Sea fortune provides each ship with three options for its fate: it can safely return to port, it can drown with or without a crew, it can disappear without a trace. But in the history of navigation, more incredible cases are known when a ship, which has been lying on the bottom for many years, rises from the depths, sets sail again and continues to plow the waters without a crew. And when the ship, again without a crew, leaves the port on its own and disappears over the horizon …
A strong earthquake at the end of the last century, which occurred in the area of the small Polynesian island of Aai, caused giant waves that hit the coast. The dilapidated buildings and dwellings of the fishermen were either blown away by the wind or destroyed by the waves. When the elements calmed down, the inhabitants of the island began to help rebuild those who lived on the coast. In the midst of the work, the builders suddenly saw the incredible: an old ship with broken masts was slowly sailing past the island. There was not a soul on board. The legends about the "Flying Dutchman" in the enlightened XX century became international long ago, and the inhabitants of the island together rushed to flee into the jungle, not wanting to meet with an alien from the underworld. Less superstitious turned out to be the crew of the coast guard boat, which took the Dutchman on board.
Experts and historians undertook to clarify the fate of an alien from the past. It turned out that in these places under mysterious circumstances in 1712 the Largmont caravel disappeared. Apparently, when hitting an underwater reef, the caravel's planks parted, and it sank. For two and a half centuries of being under water, the tree swelled and the cracks closed. Tremors and huge waves formed because of them lifted the caravel from the bottom, while part of the water from the hull spilled out, and the emerging ship stood on an even keel. Now, centuries after his death, he is destined for a second life as a museum piece.
Marine historian L. Skryagin in his book "The Mystery of the Flying Dutchman" told the incredible story of the American ice-class steamer "Beichimo", known in the history of navigation as the "Flying Dutchman" of the Arctic. " On its last voyage with a crew, the steamer set off for navigation in 1931 from Vancouver Island. During the voyage, he visited numerous coastal trading posts and took away furs. But on the way back off the coast of Alaska "Beichimo" was in ice captivity. The crew had to spend the winter at Cape Belcher. For safety reasons (the vessel could be crushed by ice), the crew moved to the shore. However, the members of the expedition decided not to spend the winter, and in November they were taken out by plane. On November 26, during a storm, the ice in which the ship was frozen began to move. And he set off on a further voyage, but without a crew.
The amazing thing is that in August 1932, "Beichimo" returned to its original place, as if wanting to check whether there are bad people who left him. But instead of them, other bad people appeared on the ship, who removed from it a load of furs for 200 thousand dollars.
The next year, in March, Beichimo returned to its original place. About 30 Eskimos in kayaks hurried to him and climbed onto the deck. But suddenly a heavy snowfall began, and then a storm, and they had to urgently carry off their feet.
In August of the same year, the shipowners received another news that their ship, with its crew, was moving north towards the Pole. It was then sighted in the Beaufort Sea. Six times, when the Beichimo approached the coast, Eskimos and Canadian trappers tried to get to its valuable cargo, worth about 800 thousand dollars. But the steamer seemed to have an agreement with the elements: either it was snowing again, or the ship disappeared into fog, or the wind rose, and it moved away from the coast, as if not wanting to meet more people who abandoned it to their fate.
And only once did the steamer make an exception, and for a woman who was not going to encroach on his cargo of furs. In July 1934, a research schooner approached the board, on which there were scientists and among them Isabella Hutchinson, a famous Scottish botanist. She and a group of colleagues spent several hours on the ship, which was then notified to the shipowners. But it was too expensive to engage in a rescue operation.
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In 1939, Captain Hugh Paulson, whose ship was in the Beaufort Sea, found an abandoned steamer, tried to take it in tow, but after a few hours ice fields began, and he had to abandon towing.
In March 1962, kayaking Eskimos met the Beichimo again in the Beaufort Sea. But the superstitious fear and legends that already circulated around the "Flying Dutchman of the Arctic" did not even allow them to approach him.
L. Skryagin in his book suggests that "Beichimo" may well continue to swim until now, having entered the ring - a closed circular current in the Beaufort Sea.