Collecting model ships is a fun hobby and it doesn't hurt that they make great nautical decor. But these pieces are even more exciting when the host or hostess has a juicy ghost ship story to tell interested visitors! Settle in and read some of these mysterious stories about unfortunate and strange real life ships.

5. Carroll A. Deering - 1920

This ship was built in 1911 and named after the owner's son. She was a massive five mast schooner. She sailed around many oceans as a cargo vessel and finally began her last journey in 1920, leaving Rio de Janiero heading North.

She was struck with a disagreeable crew from the beginning. The first mate was overheard threatening the captain's life, but the captain forgave the crime and kept the first mate aboard.

The ship was not spotted again until 1921, when it was found run around on Diamond Shoals near the Outer Banks of North Carolina, USA. A rescue crew boarded the ship to find it completely empty. All the ship's logs were gone, as were two of the lifeboats. Dinner was half prepared in the galleys, which led investigators to believe that the ship was abandoned hastily. The vessel was accidentally destroyed before the mystery could be solved.

4. Baychimo - 1911

Baychimo was a gift from Germany to England as a war reparation. This ship was used in northern Canada for the pelt trade and made many trips across the Atlantic before it became "temperamental". November 1931 found the crew of the Baychimo stuck in a terrible blizzard, their ship frozen in the waters. The crew built a camp and decided to wait out the storm. When the blizzard subsided, the ship was gone.

The men decided to look for the ship and save the cargo then leave the ship to her fate. After the cargo was retrieved, the ship was left abandoned.

Four decades passed with the ship continuously evading anyone who tried to board her. Every time the ship was spotted, a team would try to board and would become abandoned on board by bad weather. Is it bad luck, or is it a case of a wild ship determined to keep her newfound freedom?

3. Eliza Battle - 1852

The Eliza Battle was launched for aristocrats in 1852. It was a luxury ship, hosting Presidents, dignitaries and all the country's richest. The ship had a very short life, however, as it was destroyed by fire in 1858 on the Tombigbee River.

The ship burned as panicked people frantically escaped. Luckily, the passenger list was light this night, but 26 people died due to exposure in the fire's aftermath. Eliza Battle sunk to the bottom of the river and her skeleton remains at the bottom to this day.

Visitors to the Tombigbee River on a full moon's night would argue that Eliza Battle is down, but not out. Witnesses claim the ship rises from the water with music blasting and fires ablaze. Some claim the fire is so bright, the "Eliza Battle" plaque on the side of the ship is clearly visible.

Local superstitious residents believe that a sighting of the ship is a sign of bad things to come.

2. Octavius - 1775

A whaler ship discovered the Octavius north of Greenland in 1775. The crew of the whaler boarded the Octavius, to find everyone on board dead. The crew were not only dead, they seemed to be frozen in their positions. It seemed they had frozen to death doing their work. The captain was found frozen in his cabin with a pen in his hand, writing in the ship's log. The whaling crew was terrified and took only the log with them. As it was frozen, the only pages which survived were the first and last pages. The last entry was dated 1762 - meaning the crew of the Octavius had been frozen for 13 years.

It is commonly believed that the Octavius was sailing for the Orient and had opted to take the shorter, albeit more dangerous, Northern Passages. The ship is assumed to have frozen in ice then floated away with the spring melt. The crew must have frozen to death, never fully thawing in the frigid temperatures for 13 full years. The ship was never spotted again after this initial encounter.

1. The Mary Celeste - 1872

The Mary Celeste is quite popular and one of the best known "missing crew" ship stories in existence. The ship was sailing from New York to Genoa with a great amount of alcohol aboard. It left for its voyage in November; in December it was spotted by Captain Morehouse of the Dei Gratia. As Captain Morehouse was close with Captain Briggs of the Mary Celeste, he was surprised to see the ship thrashing about in the sea. Morehouse knew Briggs to be an excellent seaman. Morehouse hailed Briggs many times to no avail, so he decided to board the ship.

Upon boarding, he found the ship completely empty. All ship's logs were removed, except the Captain's log, which showed no signs of distress. The ship had obviously been abandoned in a hurry, as all supplies and personal items were left intact. There were no signs of struggles or strife, however, and all the alcohol was intact, minus nine empty barrels.

The ship had suffered water damage, but not enough to force the captain to abandon his vessel. Furthermore, after Morehouse sailed the Mary Celeste to Gibraltar, the ship was deemed seaworthy. Traces of blood were found in the captain's cabin and gashes were found on the wood, but there was no further evidence of foul play and no weapons were found.

The Mary Celeste changed hands 17 times over the next 13 years and was plagued by the death of her crew members. She met her demise when her final owner purposely grounded her for the insurance money.

And that's our top five ship stories! Contact us today to learn about beautiful nautical decorations, and find a ship to match your favorite story!