December 4th 1872 this brigantine was sighted by another ship the Dei Gratia out in the Atlantic, unmanned and under full sail. The crew observed her for two hours and although no distress signals could be seen, concluded that she was drifting. The chief mate of the Dei Gratia, led a party in a small boat to board the Mary Celeste. Popular stories of the time that were mostly likely retold and embellished with every telling, say that what the chief mate found on board the Mary Celeste on that day was unexplainable. The cabin table was set with food and cups of still warm tea that had been untouched, washing hung out to dry blew in the wind, A half eaten pie still warm, yet there was no sign of the captain, crew or his passengers. No signs of a struggle or disaster could be found. In all appearances it was if they had simply vanished. The truth of the story is that the official accounts are very different. Although the ship was reported as generally in good condition there was found to be a lot of water between decks and in the hold. The clock was not functioning and the compass was destroyed. The sextant and other instruments were missing and the life boat was gone although it appeared to have been intentionally launched and not torn away. This official account suggests that the Mary Celeste had most likely been abandoned at some point. The actual reason the ship was abandoned, although there are many theories, may never be known and may remain forever the most famous of all ghost ship mysteries.

Ghost Ships ghosts central

search for ghosts

In past times sailing the oceans would have been a hazardous journey, Storms, pirates and uncharted waters meant that many a ship meet its doom and final fate at the bottom of the worlds oceans. Nautical superstitions would have been rife among the crew and the sighting of a ghost ship would certainly have been regarded as a bad omen for the journey.

The term ‘ Ghost Ship’ is generally used for apparitions of ships that have previously known to have sunk as in the example of the Flying Dutchman, or the term can be used to ships discovered floating with no sign of the crew as in the case of the most famous ghost ship the Mary Celeste.

The Flying Dutchman

In 1641 the flying Dutch man is said to have sank of the Cape of Good Hope with all hands perishing to the sea. There are various stories and legends that have been told of the crews fate and much of the events are now part of nautical folklore. According to legend the Flying Dutchman is a ghost ship that is doomed to sail the oceans, trying to navigate around the Cape for all time, never to return home. It is usually seen from afar and can be seen glowing with a ghostly light. To see the phantom ship is believed to be a bad omen for who ever sights the ship, it is said will meet an untimely end.

There are Royal Navy accounts of sightings of the Flying Dutchman. The most famous account is that from the diary of King George V. In the year 1881 he was a midshipman aboard the H.M.S Bacchante. In his diary he recorded that the Flying Dutchman crossed the bow of the Bacchante. He described a strange red light. A phantom ship glowing in the mist.

Many other sightings have been reported over the years including the keepers of the Cape Port lighthouse who have often reported seeing her during storms. Maybe as folklore would have us believe she is still to this day trying to find her way home.

The Mary Celeste.

Mary Celeste In the year of 1872, November 5th. Captain Benjamin Briggs picked up a cargo of industrial alcohol and set sail from Staten Island, New York. The intended destination was Genoa, Italy. On board with the captain was his wife, young daughter and a crew of seven.
Around December 4th 1872 this brigantine was sighted by another ship the Dei Gratia out in the Atlantic, unmanned and under full sail. The crew observed her for two hours and although no distress signals could be seen, concluded that she was drifting. The chief mate of the Dei Gratia, led a party in a small boat to board the Mary Celeste.

Popular stories of the time that were mostly likely retold and embellished with every telling, say that what the chief mate found on board the Mary Celeste on that day was unexplainable. The cabin table was set with food and cups of still warm tea that had been untouched, washing hung out to dry blew in the wind, A half eaten pie still warm, yet there was no sign of the captain, crew or his passengers. No signs of a struggle or disaster could be found. In all appearances it was if they had simply vanished.

The truth of the story is that the official accounts are very different. Although the ship was reported as generally in good condition there was found to be a lot of water between decks and in the hold. The clock was not functioning and the compass was destroyed. The sextant and other instruments were missing and the life boat was gone although it appeared to have been intentionally launched and not torn away. This official account suggests that the Mary Celeste had most likely been abandoned at some point. The actual reason the ship was abandoned, although there are many theories, may never be known and may remain forever the most famous of all ghost ship mysteries.