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@@warningpage8032 just noticed that after seeing you had pointed it out. That is, indeed, a fancy touch. Also, it’s called a Snarflak. Scuttles the Seagull said so.
The theory that I have heard that makes the most sense is that the fumes had built up to quite a level and then, during a period of calm shown by the weather reports early on November 25th, which had been put onto the log slate for the days notes but not transcribed into the log, the crew decided to ventilate the holds, which promptly caused the whole ship to creak, groan and wail as the ship's partial pressurization relived itself, and caused frown people to get headaches and for the kerosene lanterns to flare wildly. Most likely fearing the death of his infant child and a possible explosion, the captain and crew got into the lifeboat, knocking out the railing, and put a little bit of distance between the ship and the lifeboat while she was allowed to ventilate. The afternoon of November 25th, a strong storm in the area whipped up, meaning that the crew were now far enough away that even if they had pulled on their line, catching up with the Mary Celeste was a long shot, as was getting to land. The lifeboat was thus probably dashed to bits in the sea, but as there was nothing wrong with the Mary Celeste, she continued to drift around in the ocean aimlessly, until the crew of the Dei Gratia found her.
See you dismiss pirates and you dismiss ghosts but have you ever thought maybe it was ghost pirates? They try to steal the cargo but since they are ethereal they can't take any cargo and have to kill the crew in frustration ; )
@@MaritimeHorrors I gotta say, the fact the ship was near the Azores when abandoned is the piece that most accounts leave out. When you consider that the ship was in fact near land when abandoned, even if it's an island chain... it's less insane to abandon ship. If they hadn't failed to make it to land, the case would have ended very differently.
If you take all the evidence as a whole, it becomes a mix of theories which I believe leads to this: In the aforementioned rough weather, with repairs to the pumps ongoing, damage occurred to a few of the alcohol barrels. As the storm waned, alcohol vapors filled the lower decks of the ship. Crew reported this to the captain who feared ignition of the alcohol by the ships lanterns. Fearing imminent danger, he orders the lanterns doused, the hatch way secured open to vent the fumes and the crew into the lifeboats until the vapors have a chance to clear. He ties the boats off to the ship so they can be pulled back in and grabs his navigational equipment in case of worst case scenario they can cut free of the ship and make for the islands. At some point, due to weather, poor seamanship or a mistake, the ropes chaff, come untied or are otherwise let loose and the lifeboats float away and founder with all hands. Potentially a watch crewman was left onboard who made a failed rescue attempt leading to his own death. And thus, ghost ship
This sounds like the most likely theory. 300 gallons of alcohol sloshing around in your bilge... doesn't seem like you'd be able to breath below decks. Not much alcohol residue was found because it would have evaporated in the next few days before the ship was found. What's more dangerous than alcohol? Alcohol vapor. The danger of a fire or explosion would be a major concern. Lower the lifeboat and rig a line between the two. Everybody in the lifeboat. Maybe the rope isn't in the best shape or chaffs rubbing against wood. Perhaps something as simple as a hastily tied knot. Perhaps a quick squall blows up during the night. Snap! Once separated the two could very easily lose each other in the gloom of night. Add a sudden storm and it's even more likely. As for it being near an island. How near is near? Just because she was found near an island a week later doesn't mean that's where she started. Even with the sails down the wind against her hull can push her many miles in a day. More in a week. More in a storm! If it happened at night that just adds to the difficulty. You know what a distant island looks like on a night with no moon. A darker patch of black. Especially pre-electricity. Add some clouds and, yep, black on black. Good luck using your navigational equipment.
All that sounds feasible. But I think they set out in the life rafts, and instead of things coming untied, THEN the sea monster attacked. Or Ghost Pirates. It just makes sense.
Much more detailed than the brief segment of her on mysteries at the museum. Hope you get to the Carroll deering, another ghost ship featured on the show.
You should do The MS Antonia Graza. It's a passenger ship that disappeared in 1962. It pops up in the Bering Sea from time to time. Last spotted by a pilot named Ferriman. At least two crews have tried to board and salvage her. Neither was exactly showered with luck.
Your theory about a seasoned, but understandably nervous captain abandoning ship with his family and crew is without a doubt the best, and most reasoned theory I've ever heard on what may have happened to this famous "ghost" ship. Thank you for always favoring fact, evidence, and reason over superstitious nonsense. It's one of the many reasons I love this channel. Great work as always! 🙌👍
Rogue waves were once considered "superstitious nonsense" from washed up has been sailors. Hope you never encounter actual spirits because they'll have fun with you.
Some chemists did a test that replicated the hold of the MC and showed that an alcohol vapor flash fire could have happened as being only vapors, their reenactment left NO burn marks or singing. No sign that a flash fire had occured at all. I think this is what happened.
I agree this is the most likely cause. Tests have shown that an alcohol ignition would have blown open hatches and scared the hell out of the crew, but alcohol burns at such a low temperature that it wouldn't have burned anything else. You can see this yourself if you soak a dollar bill in alcohol and light it--the alcohol will burn, but the dollar won't. Furthermore, water is a by-product of alcohol combustion, explaining why everything was damp below decks. I think that leaking alcohol filled the ship with flammable vapors, which ignited in a scary but non-damaging fireball. The crew, believing the ship was on fire and about to explode, quickly abandoned ship in the lifeboat and became separated, eventually perishing while adrift at sea. The alcohol burned itself out, leaving the ship relatively unscathed but abandoned, until its discovery.
@@joshuawilkinson6121. Also, thinking along these line's, if the alcohol explosion was strong enough to blow hatches, it might also have been strong enough to pop some of the hull planking, hence the water trickling in. just a thought.
I actually read a theory several years back talking about the possibility of chemical odors. The crew and captain may not have been aware of certain compounds mixing on board creating such odors, thus frightening the crew to abandon ship. Kinda interesting.
The reason I know of Captain Benjamin Briggs is because the very odd game called Limbo of the Lost, in which a fictional version of him is the Main character... Mandaloregaming has good video on the game.
The theory that I have heard that makes the most sense is that the fumes had built up to quite a level and then, during a period of calm shown by the weather reports early on November 25th, which had been put onto the log slate for the days notes but not transcribed into the log, the crew decided to ventilate the holds, which promptly caused the whole ship to creak, groan and wail as the ship's partial pressurization relived itself, and caused frown people to get headaches and for the kerosene lanterns to flare wildly. Most likely fearing the death of his infant child and a possible explosion, the captain and crew got into the lifeboat, knocking out the railing, and put a little bit of distance between the ship and the lifeboat while she was allowed to ventilate. The afternoon of November 25th, a strong storm in the area whipped up, meaning that the crew were now far enough away that even if they had pulled on their line, catching up with the Mary Celeste was a long shot, as was getting to land. The lifeboat was thus probably dashed to bits in the sea, but as there was nothing wrong with the Mary Celeste, she continued to drift around in the ocean aimlessly, until the crew of the Dei Gratia found her.
A theory I heard is there's an explosion of alcohol. Captain isn't sure how much more is about to explode. Then they notice it's taking on water, try to keep a pump working, explaining the disassembled pump. The captain decides to put the crew into the lifeboat, keep a line on the ship, and let out a little to put some distance in case the more explosions happen. Then the line snaps, and they're cut adrift. There are two reasons I like your theory better. 1. Occam's razor. When do people usually get into a lifeboat? When they believe the ship is sinking. 2. for this theory to work, they have to be working on the pump to deal with some water and have a fear of barrels exploding at the same time. One problem seems easier to believe than two separate problems at the same time.
@@CorporalDan2312 This is actually a pretty reasonible explination, tests have been done that show that a low grade alchol vapor explosion would have created a bright flash and loud noise that could have scared the crew, but would have left little to no scorching. Just becasue the easiest assumption is right most of the time dosn't mean it's right 100% of the time, citing occam's razor, does not immediately make you smart contrary to what 90% of the internet likes to believe.
The theory I've heard is that the crew discovered the leaky alcohol and opened the hatch to ventilate the hold. Fearing a fire, they took to the lifeboat and got separated from the ship.
Here's a doozy. Was always fascinated with the Mary Celeste, and specifically why she showed up more or less intact but with none of her crew aboard. Now that I've finally taken the time to delve back into the subject, and specifically chose your channel to check it out because I've since known that you know your stuff, I'm in pretty much the same boat as you. The ship got caught in a nasty storm, the crew got in a lifeboat thinking she was gonna sink (which she didn't, which is a pretty common funny thing with sailboats XD ) and brought the necessary survival equipment such as a pump and whatnot, only to be taken by the sea. Sounds like what most probably happened, especially since the ship had damage at the bow from waves. But she was 100% cursed. All that stuff just doesn't happen at random. Then again, I do like the name Mary Celeste far more than Amazon. :)
I heard a slight variation of this. The shipment of alcohol was leaking, causing fumes in the hold. The crew, afraid of a possible explosion, opened the hold hatch and climbed into the lifeboat that was still tethered to the ship to wait out the venting of the ship. It was then that the storm hit and severed the line between the Celeste and the lifeboat, carrying the captain and crew away to an unknown fate and the Celeste herself adrift as a ghost ship.
Seems unlikely that sailors would get ropes wrong... Ropes were literally their job. In the same vein they wouldn't mess up lashing boats together. In going with the alcohol fume flash over and panic into life boats..
7:22 Did you know that the Captain of the Wilhelm Gustloff (Captain Lübbe) died on the second day of the Gustloff's maiden voyage due to a heart attack. Very very similar to this story...
Oh boy, that sure was a cursed ship all right. Took like 9k~ if i remember right, pretty much THE bloodiest sinking, and potentially(?) Avoidable, as well
I didn't know that. Interesting. That ship should be high on the list. Most people killed of all time, yet isn't very well known. Not 1/1000 as known as the Titanic.
I heard a theory about this and it kind of makes sense. The alcohol starts leaking and the fumes begin to overcome the crew. This would explain why they opened the space up to ventilate it. After the fumes become too much the crew get into a lifeboat (this would explain the navigational equipment being taken) with a rope attached, but whomever tied it, not being completely mentally sound as a result of the fumes, failed to tie a proper knot to the ship before lowering the lifeboat, so the knot came undone, and the lifeboat floated off in the night. A couple problems here are the fact that no fumes were detected by the crew who discovered the ship, there was no lifeboat found, the sails were still set and could the whole crew have been able to sleep in the small boat at the same time. But it's a cool theory nonetheless.
Thank you for doing a video on the Mary Celeste! I have heard variations of the story over the years. I too always figured that the captain and crew left the ship during a storm in which they thought she might be sinking but the lifeboat was swamped by the waves. This is a likely explanation due to it being reality for several ships, one of which was the Princess Sophia, which ran aground in the channel near Vancouver, BC, in the early 20th century. Another was a modern vessel whose crew was rescued quite dramatically off Nova Scotia by the Canadian Coast Guard helicopter, but the ship continued on its course through the worst weather and eventually reached land. So the decision to abandon ship during a storm can be a difficult one. And some ships have proved to be far more seaworthy than their captains thought.
I don't think the alcohol vapor theory is wrong. Why would the hatch be dogged open when they were trying to prevent water from coming on board? A theory I read that doesn't involve explosions was that one of the crew went below deck and smelled very strong alcohol vapor and alerted the captain. The crew dogged the hatch open and everyone got in to the lifeboat in case the ship exploded while they waited for the hold to air out. They would take the navigation equipment just in case the worst happened. Then, while waiting, the line securing the lifeboat snaps (maybe in the dark), becomes waterlogged, slows the lifeboat, and the ship floats away without the crew being able to reboard. Then the bad weather happened and swamped the tiny boat. This theory ticks all the right boxes - the crew left in a hurry (potentially in the middle of working on the other pump), hatches open, navigation tools missing but log in place, no sign of foul play, lines dragging behind the ship, etc. Even if the ship was taking on water, I don't think any experienced crew would opt to get in the lifeboat and row for a nearby landmass. They would steer the ship towards land and only abandon ship when the water was high enough that they could practically step onto the boat from the deck - when the ship was beyond saving. Before that happened, they would have fought to save the ship by dumping some of the cargo overboard and pumping like maniacs to keep up with the flooding.
Genuine question: How does one account for the considerable increase in the Mary Celeste's size after her purchase and rebuilding by the Winchester Consortium? I know jumboizing of ships is not uncommon in the modern age of steel steam and diesel ships, but it seems like a considerable task to do it with a wooden sailing brig in the mid-19th Century. Particularly the way not just her length was increased, but her beam and deck count as well, basically meaning the entire ship was enlarged. Are we sure this even was still the same Amazon/Mary Celeste at this point? Because between the enlarged proportions and missing logs, it sounds to a layman like they simply used parts from the original to build a whole new ship.
There's a long and storied history of ships undergoing radical changes. The US/ confederate navy famously turned large ships of the line into the first ironclads in the Civil War.
It may seem weird but actually because it is made out of wood makes this task exceptionally easy in comparison to modern ships. Although we can imagine she must have been complicated to build back then with no computers etc. In fact it was such a common knowledge in coastal areas, she was of such an easy build she wasn't even built in a proper Dockyard.
I feel like if she had a ladder back onto the deck this wouldn't be a mystery. The explosion of alcohol fumes leaves very little soot and despite the intensity it's all over in a second. With that cargo they'd surely be blown to smithereens, they thought.
When I think of the Mary Celeste I can only think of _Limbo of the Lost._ If you've never heard of it, look up MandaloreGaming's video about it. It's a wild ride.
I've had the same issue with the pirate explanation. It doesn't work for the same reason that no big pile of buried pirate treasure has ever been found. Pirates were in it for the money. They'd hit something, then split up the spoils. The End. They did not sail away, or put money in a box and stick it in the ground.
heh, yeah, there's only TWO cases I know of that are even based in fact of pirate treasure, Oak Island, and Blackbeard.... and we're not sure if Oak Island actually involved piracy. Blackbeard's case was also only mere rumor. Some claimed he'd stashed money or valuables, but....it was more speculation than fact. It was seemingly more that people didn't know what he'd done with stuff than anything else
Pleny of pirates 100% for sure buried their loot. They would in many cases have much more money than they could blow. can't be floating around with the loot incase you get caught, or others pirates want to take it from ya. Burying loot makes perfect sense.
I've heard a version where one (one of two brothers, both in the crew) of the German sailors was found alive and well in years later, back in Germany. Unfortunately I can't remember where I heard it and by no means do I claim this is true, but maybe it's something for someone to research? Anyways, it's a fascinating story and thanks a ton for taking the time to share it with us 😊
I'd be really curious about the exact type of alcohol. I know it's listed as industrial or denatured, but if was wood alcohol there could have been an issue with the fumes. The normal leaching from a cask on a long journey could make breathing a serious issue.
Denatured alcohol is the industrial term for wood alcohol. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denatured_alcohol also known as methylated spirits, though use of methl alcohol is not the only way to make it. its basically alcohol with 10% or more of some other stuff added to render it undrinkable. methyl alcohol is common, but so is isopropyl alcohol, acetone, and methyl ethyl ketones. the latter ones make the result highly toxic and more explosive. no matter what version was being hauled, it would have been a dangerous cargo. one of the more common theories is that the ship sprung a minor leak, and the water coming into the hold caused the captain and crew to suspect the cargo had started leaking. they tried to pump it out, breaking the pump, and then abandoned ship.
How the hell could none of them figure out it was sea water and not alcohol? Why wouldt they have documented this? Who do police always put their suspicions on? Whoever has the dead guys stuff. I'm guessing the other crew used some kind of ruse pretending to be a foreign authority that needs to come on board for inspection. There they forced them all in the lifeboat and the astute captain either smuggled his navigation equipment or they allowed him to take it. Once in the lifeboat they probably killed them and claimed the found the ship in that condition. It just makes no sense everyone would abandon a perfectly seaworthy ship to get into a crappy lifeboat.
I remember reading once that debris of the Marie Celeste's lifeboat (or, the partial wreckage of *a* lifeboat with a stores locker marked 'M.C.') were found but that was reported in a book written in the 1970s and I don't know if that report has since been debunked. However, despite variations (the version I read involved her being hit by a waterspout, the pressure spike causing the bilge water level indicators to give back crazy readings that convinced the captain that she was already foundering), the deliberate abandoning and the loss of the lifeboat due to sea conditions seems to be consensus amongst most serious experts.
YT algorithm sent me here because I like maritime and aviation content. Great content! Ghost Diver guy is cute for Halloween. Love your serious stuff too. Subscribed!
Best theory I heard, the alcohol was leaking releasing a huge amount vapors making the crew sick. The captain ordered the crew onto a life boat tied to the back of the ship, they would simply wait till the ship aired out then board the ship again. Then either the rope came undone or was accidently cut, and then the crew would have no way to catch back up with the ship. Remember. their was a rope found trailing behind the ship in the water.
More than likely the crew abandoned her due to alcohol fumes accumulating in the hold. The weather was recorded as stormy with high seas so several days of sealed gat hes would have made the fumes from the barrels gather, more than likely they feared explosion so they opened the hatch and hopped the boat to let it breath out at least. Probably gor separated. Just my 2 cents
Have you ever played Return of the Obra Dinn? it seems like it might be a good game to try for a Mary Celeste vibe. You're an investigator, trying to figure out what happened to an abandoned ship that drifted into port.
I think the other theory is more resonable: a Storm that forced the Mary Celeste to let the hatches shut, fumes build up in the cargohaule while they noticed the problem and decided to evacuate in a calm moment when the storm died down. They opened and secured the hatch without enough time to bring down all sails due to the intense fumes, while evacuating in the lifeboat tied to a rope behind the Celeste. After a while the calmness of the sea was gone and the wind picked up again leaving the crew doomed with no way to pull back to the ship. The hatch was still Open so the rain pored in the lower decks and build up to the mentioned hight. Against your Theorie speaks that the crew of the Dei Gratia used the pumps to get rid of the water and 3 men sailed the Mary Celeste to Genova, so the ship was completely fine and the pumps where completely fine…
Disease, sudden death of the captain, or fear, such as fear of a storm, fear of foundering, or fear of piracy, may have caused an abandonment. Since provisions were on hand, want of food and water was not a cause.
Even if the captain and crew thought the ship was going to sink, given the condition she was found in, it makes even less sense than the alcohol vapor theory that has the crew getting into the boat to wait for the ship to finish airing out. If they thought she was going to sink, but she only had as much water in her hold as she did, why would they hop in a boat and try to row for land even if it was in site when the ship was still sailing well enough that she made it as far as she did without the crew there to tend her? It would make way more sense for them to attempt to sail toward the island and only abandon the ship when it could go no further.
It's not about sinking. Everyone just assumes the only reason to leave the ship is sinking. Ships of the era are lit by whale oil lamps. If enough alcohol vapor built up in the holds from the barrel leaks, he may have believed an explosion was imminent without action that would kill the crew and sink the ship. The safest thing to do in that case would be to vent the ship and get the crew off until she was vented, maybe an hour or two. I believe a detail that isn't often discussed is that she was trailing lines. The boats were likely tied off to the ship so they could be pulled in once she was vented. And either through human error or rope chaff the boats became separated. I think he was also smart enough to leave 1 crew member behind as a watch, but he likely went overboard in an attempt to turn the ship back to the others once the drag lines were lost via weather or other circumstance, though there's no evidence of that
Pretty much as the guy above put it: The water wasnt the issue. Reenacting the HMS and USS Hoods was the more likely not-ideal scenario. They're transporting alcohol. On a woooden ship, with vapors in the air. With open flames throughout the ship. If your ship is going to explode, you want to be *not* on it, as that's about 99% lethal, if lucky. HMS Hood had 3 survivors of the sinking. USS Hood had 0 survivors (or any real wreck) aside from crew already on the island.
My dad was in the royal navy for 23 years, did a couple of tours on a Type 42 destroyer, HMS Glasgow, Unfortunately during her construction a fire broke out and killed a few of the workers, One was well reported to still walk the corridors on board, Known as "Derick the dockie". So one day my dad's in the forward section around the paint store etc doing daily maintenance checks, he hears the watertight door open, close, then footsteps past where he was, he didn't see anyone come past so stuck head out into the corridor and nobody there but can still hear the footsteps going off down the corridor. He still doesn't believe in the supernatural etc lol sorry for the long comment, keep up the good videos and best of luck with your seamanship course, Fair winds and following seas.
I hope you get around to covering the Kaz II, this is another one of those cases where if there had been a survivor then there would be no mystery. What makes it unique is that it took place after the period in which video recording became a common thing, but in this case while there is footage shot shortly before the disappearance the event itself was not filmed.
Loving your channel, my tenpence worth (as someone who has been sailing since the age of five and has worked on commercial marine salvage), what has always surprised me is even on a fibreglass hulled boat standard practice and doctrine has always been you step UP into the liferaft/boat. Why they left a perfectly serviceable vessel is beyond me.
The disassembled pump really does it for me. Basically none of the theories I've seen so far besides Collective Mania properly accounts for the pump being abandoned in such a state.
If there was an explosion of alcohol vapours it would make sense for the hatch to have been secured open by the crew. The crew notice a strong smell of alcohol in the hold, the captain orders them to open the hatches to ventilate it to avoid an explosion, the air mixes with the vapours and reaches the ignition ratio of oxygen to alcohol and then a lantern or other source of flame causes an explosion.
I don't think there was an explosion, I think that the crew saw all the alcohol sloshing about so they opened the hatch, doused the lanterns, got on the lifeboat in case there was and explosion, and were waiting for the alcohol to evaporate. Crew in lifeboat then drifted away from the ship.
Following a spill of the denatured alcohol during a becalming the crew open the hold and abandon ship in case of a fire. That's why the cptn took his nav gear. As they dozed waiting for the effects of the fumes to evaporate the wind picked up. The ship left them behind. The small boat sank. Less than 4 hours cost them their lives. But that alcohol fumes can make your thinking bad.
I would like to add some credit to your theory, there have been many examples in recent history when crews chose to abandon say a yacht, only for the vessel to be found afloat with crew suffering or dying in the life raft and now days its taught to rather stay with the vessel as long as its aloft or even capsized as it still is a bigger target and often still with supplies.
Yes! Please consider doing a vid on pirates & MUTINY! Like why? How? Outcome? Thanks! I just found your channel & have binge listened with my good ear as I get over an inner ear infection. Such great content! Happy Veterans Day! Thank you for your service. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
I second. I read a real book on pirates and the way most operated is nothing like the public thinks. Be very curious to see what a video on this would look like
Thank you! Whenever I insist the crew thought the Celeste was sinking and abandoned it, I forget the name of that thing you thwack to gauge if the ship is taking on water. Somehow the alien abduction theory is easier to believe than human error. I just feel so sad for the toddler Sophia. I didn't know the island was so close, so now I also feel a little mad at how inept the captain was!
I just wrote out my favorite and most logical theory in another comment, but I don't believe the captain was inept. I believe the hatch way gives credence to the alcohol vapor theories. I believe he ordered the ship vented and the crew into the boats, tied off to the ship, until there was no risk of fire or explosion. And due to whatever circumstance, weather, poor equipment, rope chaff or just human error, the boats became separated and lost. The captain made the right calls, but it got his men and family killed all the same
My theory is that you were pretty accurate about the pump being disassembled, it got clogged and they were trying to fix it, most likely in the middle of a storm. But being a storm means rough seas and large waves. Chances are high there was a man or more accurately Woman and child overboard issue from one of these waves and hoping to save them the captain had the remaining crew climb into the boat and go out to look for them and never came back. The reason the entire crew left is because so few remained that it would have been dangerous for less than what was left not to go.
@Maritime Horrors Interestingly, as of 2023, Mary Celeste has been added to the popular gacha game 'Azur Lane'. Along with the Royal Fortune, Golden Hind, Adventure Galley, Whydah, and São Martinho. Just to let you know.
The _Dei Gratia_ was actually Canadian. Being built and registered in Nova Scotia. It wasn’t a British ship, Confederation had occurred four years prior to her construction
One of the best theories I've heard is waterspout striking her. The crew is left dazed by the vacuum of the event and suddenly there's several feet of water in the hold and they flee
theory is NOT based on the known facts, the navigational equipment was STILL ON BOARD THE SHIP, PROVEN FACT also you seem to know nothing about the dangerous fumes from industrial alcohol,
My guess: a couple of the crew drank the denatured alcohol, got sick, lied about how they got sick and convinced the rest of the crew the ship had a disease aboard and everyone bailed. The lifeboat sank for whatever reason. End of story.
We all know the real explanation, the captain simple gets dragged to hell and after killing some dude named Fate he gets crowned king of Limbo in a Canteen style song featuring randoms he met
I came across this channel fighting off a savage case of Covid 19. Your videos helped me through the worst of it - namely the fever and 3 nights of not sleeping. Then when my fever broke, the background music your voice was therapy enough for me to sleep through the playlists. Absolutely delightful material. LOVE the creepster. And thank you.
I was getting this confused with the SS Ourang Medan. I was surprised when you said that they recovered it successfully. I had to go google it to figure out which one I was thinking of. And I see that you did a video on it a month ago. So watching that one next 😊
I heard a theory that the industrial alcohol was brought aboard in barrels that were not standard. I believe the person said that normally red oak was used for this but for some reason at least part of the alcohol was in white oak barrels which is much more porous. This person’s theory was that the crew could smell the alcohol and because they were concerned about combustion they opened the hatch to ventilate the hold and everyone got into the lifeboat as a safety precaution. He then said that somehow a line they would have left connected to the ship must have become unattached and because they had got off so quickly they had left the sails up so a bit of breeze catches the sails and goodbye ship. This explains the lack of evidence of violence and why the sextant was missing but not much else. They got off just in case of combustion and they expected to be in the lifeboat for only a short while, but somebody messed up a knot or two and they watched the ship leave them behind. This is certainly the most believable theory I have heard, especially since he did a demonstration where he dunked a piece of white oak in soapy water and then when he applied air into the cut edge it bubbled like mad. It looked like when a little kid uses a straw to blow bubbles in their milk.
I can't recall where I saw it, but I have seen a video which gave an explanation based on the upcoming storm and a faulty calculation of longitude (there was only one chronometer on board) and the Captain and crew/family abandoned the ship with an incorrect idea where they would find land and didn't make it.
A. Conan Doyle’s fictional story, which was told as a testimony from the pov of a survivor of the ship, probably didn’t help matters. Then there’s the theory involving the giant rat of Sumatra. But that is a story for which the world is not yet prepared.
In short, something made the crew scared that the Celest would sink, so they abandone ship. But the ship didnt sink, and the crew either drowned or started new lives.
I agree, when you leave the ship in a lifeboat that is a huge risk, especially when the ship is not really sinking. Either that or a rogue wave, which is highly unlikely as if it was a bad storm all would be below deck.
Loved these stories, very well done. If you do these again next year, I'd love to see one in the Bannockburn or the Octavius. One real story and one fictional one, etc.
It's a curly one. Beats the everlovin' Jesus out of me. It gives ascendancy to no particular theory. Which is why it is so legendary. There was what looked like infant food half-started, the navigational equipment was gone, the lifeboat was gone, the log was ambiguous, the lifeboat tether was slashed, there were slash marks on both bows, the cargo was basically intact, valuables untouched, someone in school even suggested to me that there was a five pound note left on a table.
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Ever thought about talking about pirate ships? Like the one Black Beard used.
@@warningpage8032 just noticed that after seeing you had pointed it out. That is, indeed, a fancy touch. Also, it’s called a Snarflak. Scuttles the Seagull said so.
The theory that I have heard that makes the most sense is that the fumes had built up to quite a level and then, during a period of calm shown by the weather reports early on November 25th, which had been put onto the log slate for the days notes but not transcribed into the log, the crew decided to ventilate the holds, which promptly caused the whole ship to creak, groan and wail as the ship's partial pressurization relived itself, and caused frown people to get headaches and for the kerosene lanterns to flare wildly. Most likely fearing the death of his infant child and a possible explosion, the captain and crew got into the lifeboat, knocking out the railing, and put a little bit of distance between the ship and the lifeboat while she was allowed to ventilate. The afternoon of November 25th, a strong storm in the area whipped up, meaning that the crew were now far enough away that even if they had pulled on their line, catching up with the Mary Celeste was a long shot, as was getting to land. The lifeboat was thus probably dashed to bits in the sea, but as there was nothing wrong with the Mary Celeste, she continued to drift around in the ocean aimlessly, until the crew of the Dei Gratia found her.
Did she do that first painting? If so she is tremendously talented she should be getting paid and getting paid very well.
See you dismiss pirates and you dismiss ghosts but have you ever thought maybe it was ghost pirates? They try to steal the cargo but since they are ethereal they can't take any cargo and have to kill the crew in frustration ; )
Oh my Neptune... You just blew this whole case wide open.
Captain Barbossa is hungry...
@@ZGryphon for apples
@@MaritimeHorrors I gotta say, the fact the ship was near the Azores when abandoned is the piece that most accounts leave out. When you consider that the ship was in fact near land when abandoned, even if it's an island chain... it's less insane to abandon ship. If they hadn't failed to make it to land, the case would have ended very differently.
Asking the real questions
If you take all the evidence as a whole, it becomes a mix of theories which I believe leads to this:
In the aforementioned rough weather, with repairs to the pumps ongoing, damage occurred to a few of the alcohol barrels. As the storm waned, alcohol vapors filled the lower decks of the ship. Crew reported this to the captain who feared ignition of the alcohol by the ships lanterns. Fearing imminent danger, he orders the lanterns doused, the hatch way secured open to vent the fumes and the crew into the lifeboats until the vapors have a chance to clear. He ties the boats off to the ship so they can be pulled back in and grabs his navigational equipment in case of worst case scenario they can cut free of the ship and make for the islands. At some point, due to weather, poor seamanship or a mistake, the ropes chaff, come untied or are otherwise let loose and the lifeboats float away and founder with all hands. Potentially a watch crewman was left onboard who made a failed rescue attempt leading to his own death. And thus, ghost ship
I have heard something along those line on another TH-cam video. I think is pretty much what happened.
This sounds like the most likely theory. 300 gallons of alcohol sloshing around in your bilge... doesn't seem like you'd be able to breath below decks. Not much alcohol residue was found because it would have evaporated in the next few days before the ship was found. What's more dangerous than alcohol? Alcohol vapor. The danger of a fire or explosion would be a major concern.
Lower the lifeboat and rig a line between the two. Everybody in the lifeboat. Maybe the rope isn't in the best shape or chaffs rubbing against wood. Perhaps something as simple as a hastily tied knot. Perhaps a quick squall blows up during the night. Snap! Once separated the two could very easily lose each other in the gloom of night. Add a sudden storm and it's even more likely.
As for it being near an island. How near is near? Just because she was found near an island a week later doesn't mean that's where she started. Even with the sails down the wind against her hull can push her many miles in a day. More in a week. More in a storm! If it happened at night that just adds to the difficulty. You know what a distant island looks like on a night with no moon. A darker patch of black. Especially pre-electricity. Add some clouds and, yep, black on black. Good luck using your navigational equipment.
@@GUNNER67akaKelt That is most likely what happened.
The most logical explanation.
All that sounds feasible. But I think they set out in the life rafts, and instead of things coming untied, THEN the sea monster attacked. Or Ghost Pirates. It just makes sense.
Much more detailed than the brief segment of her on mysteries at the museum. Hope you get to the Carroll deering, another ghost ship featured on the show.
You should do The MS Antonia Graza. It's a passenger ship that disappeared in 1962. It pops up in the Bering Sea from time to time. Last spotted by a pilot named Ferriman. At least two crews have tried to board and salvage her. Neither was exactly showered with luck.
I understood that reference
The rumor is she had gold in her hold after encountering another ship sinking in the straight. Picked up a survivor too.
@@the_sixxness They also say some of the passengers were "cut off" mid-dance
for a second i actually researched it thinking its real lol
@@H.Kirsch gotcha
Your theory about a seasoned, but understandably nervous captain abandoning ship with his family and crew is without a doubt the best, and most reasoned theory I've ever heard on what may have happened to this famous "ghost" ship. Thank you for always favoring fact, evidence, and reason over superstitious nonsense. It's one of the many reasons I love this channel. Great work as always! 🙌👍
Rogue waves were once considered "superstitious nonsense" from washed up has been sailors. Hope you never encounter actual spirits because they'll have fun with you.
And then Captain Briggs became the King of Limbo.
Succeeded only by Mandalore, the *true* King of Limbo!
Some chemists did a test that replicated the hold of the MC and showed that an alcohol vapor flash fire could have happened as being only vapors, their reenactment left NO burn marks or singing. No sign that a flash fire had occured at all. I think this is what happened.
I agree this is the most likely cause. Tests have shown that an alcohol ignition would have blown open hatches and scared the hell out of the crew, but alcohol burns at such a low temperature that it wouldn't have burned anything else. You can see this yourself if you soak a dollar bill in alcohol and light it--the alcohol will burn, but the dollar won't. Furthermore, water is a by-product of alcohol combustion, explaining why everything was damp below decks.
I think that leaking alcohol filled the ship with flammable vapors, which ignited in a scary but non-damaging fireball. The crew, believing the ship was on fire and about to explode, quickly abandoned ship in the lifeboat and became separated, eventually perishing while adrift at sea. The alcohol burned itself out, leaving the ship relatively unscathed but abandoned, until its discovery.
@@joshuawilkinson6121. Also, thinking along these line's, if the alcohol explosion was strong enough to blow hatches, it might also have been strong enough to pop some of the hull planking, hence the water trickling in. just a thought.
@@j.armstrong9021 But the hatch wasn't blown: it was opened and secured. More likely, they *feared* an explosion that might sink the ship.
I actually read a theory several years back talking about the possibility of chemical odors. The crew and captain may not have been aware of certain compounds mixing on board creating such odors, thus frightening the crew to abandon ship. Kinda interesting.
The reason I know of Captain Benjamin Briggs is because the very odd game called Limbo of the Lost, in which a fictional version of him is the Main character... Mandaloregaming has good video on the game.
The theory that I have heard that makes the most sense is that the fumes had built up to quite a level and then, during a period of calm shown by the weather reports early on November 25th, which had been put onto the log slate for the days notes but not transcribed into the log, the crew decided to ventilate the holds, which promptly caused the whole ship to creak, groan and wail as the ship's partial pressurization relived itself, and caused frown people to get headaches and for the kerosene lanterns to flare wildly. Most likely fearing the death of his infant child and a possible explosion, the captain and crew got into the lifeboat, knocking out the railing, and put a little bit of distance between the ship and the lifeboat while she was allowed to ventilate. The afternoon of November 25th, a strong storm in the area whipped up, meaning that the crew were now far enough away that even if they had pulled on their line, catching up with the Mary Celeste was a long shot, as was getting to land. The lifeboat was thus probably dashed to bits in the sea, but as there was nothing wrong with the Mary Celeste, she continued to drift around in the ocean aimlessly, until the crew of the Dei Gratia found her.
A theory I heard is there's an explosion of alcohol. Captain isn't sure how much more is about to explode. Then they notice it's taking on water, try to keep a pump working, explaining the disassembled pump. The captain decides to put the crew into the lifeboat, keep a line on the ship, and let out a little to put some distance in case the more explosions happen. Then the line snaps, and they're cut adrift.
There are two reasons I like your theory better.
1. Occam's razor. When do people usually get into a lifeboat? When they believe the ship is sinking.
2. for this theory to work, they have to be working on the pump to deal with some water and have a fear of barrels exploding at the same time. One problem seems easier to believe than two separate problems at the same time.
Occam's my dude. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occam%27s_razor
@@CorporalDan2312 This is actually a pretty reasonible explination, tests have been done that show that a low grade alchol vapor explosion would have created a bright flash and loud noise that could have scared the crew, but would have left little to no scorching. Just becasue the easiest assumption is right most of the time dosn't mean it's right 100% of the time, citing occam's razor, does not immediately make you smart contrary to what 90% of the internet likes to believe.
@@BionicleFreek99 Yes, just like you tagged me instead of the OP. Why are you talking to me when I'm just correcting the OP on language?
@@CorporalDan2312 Ah for give me that was my mistake.
@@CorporalDan2312 Thanks for the correction. I fixed.
Guess I picked the wrong week to quit coffee-smoking-drinking-amphetamenes-sniffing glue
The classic _Doctor Who_ serial "The Chase" solved this one back in the early '60s. Short version: It was the Daleks. ;)
Was this the Daleks delivered by the Ourang Medan?
The theory I've heard is that the crew discovered the leaky alcohol and opened the hatch to ventilate the hold. Fearing a fire, they took to the lifeboat and got separated from the ship.
which is the likely correct theory given the known evidence
Here's a doozy. Was always fascinated with the Mary Celeste, and specifically why she showed up more or less intact but with none of her crew aboard. Now that I've finally taken the time to delve back into the subject, and specifically chose your channel to check it out because I've since known that you know your stuff, I'm in pretty much the same boat as you. The ship got caught in a nasty storm, the crew got in a lifeboat thinking she was gonna sink (which she didn't, which is a pretty common funny thing with sailboats XD ) and brought the necessary survival equipment such as a pump and whatnot, only to be taken by the sea. Sounds like what most probably happened, especially since the ship had damage at the bow from waves.
But she was 100% cursed. All that stuff just doesn't happen at random. Then again, I do like the name Mary Celeste far more than Amazon. :)
I heard a slight variation of this.
The shipment of alcohol was leaking, causing fumes in the hold. The crew, afraid of a possible explosion, opened the hold hatch and climbed into the lifeboat that was still tethered to the ship to wait out the venting of the ship. It was then that the storm hit and severed the line between the Celeste and the lifeboat, carrying the captain and crew away to an unknown fate and the Celeste herself adrift as a ghost ship.
Seems unlikely that sailors would get ropes wrong... Ropes were literally their job. In the same vein they wouldn't mess up lashing boats together.
In going with the alcohol fume flash over and panic into life boats..
Mary Celeste ....with that name there was no other option. Ghost ship.
7:22 Did you know that the Captain of the Wilhelm Gustloff (Captain Lübbe) died on the second day of the Gustloff's maiden voyage due to a heart attack. Very very similar to this story...
Oh boy, that sure was a cursed ship all right.
Took like 9k~ if i remember right, pretty much THE bloodiest sinking, and potentially(?) Avoidable, as well
I didn't know that. Interesting.
That ship should be high on the list. Most people killed of all time, yet isn't very well known. Not 1/1000 as known as the Titanic.
Excellent vid. Really enjoyed the extra host. Still can’t believe how small your channel is. Keep up the good work.
This channel needs to blow up
Great video! I didn’t know anything about the background history of the Mary Celeste
Glad I could shed some light, shipmate!
This is great stuff. Looking forward to this channel blowing up.
I heard a theory about this and it kind of makes sense.
The alcohol starts leaking and the fumes begin to overcome the crew. This would explain why they opened the space up to ventilate it. After the fumes become too much the crew get into a lifeboat (this would explain the navigational equipment being taken) with a rope attached, but whomever tied it, not being completely mentally sound as a result of the fumes, failed to tie a proper knot to the ship before lowering the lifeboat, so the knot came undone, and the lifeboat floated off in the night.
A couple problems here are the fact that no fumes were detected by the crew who discovered the ship, there was no lifeboat found, the sails were still set and could the whole crew have been able to sleep in the small boat at the same time.
But it's a cool theory nonetheless.
Thank you for doing a video on the Mary Celeste! I have heard variations of the story over the years. I too always figured that the captain and crew left the ship during a storm in which they thought she might be sinking but the lifeboat was swamped by the waves. This is a likely explanation due to it being reality for several ships, one of which was the Princess Sophia, which ran aground in the channel near Vancouver, BC, in the early 20th century. Another was a modern vessel whose crew was rescued quite dramatically off Nova Scotia by the Canadian Coast Guard helicopter, but the ship continued on its course through the worst weather and eventually reached land. So the decision to abandon ship during a storm can be a difficult one. And some ships have proved to be far more seaworthy than their captains thought.
I don't think the alcohol vapor theory is wrong. Why would the hatch be dogged open when they were trying to prevent water from coming on board? A theory I read that doesn't involve explosions was that one of the crew went below deck and smelled very strong alcohol vapor and alerted the captain. The crew dogged the hatch open and everyone got in to the lifeboat in case the ship exploded while they waited for the hold to air out. They would take the navigation equipment just in case the worst happened. Then, while waiting, the line securing the lifeboat snaps (maybe in the dark), becomes waterlogged, slows the lifeboat, and the ship floats away without the crew being able to reboard. Then the bad weather happened and swamped the tiny boat.
This theory ticks all the right boxes - the crew left in a hurry (potentially in the middle of working on the other pump), hatches open, navigation tools missing but log in place, no sign of foul play, lines dragging behind the ship, etc.
Even if the ship was taking on water, I don't think any experienced crew would opt to get in the lifeboat and row for a nearby landmass. They would steer the ship towards land and only abandon ship when the water was high enough that they could practically step onto the boat from the deck - when the ship was beyond saving. Before that happened, they would have fought to save the ship by dumping some of the cargo overboard and pumping like maniacs to keep up with the flooding.
Genuine question: How does one account for the considerable increase in the Mary Celeste's size after her purchase and rebuilding by the Winchester Consortium? I know jumboizing of ships is not uncommon in the modern age of steel steam and diesel ships, but it seems like a considerable task to do it with a wooden sailing brig in the mid-19th Century. Particularly the way not just her length was increased, but her beam and deck count as well, basically meaning the entire ship was enlarged. Are we sure this even was still the same Amazon/Mary Celeste at this point? Because between the enlarged proportions and missing logs, it sounds to a layman like they simply used parts from the original to build a whole new ship.
I think the beam was o ly increased in the new above water extensions for the capts family quarters...perhaps anslight overhang?
There's a long and storied history of ships undergoing radical changes. The US/ confederate navy famously turned large ships of the line into the first ironclads in the Civil War.
It may seem weird but actually because it is made out of wood makes this task exceptionally easy in comparison to modern ships. Although we can imagine she must have been complicated to build back then with no computers etc. In fact it was such a common knowledge in coastal areas, she was of such an easy build she wasn't even built in a proper Dockyard.
I feel like if she had a ladder back onto the deck this wouldn't be a mystery. The explosion of alcohol fumes leaves very little soot and despite the intensity it's all over in a second. With that cargo they'd surely be blown to smithereens, they thought.
Crazy to think Captain Briggs would go on to become the King of Limbo
When I think of the Mary Celeste I can only think of _Limbo of the Lost._ If you've never heard of it, look up MandaloreGaming's video about it. It's a wild ride.
What more can a poor boy do?
Without the likes of me and you?
I've had the same issue with the pirate explanation. It doesn't work for the same reason that no big pile of buried pirate treasure has ever been found. Pirates were in it for the money. They'd hit something, then split up the spoils. The End.
They did not sail away, or put money in a box and stick it in the ground.
heh, yeah, there's only TWO cases I know of that are even based in fact of pirate treasure, Oak Island, and Blackbeard.... and we're not sure if Oak Island actually involved piracy. Blackbeard's case was also only mere rumor. Some claimed he'd stashed money or valuables, but....it was more speculation than fact. It was seemingly more that people didn't know what he'd done with stuff than anything else
Pleny of pirates 100% for sure buried their loot. They would in many cases have much more money than they could blow. can't be floating around with the loot incase you get caught, or others pirates want to take it from ya. Burying loot makes perfect sense.
@@greenwave819 well, temporary caches sure. usually VERY temporary.
I mean no one had found a big X on the ground where the massive treasure is buried. If the big X is found it will prove that pirates were responsible.
@@chinaman1 haha, what treasure? :p
I've heard a version where one (one of two brothers, both in the crew) of the German sailors was found alive and well in years later, back in Germany. Unfortunately I can't remember where I heard it and by no means do I claim this is true, but maybe it's something for someone to research? Anyways, it's a fascinating story and thanks a ton for taking the time to share it with us 😊
I'd be really curious about the exact type of alcohol. I know it's listed as industrial or denatured, but if was wood alcohol there could have been an issue with the fumes. The normal leaching from a cask on a long journey could make breathing a serious issue.
Denatured alcohol is the industrial term for wood alcohol. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denatured_alcohol
also known as methylated spirits, though use of methl alcohol is not the only way to make it. its basically alcohol with 10% or more of some other stuff added to render it undrinkable. methyl alcohol is common, but so is isopropyl alcohol, acetone, and methyl ethyl ketones. the latter ones make the result highly toxic and more explosive.
no matter what version was being hauled, it would have been a dangerous cargo.
one of the more common theories is that the ship sprung a minor leak, and the water coming into the hold caused the captain and crew to suspect the cargo had started leaking. they tried to pump it out, breaking the pump, and then abandoned ship.
How the hell could none of them figure out it was sea water and not alcohol? Why wouldt they have documented this? Who do police always put their suspicions on? Whoever has the dead guys stuff. I'm guessing the other crew used some kind of ruse pretending to be a foreign authority that needs to come on board for inspection. There they forced them all in the lifeboat and the astute captain either smuggled his navigation equipment or they allowed him to take it. Once in the lifeboat they probably killed them and claimed the found the ship in that condition. It just makes no sense everyone would abandon a perfectly seaworthy ship to get into a crappy lifeboat.
Another enjoyable video. Funnily enough I heard an accurate telling of this story on a review for the game Limbo of the Lost
Lord Mandalore?
In my view he should be crowned
The king of limbo
I remember reading once that debris of the Marie Celeste's lifeboat (or, the partial wreckage of *a* lifeboat with a stores locker marked 'M.C.') were found but that was reported in a book written in the 1970s and I don't know if that report has since been debunked. However, despite variations (the version I read involved her being hit by a waterspout, the pressure spike causing the bilge water level indicators to give back crazy readings that convinced the captain that she was already foundering), the deliberate abandoning and the loss of the lifeboat due to sea conditions seems to be consensus amongst most serious experts.
Dude, you must keep your coal in a debunker!
Get it!!?
I shouldn't have chuckled at that, but I did. How dare you.
lmfao
"Like his casket-- I mean, how very sad... continue..."
crying laughing throwing up
YT algorithm sent me here because I like maritime and aviation content. Great content! Ghost Diver guy is cute for Halloween. Love your serious stuff too. Subscribed!
Best theory I heard, the alcohol was leaking releasing a huge amount vapors making the crew sick. The captain ordered the crew onto a life boat tied to the back of the ship, they would simply wait till the ship aired out then board the ship again. Then either the rope came undone or was accidently cut, and then the crew would have no way to catch back up with the ship.
Remember. their was a rope found trailing behind the ship in the water.
Sweet home Alabama made me crack up laughing haha
Yeah me too
More than likely the crew abandoned her due to alcohol fumes accumulating in the hold. The weather was recorded as stormy with high seas so several days of sealed gat hes would have made the fumes from the barrels gather, more than likely they feared explosion so they opened the hatch and hopped the boat to let it breath out at least. Probably gor separated. Just my 2 cents
some of the sea monster stories might derive from a 1937 short story called "Fire in the Galley Stove" by William Outerson
Have you ever played Return of the Obra Dinn? it seems like it might be a good game to try for a Mary Celeste vibe. You're an investigator, trying to figure out what happened to an abandoned ship that drifted into port.
I think the other theory is more resonable: a Storm that forced the Mary Celeste to let the hatches shut, fumes build up in the cargohaule while they noticed the problem and decided to evacuate in a calm moment when the storm died down. They opened and secured the hatch without enough time to bring down all sails due to the intense fumes, while evacuating in the lifeboat tied to a rope behind the Celeste. After a while the calmness of the sea was gone and the wind picked up again leaving the crew doomed with no way to pull back to the ship. The hatch was still Open so the rain pored in the lower decks and build up to the mentioned hight. Against your Theorie speaks that the crew of the Dei Gratia used the pumps to get rid of the water and 3 men sailed the Mary Celeste to Genova, so the ship was completely fine and the pumps where completely fine…
Disease, sudden death of the captain, or fear, such as fear of a storm, fear of foundering, or fear of piracy, may have caused an abandonment.
Since provisions were on hand, want of food and water was not a cause.
The King of Limbo-
Even if the captain and crew thought the ship was going to sink, given the condition she was found in, it makes even less sense than the alcohol vapor theory that has the crew getting into the boat to wait for the ship to finish airing out. If they thought she was going to sink, but she only had as much water in her hold as she did, why would they hop in a boat and try to row for land even if it was in site when the ship was still sailing well enough that she made it as far as she did without the crew there to tend her? It would make way more sense for them to attempt to sail toward the island and only abandon the ship when it could go no further.
It's not about sinking. Everyone just assumes the only reason to leave the ship is sinking. Ships of the era are lit by whale oil lamps. If enough alcohol vapor built up in the holds from the barrel leaks, he may have believed an explosion was imminent without action that would kill the crew and sink the ship. The safest thing to do in that case would be to vent the ship and get the crew off until she was vented, maybe an hour or two. I believe a detail that isn't often discussed is that she was trailing lines. The boats were likely tied off to the ship so they could be pulled in once she was vented. And either through human error or rope chaff the boats became separated. I think he was also smart enough to leave 1 crew member behind as a watch, but he likely went overboard in an attempt to turn the ship back to the others once the drag lines were lost via weather or other circumstance, though there's no evidence of that
Pretty much as the guy above put it: The water wasnt the issue. Reenacting the HMS and USS Hoods was the more likely not-ideal scenario. They're transporting alcohol. On a woooden ship, with vapors in the air. With open flames throughout the ship.
If your ship is going to explode, you want to be *not* on it, as that's about 99% lethal, if lucky.
HMS Hood had 3 survivors of the sinking.
USS Hood had 0 survivors (or any real wreck) aside from crew already on the island.
YES!! You mentioned the Hash Slinging Slasher!! I LOVE YOU!!!
My dad was in the royal navy for 23 years, did a couple of tours on a Type 42 destroyer, HMS Glasgow, Unfortunately during her construction a fire broke out and killed a few of the workers, One was well reported to still walk the corridors on board, Known as "Derick the dockie".
So one day my dad's in the forward section around the paint store etc doing daily maintenance checks, he hears the watertight door open, close, then footsteps past where he was, he didn't see anyone come past so stuck head out into the corridor and nobody there but can still hear the footsteps going off down the corridor.
He still doesn't believe in the supernatural etc lol sorry for the long comment, keep up the good videos and best of luck with your seamanship course, Fair winds and following seas.
At timestamp 11:03 your “Sweet Home Alabama” edit …..I AM ☠️
I got a chuckle out of the cousin joke
These videos are super interesting, and I like the spooky fella. As a Halloween themed bit, I think it's entertaining.
Arrgh! Here from the Gold and Gunpowder channel, awesome work!
I hope you get around to covering the Kaz II, this is another one of those cases where if there had been a survivor then there would be no mystery. What makes it unique is that it took place after the period in which video recording became a common thing, but in this case while there is footage shot shortly before the disappearance the event itself was not filmed.
always been fascinated by the Mary Celeste mystery
Loving your channel, my tenpence worth (as someone who has been sailing since the age of five and has worked on commercial marine salvage), what has always surprised me is even on a fibreglass hulled boat standard practice and doctrine has always been you step UP into the liferaft/boat. Why they left a perfectly serviceable vessel is beyond me.
The disassembled pump really does it for me. Basically none of the theories I've seen so far besides Collective Mania properly accounts for the pump being abandoned in such a state.
If there was an explosion of alcohol vapours it would make sense for the hatch to have been secured open by the crew. The crew notice a strong smell of alcohol in the hold, the captain orders them to open the hatches to ventilate it to avoid an explosion, the air mixes with the vapours and reaches the ignition ratio of oxygen to alcohol and then a lantern or other source of flame causes an explosion.
I don't think there was an explosion, I think that the crew saw all the alcohol sloshing about so they opened the hatch, doused the lanterns, got on the lifeboat in case there was and explosion, and were waiting for the alcohol to evaporate.
Crew in lifeboat then drifted away from the ship.
Following a spill of the denatured alcohol during a becalming the crew open the hold and abandon ship in case of a fire. That's why the cptn took his nav gear. As they dozed waiting for the effects of the fumes to evaporate the wind picked up. The ship left them behind. The small boat sank. Less than 4 hours cost them their lives. But that alcohol fumes can make your thinking bad.
I would like to add some credit to your theory, there have been many examples in recent history when crews chose to abandon say a yacht, only for the vessel to be found afloat with crew suffering or dying in the life raft and now days its taught to rather stay with the vessel as long as its aloft or even capsized as it still is a bigger target and often still with supplies.
Dude I'm loving your videos! Kinda like a mix of drachinifel and lemmino.
I opened this vid just to see the comment about the king of limbo
Me too.
I cannot even begin to think about the Mary Celeste without thinking of limbo of the lost!
Yes! Please consider doing a vid on pirates & MUTINY! Like why? How? Outcome? Thanks! I just found your channel & have binge listened with my good ear as I get over an inner ear infection. Such great content!
Happy Veterans Day! Thank you for your service. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
I second. I read a real book on pirates and the way most operated is nothing like the public thinks. Be very curious to see what a video on this would look like
Thank you! Whenever I insist the crew thought the Celeste was sinking and abandoned it, I forget the name of that thing you thwack to gauge if the ship is taking on water. Somehow the alien abduction theory is easier to believe than human error. I just feel so sad for the toddler Sophia. I didn't know the island was so close, so now I also feel a little mad at how inept the captain was!
I just wrote out my favorite and most logical theory in another comment, but I don't believe the captain was inept. I believe the hatch way gives credence to the alcohol vapor theories. I believe he ordered the ship vented and the crew into the boats, tied off to the ship, until there was no risk of fire or explosion. And due to whatever circumstance, weather, poor equipment, rope chaff or just human error, the boats became separated and lost. The captain made the right calls, but it got his men and family killed all the same
My theory is that you were pretty accurate about the pump being disassembled, it got clogged and they were trying to fix it, most likely in the middle of a storm. But being a storm means rough seas and large waves. Chances are high there was a man or more accurately Woman and child overboard issue from one of these waves and hoping to save them the captain had the remaining crew climb into the boat and go out to look for them and never came back. The reason the entire crew left is because so few remained that it would have been dangerous for less than what was left not to go.
@Maritime Horrors Interestingly, as of 2023, Mary Celeste has been added to the popular gacha game 'Azur Lane'. Along with the Royal Fortune, Golden Hind, Adventure Galley, Whydah, and São Martinho.
Just to let you know.
Oooo, this one is a classic! I was hoping you would end up doing this one.
The _Dei Gratia_ was actually Canadian. Being built and registered in Nova Scotia. It wasn’t a British ship, Confederation had occurred four years prior to her construction
Okay, you video on the Fitzgerald caught my attention, and this won my subscription!
Those paintings are simply beautiful. Id love to have a few to hang in my library.
One of the best theories I've heard is waterspout striking her. The crew is left dazed by the vacuum of the event and suddenly there's several feet of water in the hold and they flee
theory is NOT based on the known facts, the navigational equipment was STILL ON BOARD THE SHIP, PROVEN FACT also you seem to know nothing about the dangerous fumes from industrial alcohol,
Your ghost looks like Captain Cutler from "Scooby Doo" with a fancy hat.
Ah, a classic one
Serial Killer pirates sounds like a neat horror movie idea
Some say that Captain Benjamin Spooner Briggs became the King of Limbo...
THE KIIIIING OF LIMBO!!!!
My guess: a couple of the crew drank the denatured alcohol, got sick, lied about how they got sick and convinced the rest of the crew the ship had a disease aboard and everyone bailed. The lifeboat sank for whatever reason. End of story.
Doesnt explain as much. The vapor theory makes more sense/explains more of the situation
Another thing about the Sea monster thing.... If it WAS a Sea Monster, the Mary Celeste would have been badly damaged, not mostly intact.
Sweet home Alabama bit made me laugh out loud. So out of character for this channel. Loved the suprise
Did anyone else get the "sponser a child" ad? That was the most brutal ad i've ever seen
We all know the real explanation, the captain simple gets dragged to hell and after killing some dude named Fate he gets crowned king of Limbo in a Canteen style song featuring randoms he met
*King of Limbo starts playing*
I came across this channel fighting off a savage case of Covid 19. Your videos helped me through the worst of it - namely the fever and 3 nights of not sleeping.
Then when my fever broke, the background music your voice was therapy enough for me to sleep through the playlists.
Absolutely delightful material. LOVE the creepster. And thank you.
Love this channel
I was getting this confused with the SS Ourang Medan.
I was surprised when you said that they recovered it successfully. I had to go google it to figure out which one I was thinking of.
And I see that you did a video on it a month ago. So watching that one next 😊
This was a theatrical masterpiece 10/10
0:23 the way you said 'Mary Shelly' reminded my of Randy Marsh from South Park.
I heard a theory that the industrial alcohol was brought aboard in barrels that were not standard. I believe the person said that normally red oak was used for this but for some reason at least part of the alcohol was in white oak barrels which is much more porous. This person’s theory was that the crew could smell the alcohol and because they were concerned about combustion they opened the hatch to ventilate the hold and everyone got into the lifeboat as a safety precaution. He then said that somehow a line they would have left connected to the ship must have become unattached and because they had got off so quickly they had left the sails up so a bit of breeze catches the sails and goodbye ship. This explains the lack of evidence of violence and why the sextant was missing but not much else. They got off just in case of combustion and they expected to be in the lifeboat for only a short while, but somebody messed up a knot or two and they watched the ship leave them behind.
This is certainly the most believable theory I have heard, especially since he did a demonstration where he dunked a piece of white oak in soapy water and then when he applied air into the cut edge it bubbled like mad. It looked like when a little kid uses a straw to blow bubbles in their milk.
I can't recall where I saw it, but I have seen a video which gave an explanation based on the upcoming storm and a faulty calculation of longitude (there was only one chronometer on board) and the Captain and crew/family abandoned the ship with an incorrect idea where they would find land and didn't make it.
Great stuff!
I never knew the detail about the sails being half set.
Maybe the caskets weren't sealed properly and caused vapors intoxicating the crew and making them make rash decisions/running to fresh air.
I heard about this ship in a shanty. I’m glad to know it’s real
I like your documentaries. This was spoiled for me with the 'haunting comedy.
X1000
A. Conan Doyle’s fictional story, which was told as a testimony from the pov of a survivor of the ship, probably didn’t help matters.
Then there’s the theory involving the giant rat of Sumatra. But that is a story for which the world is not yet prepared.
Brilliant video thank you 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
In short, something made the crew scared that the Celest would sink, so they abandone ship.
But the ship didnt sink, and the crew either drowned or started new lives.
I agree, when you leave the ship in a lifeboat that is a huge risk, especially when the ship is not really sinking. Either that or a rogue wave, which is highly unlikely as if it was a bad storm all would be below deck.
The 70’s show “In Search Of” did a great episode about this.
While I immensely enjoy your other videos, I'm struggling to get a third of the way through this one because of this character/voice you're doing.
Loved these stories, very well done. If you do these again next year, I'd love to see one in the Bannockburn or the Octavius. One real story and one fictional one, etc.
The picture of the village of Spencers Island was taken from the hill where my house is.
Love the channel, any chance of an MS Estonia video down the track?
It's a curly one. Beats the everlovin' Jesus out of me. It gives ascendancy to no particular theory. Which is why it is so legendary. There was what looked like infant food half-started, the navigational equipment was gone, the lifeboat was gone, the log was ambiguous, the lifeboat tether was slashed, there were slash marks on both bows, the cargo was basically intact, valuables untouched, someone in school even suggested to me that there was a five pound note left on a table.