The ocean has long been a source for cautionary tales in horror fiction, and rightly so, really.
Our civilization has risen and fallen on the might and mysteries of the endless ocean - entire
cities engulfed by the encroaching tide - entire empires forged on the passage of the seven
seas.
Where bounty lies - so does danger - and grizzly, salty sailors throughout history have only
served to perpetuate the grim tales of misfortunate that are so synonymous with the sea.
Well, you drank up part one of this series - but hold your nose, cos here comes the cold
water - we’ve got a Part 2.
And yes, that was an Eminem reference.
And no, I’m not ashamed.
Hello horror fans - what’s going on, and once again welcome back to the scariest channel
on YouTube, Top 5 Scary Videos.
As per usual, I’ll be your horror host Jack Finch - as today, we curiously take a look
at the Top 5 Creepiest Ghost Ships That Haunt The Sea - Part 2.
Roll the clip.
For the curious amongst you, that clip was from Season 1 of AMC’s grossly underrated
horror anthology series, The Terror - and yeah, I’ve harped on about it long enough
- but give it a watch, you won’t be disappointed.
If you’re a fan of this list already, then The Terror will smash those expectations right
out of the water.
Literally.
Anyway, we better get to it.
Ghost ships.
Kicking off at Number 5 - The SS Baychimo
Now, although many tales of ghost ships and their legend are mired in murky mystery and
spotty historical records - this one, is perhaps one of the most well documented cases of a
ghost ship in nautical history.
Built in Sweden in the year 1914 - the SS Baychimo was used as a trading vessel for
routes between Hamburg and Sweden in and throughout the First World War.
After the war though - it was shipped over to Canada, where it was employed by the Hudson’s
Bay Company carrying cargo throughout the Arctic region.
There, on October 1st 1931 - during a routine voyage - a devastating storm blew in, and
the Baychimo was trapped in pack ice just off the coast of Alaska.
The crew quickly abandoned ship, travelling the over the ice to the nearest town of Barrow,
where they took shelter.
Several days later, after the storm had subsided, the crew returned to retrieve their precious
cargo - only to find that the SS Baychimo had disappeared.
Her captain decided that she must have broken up during the storm and sunk - but a few days
later, an Inuit seal hunter told the captain that he had spotted the Baychimo nearly 50
miles away from their initial position.
As the story goes, the Baychimo didn’t sink at all - and for several decades after her
abandonment, she sailed the arctic coast completely unmanned.
In fact, the SS Baychimo was seen on numerous occasions throughout the following century
- and several crews even managed to board her.
In fact, the last recorded sighting was by a group of Inuit in 1969 - a staggering 38
years after she was abandoned.
Her ultimate fate?
No one knows, but it’s safe to say that somewhere - out there in the Frozen North
- the SS Baychimo is still sailing.
Next up at Number 4 - The Jenny
Now this one is a little bit murkier, to say the least - and historical accounts have varied
from person to person.
One thing always remains the same though - if the accounts are true, then this nautical
tale is perhaps one of the bleakest and most despairing cases of a crew being lost at sea.
As the story goes, The Jenny, an English schooner that set sail from its home port of the Isle
of Wight in 1822 - became frozen in an ice-barrier just off the Drake Passage sometime in it’s
voyage in 1823.
Nearly a decade later, in 1840 - the stark remains of the ship had been dislodged by
the ice - only to be discovered by a nearby whaling ship.
As some accounts tell, when the crew first saw the ship - they saw seven figures standing
to attention on the main deck - and so thought that the vessel was being manned.
As they got closer though, they discovered the grim truth.
The seven figures standing to attention were in fact - frozen in place, turned to ice by
the Arctic cold.
Things only got worse from there though - and as the crew of the whaling ship explored the
vessel, they found more and more bodies, frozen in time deeper below the desk.
As some reports go, as the crew came to the captain’s cabin - they found him frozen
in place with a pen in his hand.
The final note written in his log, read - May 4th 1823.
No food for 71 days.
I am the only one left alive.
Yeah.
Pretty spooky stuff.
Coming in at Number 3 - The SS Valencia
Now - this one’s a little bit more interesting, to say the least - because it’s a verified
fact that the wreckage of the SS Valencia can still be seen to this day - scattered
along the beach and rocky shoreline of Vancouver Island’s West Coast Trail.
After the ship struck a reef during a storm in 1906 - the wreckage of the SS Valencia
was considered to be the worst maritime disaster along the Western North American Coast - otherwise
known as the Graveyard of the Pacific.
The Valencia was a small ship - a passenger steamer that had a long history of carrying
both passengers, cargo and troops - but at the time of her ruin, she was operating as
a tour boat, often running routes from San Francisco and up to Seattle.
During the wreckage, tragically 136 souls were lost - with rescue efforts unable to
access the Valencia in the raving storm.
But our ghostly tale - lies with those that tried to escape.
You see - as the legend goes, in panic - the crew launched all of the Valencia’s lifeboats
- going against the captain’s orders - all of which went horribly wrong.
Three flipped on descent, dozens more capsized after reaching the water - and the last one
disappeared out into the waves.
Since the disaster of the SS Valencia, countless sailors and fishermen have reported sightings
of these lifeboats - listlessly floating upon the water during particularly calm days at
sea.
As some of the tales go - these lifeboats are still filled with the skeletal remains
of the lost souls of the SS Valencia.
Next up at Number 2 - The Kobenhavn
And it’s quite a title really - because the Kobenhavn is considered by most to be
one of the greatest maritime mysteries of the modern era - with only whispers, rumours
and speculation as to its ultimate fate.
Built for the Danish East Asiatic Trading Company in 1921 - it was the world’s largest
sailing ship at the time - and primarily served as a sail training vessel for young cadets.
In the eyes of many, it was the most impressive sailing ship ever built.
However, as the story goes - on September 21st, 1928 - the Kobenhavn departed from Northern
Jutland for Buenos Aires on it’s tenth, and ultimately final voyage.
A total of 75 people were aboard, and the journey was planned to span all the way to
Melbourne, Australia - and then back to Europe.
But, tragically, as we know, it was never seen again.
The thing was though, the captain of the ship, Hans Andersen, was renowned for going long
periods at sea without sending any message - and so it wasn’t until nearly 6 months
later that the Danish Company sent a search party.
No wreckage or remains were ever found - however, following the next several years of the Kobenhavn
disappearance - there were a number of highly reputable sightings of a five-masted-ship
that fit its description.
In July of 1930 - the crew of an Argentine Freighter sighted what they referred to as
a *phantom ship* during a gale.
Their captain noted in his records, that this may be the Wrath of the Copenhagen.
Dozens of stories and tales have perpetuated around the ultimate fate of the Kobenhavn,
but the truth is - we may never know.
In all likelihood though, it’s still out there - somewhere, floating on the endless
tide.
And finally - coming in at our Number 1 spot - The Sea Bird
And this story is the literal definition of a ghost ship - and one of the most saltiest
sea yarns that I’ve heard spun in a while.
Although this one, has a few more twists and turns that you may not have first seen coming.
As the legend goes, in the year 1750 - a vessel named The Sea Bird was idling off the coast
of Newport Harbour in Rhode Island - and had quickly attracted quite a crowd on the shore
due to its elaborate craftsmanship.
Soon enough though, the crowd of onlookers noticed that there was something strange about
The Sea Bird.
There was no one manning the ship.
Not a soul in sight.
As the legend goes, several moments later - the ship, as if by a supernatural wind - perfectly
sailed itself through the rough breakers of the beach, gently landing on the nearby Easton’s
Beach.
There, a few brave souls boarded the vessel - only to find The Sea Bird completely deserted
- save for a boiling kettle on the stove - and strangely enough, breakfast already prepared
at the table.
Now, some accounts state that a group of fishermen had passed the Sea Bird a few hours before,
and had even spoken to the Captain themselves.
Where had the crew gone?
What had happened in the few hours that had passed since their last sighting?
The truth of it, is that no one may ever know - and such is the nature of ghostly tales
from the sea.
But, well, this is where things get a little stranger still - and take this final caveat
with a pinch of sea salt - but as the legend goes, decades later - an old sailor reported
to a New England journalist his deepest, darkest secret.
In a fit of rage, he had murdered his entire crew just before making port, throwing their
bodies into the ocean.
And the name of his ship?
Well - The Sea Bird, of course.
Well - there we have it horror fans - our list for the Top 5 Creepiest Ghost Ships That
Haunt The Sea - Part 2.
What do you guys think?
Any more to add to this sunken sea-chest of ghostly goings on?
Let us know your thoughts - as well as any choice picks - down in the comment section
below.
Before we depart from today’s video though, let’s first take a quick look at some of
your more resounding remarks from over the past few days.
-- Sinbadd the Pirate says --
I served 22 years in the Navy and I swear to you I have seen ghost ships.
They would appear and vanish, show up on radar - we even sent boats and helicopters to investigate
some of them.
We found one with no one on board - not a single soul.
Completely full of cargo - and no one on board.
There is some scary junk at sea, not to mention the entire fog factor - and it get’s spooooky
at night on a ship.
Really spooky.
--- Well, there we have it guys.
Need I say more?
A full on original ghost ship tale.
Thank you very much for sharing, Sinbadd the Pirate - and after that, I’ll see myself
out.
On that note horror fans - cheers for sticking around all the way until the end.
If you were a fan of this video, make sure to hit that thumbs up button - as well as
that subscribe bell, and I’ll be seeing you in the next one.
As per usual, I’ve been your horror host Jack Finch - you’ve been watching Top 5
Scary Videos - and until next time, you take it easy.