Lost At Sea: 5 Stories of Disappearing Ships

Taking a safety course and passing a boating exam ensures better safety for you and other boaters and prepares you for worst-case scenarios. A safety certification also reduces the risks of getting into potentially harmful situations on the water, like getting lost. 

For as long as man has traveled the great big blue, stories of disappearing ships have inspired many a nautical lore. From Krakens to the Bermuda Triangle, with no living being or ship remains around to tell the real story, new theories for these odd disappearances emerge every generation. Yet despite an abundance of theories, these ships' ends remain shrouded in mystery.

Here are five stories of unexplained ship and crew disappearances. We'll also tell you how you can increase your chances of returning home safely after every outing on the water!

1. Mary Celeste

Year of disappearance: 1872

The Mary Celeste is known as "the greatest maritime mystery of all time," as she didn't disappear, but her crew and passengers did. 

She was a merchant 'ghost' ship spotted by a Canadian brigantine on December 4, 1872, unmanned, sailing off the Azores in seaworthy condition.

Her finders determined she had already been sailing for a month and still had over six months' worth of food and water on board. The mysterious part was that her cargo was virtually untouched. The personal belongings of crew and passengers, including valuables, were still there.

Many explanations attempt to explain what happened. Some have suggested the crew aboard Mary Celeste could have been murdered and thrown overboard by Ottoman pirates, who frequently sailed the area. However, British officials dismissed any suggestion of piracy or foul play as there were no signs of violence. 

One of the most popular (and plausible) theories suggests that the crew died after embarking on a lifeboat. They might have feared the ship's cargo was about to explode since they were transporting barrels of alcohol.

2. USS Cyclops

Year of disappearance: 1918

The Cyclops is perhaps the most famous of the early 20th-century seafaring disappearances. The ship, which had 309 men aboard, vanished sometime after March 4, 1918. 

It remains the single largest loss of life in the U.S. Naval history, which did not directly involve combat, though treason may have played its hand.

Investigations by the Office of Naval Intelligence revealed that the ship's master, Captain Worley, was actually German-born Johan Frederick Wichmann. The most significant accusation against Worley was that he was pro-German in wartime and may have conspired with the enemy to hand the ship over to them.

After World War I, German records were checked to establish the true fate of Cyclops, whether by Worley's hand or by a submarine attack, but nothing was ever found.

3. Marine Sulphur Queen

Year of disappearance: 1963

The remains of SS Marine Sulphur Queen, February 1963 (USCG)

Originally a T2 tanker ship, the SS Marine Sulphur Queen was converted to carry molten sulfur. The ship disappeared off the coast of Florida along with the lives of 39 crew members. This would result in lengthy litigation between the ship's owner and the families of the missing men.

The ship's last voyage began on February 2, 1963, out of Beaumont, Texas. It carried a cargo of sulfur weighing 15,260 tons. The ship itself weighed 7,240 GRT. 

Two days later, as she reached Florida, she sent a regular radio message giving the ship's position. As of February 6, there had been no news from the Sulphur Queen, and she was declared missing. After 19 days of searching, all that was left was some life preservers and debris. There was no trace of the ship or the 39 men on board.

The Coast Guard's investigation determined that the ship should never have sailed, as it was deemed unsafe and unsuitable for seagoing. The final report suggested several causes for the event, all due to the ship's poor design and maintenance.

4. Witchcraft

Year of disappearance: 1967

On the night of December 22, 1967, Dan Burack and Father Patrick Horgan left Miami's yacht marina in Burack's 23-foot cabin cruiser, Witchcraft. They planned to enjoy a spectacular view of Miami's Christmas lights. 

The two gentlemen stopped near Buoy #7, less than one mile from shore when they hit something below. Calmly, Burack called the Coast Guard to inform them that he would need a tow back into the marina.

Burack had every reason to be calm. His ship was "unsinkable," meaning that part of the hull was built to remain above water. He also had plenty of life-saving gear aboard. 

The Coast Guard responded immediately, yet within 19 minutes of the call and arrival on the scene, the ship and its passengers had vanished.

The Coast Guard expanded its search by 1,200 square miles that night. They even traveled northward to the Gulf Stream in case the ship had been pulled out by a brief squall. Six days of searching, over 24,500 square miles covered, yet not even the slightest trace or clue as to the whereabouts of Witchcraft or the two men. 

No explanation has ever been given for Witchcraft's sudden disappearance, and no evidence has ever indicated that the ship sank. All we can assume is that Witchcraft was lost so unexpectedly that Burack didn't even have the time to fire a flare gun he had onboard.

5. Intrepid

Year of disappearance: 1996

In October of 1996, 16 people went missing after reporting that they were abandoning their sinking yacht, Intrepid, off Fort Pierce, Florida. The passengers of the 65-foot yacht sent out a "Mayday" call saying the ship was sinking and everyone on board was escaping on a life raft. 

The Coast Guard reported that the seas in the area were rough, with waves up to 7 feet high. Four aircraft searched all night and into the morning for the life raft. After searching 6,000 square miles, the search was called off. 

Intrepid and her 16 passengers were never found.

Avoid Getting Lost at Sea With Boater Education

Even with the best preparation, things can go wrong while boating. However, with a boater education course under your belt, you increase your chances of returning home safely (with your crew) after every outing on the water. 

While boating safety courses can't account for the unexplained, they can explain a lot about how to navigate safely, the proper safety and communication equipment to have on board, and what to do if something goes wrong to help you make it home safely. 

So, before heading out on the water again, find the course for your state and start learning! If you boat in Canada, choose our Canada-approved course and get certified.

Originally published March 31, 2011. Content updated September 7, 2023.