It makes sense a culture filled with superstition and lore has a treasure trove of ghost stories. For as long as mankind has been on the ocean there have been disappearances at sea. For those back onshore the agony of waiting, wishing, and hoping for an answer to where their loved ones were and if they would ever return haunted their every thought. A desperate mind starts to dream up reasons for things unknown. Why have they not returned? Why would they die? Why is there no word? Am I being punished? Maybe they’re still out there. 

But what happens when we do see something totally unexplainable? Something that even though our brain is fully aware of what it is, we can still find it entirely incomprehensible. Most people would probably try and find some logical reason to suit their experience. But what if you gave up and finally accepted the unaccepted. What if enough people saw something so strange and so phenomenal it couldn’t be written off? That is when it becomes something of folklore and this is how ghost ships are born.

[00:01] HMS Resolute’s connection to the White House

[02:30] A Famous Ghost Ship: The Flying Dutchman

[05:09] 3 Types of Ghost Ships

[05:39] The French Ship: Navire Libera Nos

[06:13] La Belle Rosalie

[07:29] Eliza Battle

[08:58] The Marie Celeste, an abandoned ship

[10:33] Captain Parker Takes over the Marie Celeste

[10:58] The abandoned SS Baychimo

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• Christmas Ship

Herman Schuenemann was not a wealthy man, most sailors aren’t. But he was successful, well-respected, and had a loving wife and three daughters.  He married his wife Barbara in 1891. They were both of German descent, in a time when the area of Chicago was rapidly growing in Germanic and European population. Having been born in Wisconsin, Schuenemann moved to Chicago and established himself as a merchant mariner and a schooner captain.

At the same time, the German tradition of decorating pine trees in your home during Christmas significantly increased in popularity. Combined with the budding German community and this new trend, the demand for baby pine trees soared, and thus was born the Christmas tree trade. 

[01:04] The beginning of the Christmas tree trade

[01:39] Captain Herman Schuenemann/Captain Santa

[03:11] The Rouse Simmons

[04:38] Shipwrecked

[05:37] Never seen again 

[06:00] The message in the bottle

[06:34] The aftermath

[07:10] Wreckage of the Rouse Simmons

[08:09] Legacy of the Christmas Tree Schooner

Links Mentioned: 

• Christmas Ship

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We have all heard the saying to curse like a sailor. My mom often says it about my generation and our vulgar tongues.  We often associated the cursing of sailors to their lack of education, morals, or lack of both.  Whenever this is a pop culture film of pirates or sailors, it always seems like they are spewing profanity in one form or another. 

Most of these phrases we don’t know for sure where they come from. When I talk about them, know that I am taking the story that comes to the closest point of nautical origin. So much of history is unknown and the reasons for things are often unknown. Often, there can be several stories that originate to the reason why we do something, each one of them found in a little bit of truth. I'm here to present to you the options and will give you the research that I have conducted, it's up to you to decide which story you choose to believe. Also, I will always encourage you to do your own research. Don't just take my word for it. 

[00:16] Curse like a sailor

[03:00] Mind your P’s and Q’s

[04:25] F.U.C.K.

[05:28] W.H.A.R.F.

[06:24] How poop relates to nautical nonsense

[08:11] S.H.I.T.

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Sailors have always been a superstitious lot. Maybe it is the inherent risk that comes from being at sea that makes sailors skittish, or perhaps because sailors were traditionally uneducated, illiterate men trying to find a reason for the phenomena happening around them. They wanted to put an explanation on things any way they could.  Whether for peace of mind or just a little extra luck, there is no denying the superstitions, folklore, and traditions associated with the ancient art of sailing. 

For the average person, sailing is a world they are totally unfamiliar with. For those of us lucky enough to call the sea our home, we have learned to respect the ocean, the tradition, and the power that comes with our calling.  There is new vocabulary, way of life, and attitude that comes along with being a salty seaman.  Sailing has been around for nearly as long as humans have and that leaves room for a lot of good stories. My goal with this podcast is to share those stories with you. 

[02:06] Sailing Superstitions

[02:35] Bananas are bad luck

[03:25] The Mattapan banana story from 1912

[04:00] Women were banned on most ships

[05:04] Redheads were seen as an anemone

[05:24] Changing the name of the boat is also bad luck

[05:43] Other bad luck superstitions

[06:12] Bad luck to kill a sea bird

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In this podcast, we're going to dive into nautical history, sailing quirks, and famous characters who have defined the ocean. 

The podcast officially launches on Friday December 3rd and new episodes will be dropping each Friday.