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Apparition

Octavius Ghost Ship

Found with frozen crew, the captain still at his desk writing in his log—dated 1762. The ship had been drifting for 13 years through the Arctic, completing the Northwest Passage as a tomb.

1775
North Atlantic
8+ witnesses

The Octavius became a frozen coffin sailing through the Arctic.

The Discovery

1775:

  • Whaler Herald found her
  • Off Greenland
  • Ice-encrusted
  • Sails set
  • Drifting silently

What They Found

Frozen crew:

  • 28 bodies
  • Preserved by cold
  • Captain at desk
  • Pen in hand
  • Log open

The Log

Last entry:

  • Dated 1762
  • 13 years earlier
  • Attempted Northwest Passage
  • Ice trapped them
  • All froze

The Journey

Impossible voyage:

  • Trapped in ice
  • Drifted through Arctic
  • Completed Northwest Passage
  • As ghost ship
  • First to do so

The Mystery

Questions:

  • No records of Octavius
  • Log taken, then lost
  • Only crew account remains
  • Possibly legendary
  • Core story compelling

The Lesson

What it means:

  • Nature’s indifference
  • Human ambition
  • Frozen in time
  • Death’s voyage
  • The sea keeps secrets

Sources

  • Maritime folklore and legend
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