Real and Mythical Ghost Ships, Part 1: The Baychimo

These hopes were dashed when a huge blizzard struck the region in November, and when the men were finally able to break camp, they found only huge, intimidating masses of ice where their boat had once been. Giving the Baychimo up for sunk, the group began to head back for civilization. However, while leaving the area the group came across some Eskimos, who told the captain that that the lost ship was still afloat, about 40 miles away. The astonished men rushed to the given location and found that the Baychimo was exactly where the Eskimos had described, but still trapped in ice and by now looking unsalvageable. So, in early December 1931, the decision was made to take the most valuable cargo from the ship and leave her to an inevitable demise at the hands of the upcoming winter.

Until this time, the Baychimo had been a typical merchant ship with a somewhat interesting history. But without a crew, she began to turn into legend. The winter of 1931 was unable to destroy the ship, which had been constructed with just these types of winter conditions in mind, and for the next 8 years, she was sighted repeatedly by local Eskimos, traveling adventurers, and passing ships as she floated around serenely at the whim of the arctic waters.

The ghost ship proved to be just as elusive to her human pursuers as she was to the natural elements, close enough to be seen frequently, but always just out of reach of recovery. She was even boarded 4 times, once in 1933 by a group of prospectors, who said that the inner workings of the ship were still in excellent shape. Next, also during 1933, she was boarded by Inuit hunters who had a horrifying experience, becoming trapped on board for several days without food as a huge storm blew up. The Baychimo also was boarded once in 1934 by explorers who could not resist the temptation to look around, and boarded yet another time in 1939 during an unsuccessful attempt to salvage her. The crew of the salvaging expedition, led by a man named Hugh Polson, were the last known people to ever walk the decks of the Baychimo.

Appearances of the Baychimo became less frequent after 1939, but she still remained afloat and was sighted repeatedly by Eskimos, traders, and other arctic travelers as she continued to sail her solitary journey. It was assumed that nature had finally destroyed this amazing vessel when the sightings trickled down to nothing, but Eskimo fishermen north of Canada spotted her once again in 1962 near the very top of the world, floating in the frigid Beaufort Sea. During the sighting, they noted that she was rusting after her now 31 year journey and looked every bit the part of a spooky, abandoned ghost ship. Any type of salvage was out of the question, and the Eskimos watched as she drifted off and once again became lost to civilization.

Another appearance of the Baychimo occurred in May 1969, when she was seen once more in the Beaufort Sea, stuck in the same predicament which had caused her to become a ghost ship in the first place – trapped in pack ice. She has never been seen again.

It is quite likely that the ship has since sunk without a trace, but there are some who believe the vessel may still be afloat somewhere. In 2006, the Alaskan government undertook a search for the ship, whether afloat or sunk, without success. However, searching the oceans and frozen wastes of the far north is an extremely difficult task, and no one can be 100% sure that the abandoned ship does not continue to prowl the waters of Northern Canada.

So if you’re ever sailing the arctic seas of Canada or walking the coastline of Northern Alaska, keep watch for the rusting remains of the Baychimo as she sails alone on her cold, desolate voyage.