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Top Ghost Ships
Ghost ships, also known as phantom vessels, have been a source of intrigue for centuries. Some are part of maritime folklore, like the Flying Dutchman, while others are real abandoned ships found drifting at sea with no crew, such as the Mary Celeste. Whether fictional or real, these ships have left people wondering about their mysterious origins and fates.
1. The Fireship of Baie des Chaleurs
Pirates were notorious for their cruelty, especially towards prisoners. During the early days of settlement in New Brunswick, Canada, piracy was a major issue, with pirates frequently raiding ships in the bay. On one such raid, they captured Mrs. Francis Hickey, an 85-year-old woman. Finding no value in keeping her alive, the pirates brutally murdered her at the entrance to the bay. As she was killed, Mrs. Hickey cursed them, declaring, “As long as the world exists, you will burn in the bay.”
Since that fateful day, sightings of a burning ship resembling a flaming three-mast galley have been reported off the coast of Bonaventure, especially as bad weather approaches. In the evening, the ship is often seen about 10 miles from shore, near the Banc. Although it sometimes moves slightly, its general location has never changed.
Many have ventured out, hoping to reach the ship, but all attempts have been in vain. As people get closer, the ship always retreats, and no one has ever succeeded in reaching it.
2. 1748 Onwards – The Lady Lovibond
As the story goes, the captain of the Lady Lovibond was recently married, and to celebrate, he took his schooner out for a cruise off the shores of Kent in southeast England. At the time, there was a common superstition against bringing women aboard ships, but that alone wasn’t what sealed their fate.
According to legend, the first mate, John Rivers, who had also been in love with the captain’s young wife, grew increasingly jealous. While the captain, his wife, and their guests celebrated below deck, Rivers let his rage take over. Seizing a heavy club, he crept up behind the crew member steering the ship, killed him with a single blow, and took control of the helm. In his fury, he deliberately steered the schooner into the Goodwin Sands, causing the ship to wreck and killing everyone on board.
Since that tragic day, the Lady Lovibond is said to reappear nearly every 50 years. Sightings have been reported in 1798, 1848, and 1948. The ship appears with an eerie white glow, its three masts fully rigged and its sails billowing. Witnesses have reported hearing sounds of celebration and joyful voices from below deck as the ghostly schooner bears down on anyone in its path.
The local folk song goes as such:
The captains wife she looked above
And met the eyes of her ex-love
And all too late she recognised
The burning hatred in his eyes
His heart ablaze with jealousy
“If I can’t have her, nor will he”
He spun the wheel out of his hands
And ploughed her on the dreaded
Goodwin Sands.
3. 1795 Onwards – The Flying Dutchman
Perhaps the most famous of all ghost ships is the Flying Dutchman. This legendary vessel, captained by Van der Decken, was an Amsterdam ship known for its fearless and determined crew, led by Van der Decken, who had a reputation for always getting his way—whether it involved sailing through dangerous weather or dealing with his men.
According to the legend, while attempting to round the Cape of Good Hope off the coast of Africa, the Flying Dutchman Encountered a fierce storm with relentless headwinds. As the wind grew stronger and more unmanageable, other ships sought refuge to escape the perilous conditions. But Van der Decken, stubborn and defiant, refused to turn back. As he paced the deck, cursing the storm, he famously shouted to the wind gods, “May I be eternally damned if I do (turn back), though I should beat about here until the day of judgment!” True to his word, he never sought the safety of the bay, and it is said that he continues to sail the seas to this day, trapped in his eternal quest.
The Flying Dutchman has been sighted numerous times over the years, often glowing with an eerie light, always appearing in the midst of a storm.
4. 1912 – Onward The Rouse Simmons
The Rouse Simmons was a three-masted schooner owned by a wealthy lumber businessman. Known for its questionable seaworthiness, the ship’s final voyage in 1912—transporting 5,500 Christmas trees from Michigan to Chicago—would seal its fate.
The journey began at noon, with trees packed into every possible space aboard the vessel. The weight far exceeded recommendations, especially given the harsh winter weather, and would play a major role in the tragedy. As storms battered the Simmons during the night, two sailors were sent to secure the cargo on deck. A massive wave swept them overboard, along with several bundled trees and a small boat. With the schooner now slightly lighter and more maneuverable, Captain Schuenemann tried to navigate towards Bailey’s Harbor. But as the storm intensified, ice formed on the soaked trees, and powerful winds pummeled the ship.
By the following day, the Rouse Simmons had vanished without a trace. In the years that followed, mariners on Lake Michigan claimed to have seen the “Christmas Tree Ship” reappearing out of nowhere, its sails in tatters, a haunting reminder of its ill-fated voyage.
5. 1906 – The SS Valencia
The SS Valencia was an iron-hulled passenger steamer on a routine trip from San Francisco to Seattle. Initially, the weather was calm, but that changed dramatically as high winds, thick fog, and heavy rain descended. As night fell, celestial navigation became impossible, and the crew was forced to rely on dead reckoning to estimate their position. With no sight of land and battling strong currents and winds, the Valencia missed the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Shortly before midnight, disaster struck—the ship ran aground on a reef and began to sink.
A survivor described the terrifying scene: “Screams of women and children mingled in an awful chorus with the shrieking of the wind, the dash of rain, and the roar of the breakers. As the passengers rushed on deck, they were carried away in bunches by the huge waves that seemed as high as the ship’s mastheads. The ship began to break up almost at once, and the women and children were lashed to the rigging above the reach of the sea.”
Over 100 lives were lost in the sinking. For years afterward, locals reported eerie sightings of a lifeboat with skeletons rowing it whenever the weather turned foul. In 1933, more than two decades after that fateful night, a local fisherman found lifeboat No. 5 from the SS Valencia drifting in the sea, a haunting reminder of the tragedy.
The legends and stories of ghost ships, from the Flying Dutchman to the SS Valencia, continue to capture our imaginations and stir a deep sense of mystery. These tales remind us of the perils of the sea, the unpredictability of nature, and the enduring fascination with the unknown. Whether rooted in myth or history, each of these ships carries with it a sense of tragedy, loss, and eerie wonder. While some of these stories may never be fully explained, they serve as a haunting testament to the power of the ocean and the stories that rise from its depths, forever etched in maritime lore.
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