Ghost Ships – Part III – Ghost Ship of the Northumberland Strait

This is the third in a series of plunderin’ ghost ships. To catch up, go to The Octavius and The Flying Dutchman.

The Ghost Ship of the Northumberland Strait

There’s a burst of flame and a flash of light
And there on the tide is a frightening sight
As a tall ship all aflame lights up the sky
Tales of the phantom ship,
from truck to keel in flames
She sails the wide Northumberland Strait
No one knows her name.

From the song Tales of the Phantom Ship by Canadian artist Lennie Gallant.

Nameless, this wraith ship is a Canadian legend that appears most often at dusk or dawn during the seasons of spring and fall. Some see a three-masted tall ship; others see a schooner; while still others report her as square-rigger. Whichever form the ship takes, what happens next is nothing short of terrifying: The ship suddenly bursts into flames.

Sometimes it’s just the rigging that is burning; but at other times, the entire ship is engulfed from bow to stern. Witnesses have reported seeing men scrambling on deck. One frightened observer saw “people and dogs” on the burning ship.

The phantom ship appears so convincingly real that rescue parties have attempted to row out to her aid.

“Late one evening, approaching dusk, a ship [was] sighted in the harbour which appeared to be in peril…. Some distance out in the channel was what appeared to be a large three masted sailing vessel ablaze from bow to stem. A group of men boarded a small boat and rowed toward the flaming ship, in hopes of rescuing as many of her crew as possible. While they were still some distance from the craft, it disappeared into the mist and appeared to vanish completely.”  from Folklore Prince Edward Island by Sterling Ramsay.

Similar to The Flying Dutchman, the ghost ship’s registered name and actual history are unconfirmed. Some locals say she’s the ghost of the John Craig Light while others say she’s the Colbum, both lost in storms in the Northumberland Strait. Other stories say she was either a pirate (!) or private vessel where a drunken brawl broke out and somehow set the ship ablaze. (Right,! Scallywags always wanna’ blame the pirates! ARRR!)

Most everyone considers her appearance to be a warning, usually for an approaching storm. If you see her, keep your distance and keep your eyes on the weather…

More next time on Ghost Ships…The Caleuche