When a ship that had been missing for nine years suddenly appeared on the coast of Myanmar, officials were mystified when they realized the crew had vanished without a trace…
 Something on the Horizon
On August 27th, 2018, something weird appeared on the ocean’s horizon in Myanmar. It was the perfect day for fishing, but none of the fishermen knew what this ship was…
Another Ship…
Thongwa township was in Myanmar’s largest city. Fishing was a huge part of the culture… Everyone knew everyone! So, when they spot this weird ship in the distance, they were all curious… Who was approaching their shore?
Something Is Off
The ship looked… Weird. It was moving erratically through the water as if no one was manning it. The fishermen alerted the coastguard, who was also unaware of the ship’s intentions… What they found out was sickening.
Coast Guard Investigates
The coast guards were able to board the ship and check for anyone on it. That’s when they figured out that the ship was the Sam Ratulangi PB 1600. This was shocking…
Lost on The Way
The Sam Ratulangi PB 1600 vanished years ago. It was transporting heavy cargo between destinations when it somehow got lost…
Never to Return
The ship was built in 2001 and was in service for eight years… In 2009, it left port and was never seen again. Until now.
Totally Abandoned
The ship was almost completely rusted out. As they searched, they realized no one was on board… But, there was also no evidence of anyone ever being on board. Where was everyone?
Who Is Steering It?
The coast guards were unsure of how to proceed. If no one was manning it, how did it make its way t port? Was it simply the waves, or was something else going on?
It Never Made It
The last recorded journey was in 2009 when the ship was sailing towards the Tainan City municipality of Taiwan…
No Radar
In the middle of the voyage, the radar failed. No one could track the ship.
Other Ghost Ships
In the past year, several missing ships have been located. Just before this event in Myanmar, a giant wooden ship washed ashore in Japan… Once again, no one was on board.
Horrifying
When Japanese officials got on board, they found something they’d never want to see…
Never Want To See That
Within the wooden boat, there were eight skeletons inside. Then, in Florida, what would be considered the holy grail of shipwrecks washed up…
Insane Discovery
The ship in Florida ended up dating back to the 18th century. It was in pretty bad shape (naturally) and was broken up in pieces. There was nothing major inside, but the fact that it survived so hundreds of years is pretty incredible!
A… Mannequin?
Another ship had washed up in 2017 with a really bizarre passenger on board… It was half a mannequin and a velvet rose. On the wall, it read, “The beatings will continue until morale improves.” The Myanmar ship was even more bizarre than all of these combined…
The Myanmar Ship
Back on board the Myanmar ship, crews continued to search for any sign of life. It was completely empty, barren of any living creature.
Mysterious Radar
Two days before the ship was found, the Myanmar Navy had found two unknown ships on the radar. They couldn’t make any contact with it… They had no idea what was gonna wash up two days later, that’s for sure!
Two Ships?
Now, it was pretty clear that this ship was what they saw on the radar. But, what about the second ship…
The Independence
After further investigation, they ended up finding a tiny tugboat as well, hitched to the back of the Sam Ratulangi. This one was called the Independence.
The Sam Ratulangi
Even though the Sam Ratulangi was empty, the Independence actually had 13 crew members on board… What was happening?
They Found Crew
When authorities found the crew, they were confused. They were taken in for questioning. The crew said that they were steering the Sam Ratulangi, but lost it due to inclement weather…
Selling the Ship
They were going to deliver the vessel to Bangladesh and sell it to shipbreakers for a hefty price. They found the ship unmanned and floating aimlessly, so they figured it was fair game.
Intense Questioning
The Navy needed answers. They needed to make sure nothing was suspicious and that the national security isn’t being threatened… Plus, they needed to figure out what happened to the original crew of the ship, and how did it avoid the radar for almost a decade?
The Flying Dutchman
The legend of the ghost ship has been around for centuries. The original tale of the Flying Dutchman details a ship that’s doomed to sail forever. The boat will never be able to dock, so the cursed crew must sail it day and night…
What Happened To Them?
The Navy was convinced that there had to be the remains of the crew somewhere. If theres a lost ship, there’s usually the bodies of the crew on board… Just like the wooden ship in Japan. It’s seeming like the Sam Ratulangi’s crew vanished.
Desparation…
Anything is possible. Some believe that they must have went overboard, or many even crazy from hunger. The Sam Ratulangi isn’t the only ship to be found vacant…
Tamaya 1
In 2016, the Tamaya 1 disappeared off the radar. It was missing for three weeks before it washed up on a Liberian beach. No crew, alive or dead, were found…
The Last Journey
This ship was heading to Dakar, the capital of Senegal. Officials were perplexed as to how the ship ended up in Liberia. The lifeboats were missing as well.
Conspiracy Theories
One popular theory of the Tamaya 1 is that they were not able to pay crew members, so they abandoned ship. There was another popular opinion that could also explain the Sam Ratulangi…
Possible Pirates
It’s very possible that they were kidnapped by pirates. Especially in these parts of the seas, it’s not so unlikely. A large majority of the country struggles with pirates…
They Need Answers…
Unfortunately, there’s no way to tell what happened to these poor crew members. The investigation is still ongoing to this day… But, will they find the truth? No one knows for sure.