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Brigantine Mary Celeste history happened 140 years ago is one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of the sea. It haunts Maritime historians, writers and others creators imagination.

The captains’ death

Two masts 31 m long sailing ship Mary Celeste was built in 1862 in Spencer's Island docks, Nova Scotia (Canada). It was two experienced American shipbuilders Joshua Davis and William Bigalow product. The prestige of these masters had ensured the new vessel reliable reputation and it was entitled Amazon. However, it was quickly disapproved.

At the beginning of the journey suddenly felt ill and died captain Robert McLean. It was the first of the three later mysterious deaths in the Amazon. Just started to sail, it collided with a fishing boat and was forced to return to the shipyard for repairs. When it crossed the Atlantic for the first time, Amazon collided with the other ship in Channel. In 1867, because of the huge storm it was stranded in Nova Scotia.

After a recent incident, a few Americans shareholders bought the vessel. Among them was a professional sailor, Benjamin Briggs. In 1868 in the USA register the ship was registered with a new name - Mary Celeste.

The dinner before the sailing

Captain Briggs was the captain of an American sailing ship called the Mary Celeste. In 1872 he left New York in his ship with his wife and little daughter and a crew of eight men. They were taking a cargo of industrial alcohol, probably methanol, across the Atlantic Ocean to Genoa in Italy.

Briggs and Morehouse and their wives dined together on the 4th of November, and a few days later Briggs set sail. Captain Brigg's friend, captain Moorhouse, was the captain of another ship called the Dei Gratia. Captain Moorhouse and his crew set sail a week later. Friends discussed the upcoming trip, even without knowing that after a month their ships are destined to meet in the Atlantic Ocean under bizarre circumstances.

The ghost ship

After sailing for a month, Captain Moorhouse saw the Mary Celeste ahead of him. The ship was sailing along so wildly that Moorhouse knew something was wrong. He sent some of his crew in a rowboat to take a look. They found the Mary Celeste deserted - no captain, no family and no crew - and the lifeboat was gone too.

Captain Moorhouse and his crew couldn't work it out. Why had everyone left the Mary Celeste? The ship was in good order and there was plenty of food and drinking water. Everything seemed to be in place, but it looked as though everyone had left in a hurry. The crew left without their boots and their coats. They hadn't even taken their pipes and tobacco, nor had they taken any food and water. The only things that were gone were the lifeboat, the ship's papers and the navigation instruments.

Captain Moorhouse, promised to share the prize, which they were expecting to get for rescuing the ship so he sent a number of sailors and his navigating officer to the Mary Celeste. Slightly fixed abandoned ship was taken to Gibraltar, owned by British.