ABANDONED SCHOONER MYSTERY..NO CREW, A HALF-EATEN MEAL AND PILES OF CLOTHES(Mediterranean)

Terrorist threats are very real in the Great Lakes. We have made the trip into Canada many times via Lake Erie and the Detroit River. We go to Windsor, Canada which is across the river from Detroit. All we do is call immigration, report our location, people onboard and that is it. When we return to US waters, we simply go back to our home marina. Is that an open border or what?

I read a book about the Mary Celeste years ago written by a retired admiralty investigator. He reviewed all the known theories at the time and the facts that were known. His conclusions as I recall them:

-The Mary Celeste encountered a waterspout (ocean tornado) based upon bilge water being above the bilge pump plungers and most hatches being battened. The weather for that day was calm and warm with a cold front coming in. He believed only a waterspout could explain the closed hatches and bilgewater above the pump plungers which would have occured from a positive pressure difference between the bilge and outside air pressure.

-The cargo of industrial alcohol had been disturbed and some caskets had leaked.

Several of the sails were torn and unfurled but had not been set.

The author's conclusion was that followig a waterspout the presence of the bilgepump water and the alcohol gave the crew the impression the boat not only was sinking but liable to blow up. He surmised they launched in the (missing) lifeboat to wait for the fumes to clear from a safe distance. A gust of wind came and unfurled one or more of the hastily pulled sails driving the Mary Celeste beyond the reach of the lifeboat.

It was known a strong gale hit that part of the ocean that night and the Mary Celeste's crew, perished at sea in the lifeboat.

The link you posted in #76 to the article in the Corriere says they tracked down the owner. From the best I can gather with my pretty rusty italian, the owner's from Luxembourg & was called back home on an emergency on the 17th of august. He anchored her out & intended to come back & get her in September.The coast guard tracked him down through a cell phone number on a french mooring contract found somewhere aboard. If I'm translating correctly, the authorities are suspicious of his story. They think he might have been trying to evade the docking taxes on yachts in sardinia- I've been told they are OBSCENE there so they're probably justified in their thinking. They're also very suspicious because he evidently wiped out the gps data before leaving.According to the article, he should be coming back this weekend to reclaim her.

Oh well, it was spooky while it lasted, lol!

Awesome info. leilani...as I was looking for articles on this...I came across many articles that were describing the docking taxes...how high there are and that they are expecting them to increase.

You are correct...it does still sound very odd. This person must have some deep pockets to risk leaving a large boat like that anchored out for weeks unattended. And if that is the case...just pay to dock. Penny wise and pound foolish. Thanks again...where else but FR could we have someone like you with your "rusty" Italian help get answers to this mystery!

Penny wise and pound foolish

That's for sure, or maybe a sailor of the libertarian persuasion who needs to do a better job calculating the scope of his anchor rode next time? (Hmmm. Didn't I read somewhere William F. Buckley was going to be spending the summer on the Costa Smeralda? lol!)

p.s.)I just did a search for the veliero fantasma but couldn't find any updates if the guy reclaimed his boat yet.

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