Ghost Ship Mary Celeste: The 150 Year Mystery 

NOTICE: The Age of Sail Museum featured in this video that was gracious enough to assist in the production of this video has recently sustained serious water damage. In addition to hosting fundraising events, they're doing a campaign on GoFundMe to help cover the costs. If you can, please consider giving them a donation so they can continue their efforts to preserve these old Nova Scotia seafaring stories! gofund.me/47bae567

I used to wonder why sailors were so superstitious. Then I learned about how many ships there were like this that just seemed cursed from beginning to end. It's hard not to be.

There is an epilogue to the Mary Celeste story that almost nobody mentions. A few weeks after the ship was found empty, a dinghy with several decomposing bodies landed on the shores of northern Spain. The bodies could not be identified and were buried there, but they could have been the passengers of the Mary Celeste. If this is the case, this would indicate that they abandoned ship for some reason (maybe they thought it was about to explode), got separated from it by the waves, and died from starvation and exposure at sea.

Re-watching this after another year, I note again how much more I enjoy sober, fact-based reporting like yours than any kind of "re-enacting" of what "might" (but almost certainly didn't) take place. As with true-crime documentaries, I'll take closest-to-the-source, factual narration anyday over speculation and, often, fantasy. Glad to have your quiet, beautifully made, history-minded documentaries.

This is what I always wanted the History Channel to be. Very interesting and impressive

I like the theory that the crew abandoned ship, thinking a disaster was going to happen, but trying to stay attached via lifeboat. Only for that lifeboat to become unattached to the ship.

I'm 71 and remember being obsessed with this story, this ship, when I was about 9. I believe I concluded it was Kraken. I'm not sure, not at all.

How those ships survived some of those storms is mind blowing. It really was a dangerous way to make a living.

I like how you put old photos in the same spot in the videos so we can see what that place looked like back in the day.

Speaking as a person with over 40 years of boat experience, here is my views. Would the M. Celeste captain or crew have knows that the cargo needed venting? Yes. would they understand that the fumes were dangerous? Yes. Would they choose to stand all on board on the windward (upwind) side of the vessel during venting, thereby avoiding the fumes? Yes. Would they be concerned about the moaning and groaning of the vessel during venting? No. it would be expected. Would there be a fire danger? No, the captain would have seen that all flames were extinguished before venting any flammable fumes. Would the Captain abandon the ship?, putting his wife, child and all into a small boat to be let far from the ship, when all above precautions had been taken and the ship was perfectly safe. Undergoing a standard procedure that must have been done hundreds if not thousands of times by other freight haulers? No, certainly not. { if the ships boat would have been lowered, it would have been lowered from its davits, not requiring a removal of part of the railing. I worked as a tanker man, hauling Diesel, Gasoline and Aviation Gas. All highly flammable. Never had a problem, followed standard procedures. They would have also.} To much of the idea given falls flat when looked at from a boat captain perspective, sorry. nice vid tho. More likely what happened is during the bad storm they suffered a knockdown.....where the combination of a large wave and strong wind gust laid the ship over on its side, washing the on deck crew into the water. Captain or any remaining crew would rightly fear a capsize and rush all including baby to the deck and ships boat, whereupon another large wave washed them overboard. Ive seen steel hull of large ocean fishing vessels dented in by breaking waves during a storm, lots of tons of force there, easily breaking wooden ship railing and washing all over the side small boat and hatches included. This would handily explain why there was so much water in the bilges. Sail dropped on deck by crew trying to reduce heel and vessel speed as wind grew stronger right before disaster struck. Other sails shredded by wind when no one aboard to furl them...... Truth be tho, since no one was there with a video camera and a TicTok account, we will never know what actually did occur.

Love the explanation you had for the abandonment. The best and most logical one I've ever heard.

As a sailing enthusiast, and a lover of real-life mysteries, I found this to be a superb piece of maritime documentary making. Thorough, entertaining and well-paced. Huge congratulations to you Tom, and your talented animator. This has been an education and an unforgettable account of a famous story. well done!

I first read this story when I was grade 6 student in my English class learning the word "mystery". Since then, which now I am a 38 year old man, I occasionally think about the story even though I never came across any content about it. it is good to finally find this one. From East Africa Ethiopia.

Consider this a standing ovation. Bravo! I don't think I've ever seen such a comprehensive and workmanlike, yet absorbing and entertaining rendition of the Mary Celeste story. Thoroughly researched, engagingly presented and graphically attractive without being led by the visuals. Truly impressed.

I feel like anyone watching this film in its first couple of hours has probably watched(or read) more than one video about the Mary Celeste beforehand. Yet, I'm pretty sure Tom is about to teach us a lot of things. 11 minutes in and already loving the background story!

This is the second historical study by PTE I've watched and I'm impressed with his discipline, rigor and delivery - excellent content.

Wow. I spent my childhood watching tall tales of the Mary Celeste being a victim of the Bermuda Triangle. Your more accurate telling is more haunting than the sensationalized accounts!

I can't imagine the dread and hopelessness Captain Briggs, his family, and the crew must have felt when they had to let go of the rope or the rope snapping dooming them on a tiny lifeboat adrift in a storm.

I’m a Titanic enthusiast and found you through your Titanic and White Star Line videos. You have such an incredible gift for telling history, and I much prefer watching you to any History Channel show. Thank you for your dedication to history and I can’t wait to see your next video!

Do NOT take this the wrong way,,I know most of the stories you present,,so it's not for new content,,I LOVE your voice and the repetition of loved stories,,and the soothing telling helps me to fall asleep without the use of artificial means. Reminding me of how a child will want the same book read night after night,,and fall asleep halfway through,,but you tell the rest of it quietly anyway. Very,very enjoyable. Keep it up!

As a father of an almost 2 year old, man, I can't imagine what the parents went through if something happened to their little one.

I'm a Nova Scotian, of long time fishing stock, and I find this story of the Mary Celeste fascinating. We have a long history of ship building. Of more recent history is the Bluenose with Captain Angus Walters. A real source of pride, though the end of the Bluenose is sad. Our Bluenose II is an honour to her original historical, magnificent ship. No one could beat her in schooner races.

Anyone ever read “Three Skeleton Key” by George G. Toudouze? Such a great story. I required my 7th grade students to read it over the years…which led to them doing brief informal research on “ghost” ships like The Flying Dutchman and the Mary Celeste and other sea legends. Even the most reluctant ELL’s among them found it interesting. 👍🏼📖👍🏼 (I also played sea shanties while we worked. ⚓️🐭🏝)

I am originally from Nova Scotia and I am familiar with the story of the Mary Celeste. Indeed, some of my ancestors are from the Economy/Five Islands area. I have visited there briefly, but I _really_ enjoyed seeing the footage of those communities and the background information about shipbuilding in the area. Thank-you!

I like your theory on why the ship was abandoned. Sounds like what possibly happened. I do feel bad that a small child had to suffer through that.

Fun fact: if you have first growth hardwood or pine, you can split the beams with wedges and they'll split straight and true, especially in minus forty below weather. The split will follow the grain! My grandfather did that on his homestead. No sawing. A little adze finishing and you're good to go. !!!

It's sad that an innocent cat died, but it's sweet that they obviously took her in an effort to save her since she wasn't on the boat.

The alcohol and fumes theory is the most plausible I have ever heard. And yet, as you noted, no one will ever really know. And the Mary Celeste remains, I think, the best, most intriguing ghost ship story out there today. I can, in my mind, get a sense of the hopeless horror they must have felt when their lifeline to Mary Celeste snapped. The knowing that they were doomed and they had put themselves there must have been overwhelming despair.

This video was extraordinarily detailed and well done! After watching... I've decided the real ship (not the gossiped version) was far more terrifying in its curse factor than the basic ghost ship rumor I'd heard before. Because WOW that is a whole lot of physical and personnel wreckage over the course of many years...

As a former sailor/owner of a twin masted sailing yacht.... You've provided the best and most informative documentary of this mystery I have ever experienced, heard so far. 👍 Thank you Sir.... 🧐!!!! (Alas.... Some mysteries are destined to remain a mystery 🤔 😒😐) ⛵

I was mesmerized with this story. Didn't want it to end. You are an amazing story teller with a voice so clear and distinct. Without the fantasy stories left out, this was truly a documentary worth every word. I am looking forward to more of these. Can't thank you enough for your thorough work and your theory is by far, the most believable. It is the only one that can be substantiated. This is one of the best channels I have ever found for knowledge and understanding.

Please tell me your career is somehow related to your youtube channel? You have great talent and skill, and I absolutely loved this video! In every way, your production is better than what you would get on cable TV. And much more informative! Your passion for the subject is contagious. Thanks for doing this video, please keep doing them!

Wowww, these video renders are out of this world! Amazing, sir! And the content just gets richer and richer. Love the interviews and all the old-time photography. You're outdoing yourself with every new video! Awesome, awesome awesome! 👍👌

Please share this video around to reddit, facebook, or even news outlets, as this is the 150th anniversary of the mystery and it's going by nearly unnoticed!

This is the third video of yours that I've watched in three nights. Arctic and Atlantic were the others. I'm thoroughly impressed with your production quality. Your knowledge and passion for your subject is evident. Your tone is spot-on, combining respect for those who lost their lives with a subtle sense of humor when appropriate. Well done. I can't wait to watch more!

I grew up on the coast of Massachusetts and have lived on the coasts of New Hampshire and Maine. Everybody that grew up and lived there heard from a young age the story of the Mary Celeste. You gave me even more in-depth information that I had never heard before. Excellent video. Thank you.

Being Atlantic Canadian… and living 20 minutes from the coast…. I thoroughly appreciated the substantive work that went into producing this segment. Clear and concise writing all the way through. You…Sir are a storyteller. Your unique sobriety is engaging and thus an added value. Through your apt descriptions and production visuals…we can easily flesh out this period in history as well as the tenuous conditions surrounding ocean going ventures …in that…. ventures quickly morphed into adventures many of which were deadly. Thanks again for your dedicated work. 🎥🎬🥇

I've searched for so long, for a detailed video on this subject, so thank you for this video. I can now stop searching..

Your entire ambiance (the outfit, tie, chair, walk color, gold framed paintings, yellow light lamp) is like a time capsule of every remodel done to a grandmother's home from 1997-1999.

i was already impressed with the video, but mentioning occam's razor was the chefs kiss for me

The renderings of the ships are simply stunning, I love having a visual to go along with the facts.

These videos are always a treat to the point it's one of the only channels where I've watched every episode. Keep up the good work

been a long time since I heard someone who got such comfortable voice telling a story!

Wow, what a production! 🤩 I certainly wouldn't consider myself a sailing enthusiast, but after clicking on this on a whim, I'm now a subscriber. Your research methodology, your narration style, the setting in your studio, the choice of visuals, and most importantly, a steadfast refusal to regurgitate rumors...all of that and more has combined to make me an instant fan of your work. I just love it when people share their passions in this way. I look forward to browsing your channel!

No matter how you look at it, this is a enduring and tragic mystery. Your theory is sound to me. I have zero experience and very little nautical knowledge, so I must depend on others. A fine job, thank you! I can't help but recall Missing 411 and wonder....

There was a horror film from 1935 starring Bela Lugosi called "Phantom Ship: The Mystery of the Mary Celeste" which is where I first heard of it. They attempted to explain the mystery with the aforementioned murder theory. It's an interesting little flick and was one of the earliest horror films produced by Hammer who would go on to great success in the 50's when they would reboot Dracula and Frankenstein.

Thank you so much for this! The thought of a man, both Father and Captain having to make the decision of saving his daughter, wife and crew from the toxic fumes and possible explosion and then knowing that he made the wrong call as the storm came up again makes me feel so awful for him. That's super tragic. This logical theory is the only one I've ever heard that seems reasonable and feasible.

Nova Scotian expat living in South Korea…just discovered this brilliant channel. Fascinating content expertly presented.

A great documentary! Well done. My father was part of the unveiling ceremony when that monument on the beach was first unveiled.

This channel never misses. These new 3D models look amazing.

Wow another triumph. Amazing job Tom. Everything so well put together, the animation phenomenal and I could listen to your story telling for hours. I have been learning so much from you . CONGRATULATIONS on another superb video

Your videos are better than documentaries on TV. Well edited, concise, lots of imagery, historical facts and choice of music. Bravo sir.

I wasnt going to watch this until I saw you were doing the story..I.m new to your stories ..well done !

Hi sir, imma save this video for my night time break

Bloody hell was just looking for a video on the ship and then this pops up. Perfect timing thank you.

I’ve seen so many documentaries about this vessel that I thought I knew all there was to the story. So, my knowledge began and ended with the abandoned vessel in the popular version as it’s usually told. It’s not often that someone brings to light some previously missed detail in a hairy old tale like this one. But to reveal _so many_ additional details amounting to a completely new history of a bad luck, salty-eye ship which appears to be trying at every turn to drown its crew. That is something remarkable. Listening to your account, it seems perfectly reasonable to me, for a seaman to be a little superstitious.

Appreciate all the hard work that went into creating this highly detailed documentary.

Clearly an incredible amount of research went into this project. I appreciate it! 👍

Imagine my surprise when I just got a notification that PTE posted a new video and I get to watch it right now! Your channel is so much better than History Channel and similar channels available!

The first seconds I saw of this video I thought it was real footage. I've never seen something SO realistic. Amazing work!

I actually planned to open this video on my second screen and have it run while playing games on the main screen, but I just couldn't. You captivated and kept my focus throughout the whole video and I seriously appreciate your narrative style and the visual enhancements through the renders. I'm definitely going to take a look at more of your videos now. Thank you!

As a Scotsman, born by the sea, have always been drawn to maritime mysteries. Read many accounts of the 'Mary Celeste', but your superb presentation is the most believable. Just like Evil people, there are Evil ships, etc. Thank you Tom. Just subscribed.

I've been fascinated with Mary Celeste for over 20 years. It freaked me out when I first read about it! Thanks for the video.

I have never been interested in any stories like this, but I happen to stumble across this video 2 o’clock in the morning. I have to say that this story really caught my interest, and I enjoyed it very much!❤

Thanks for the video, Tom, Great to see more people learning about the Mary Celeste from a historical perspective, rather than the spooky-wooky way her story is usually told. To be honest, in my opinion, I don't think there's another creator on RU-vid that can command the same deal of respect as you do for these amazing documentaries. You're bringing history to life here. I'd say you could make talking about a block of concrete interesting, but- Well, you did that already! I can't even imagine the level of research required for these.

This is my first experience with your work. After reading about the Mary Celeste, as a 10 year old back in 1960, and countless other accounts since, your accomplishment with this mystery is by far the best. Your account gave me feelings of closure and peace about this tragic event. Also, I really appreciated your follow up on the fate of the ship. Thanks!! I’m now subscribed and looking forward to more of your work.👍

Thanks for the most detailed, Mary Celeste documentary, ever created👏👏!!! That was intricately good, Tom👍!!! It's uncanny that, the cargo and ship reached it's destination, but the crew who sailed her, never did😔.

You remind me of the history teachers I had growing up, especially in Highschool. Well dressed, well spoken, thoughtful and compassionate men that want facts to come before the admittingly funny, and sometimes purely enjoyable fiction and gossip-milling. I'm sure I have seen your videos before, but only now have they truly drawn me all the way in. It's really crazy to think how little the dangers at sea have changed, even with our modern machinery and luxuries, basic science can make a really bad day out on the water.

Fantastic cover, well drafted, loaded with rich culture of ship building, great job, my friend, ALMIGHTY LORD BLESS YOU N UR TEAM

The Mary Celeste has always been my favorite mystery ship. Thank you for publishing this video history about her!

Superbly done. Quality regular TV can't hope to compete with anymore. The background and detail to the charactors made this a rivetting story - as well as factual.

Thank you. That was so interesting. We’ve all heard of the Mary Celeste but this is the first time I’ve heard the whole story. It was beautifully narrated. Thank you.

The CGI and editing is so good, you had me engaged with narration that didn't drag, great flow to the tale.

These videos are getting documentary level professional props to you man

I have no idea how I got here; but I am sure as hell happy that I did. This is an amazing documentary and you’ve instantly gained a sub for life.

Bravo! I was glued from the start…the primary source research, the brilliant storytelling and the top-notch filmmaking. I learned so much! Excuse me while I go and binge the rest of your videos. 😊

I like that you use original photos and images. The use of the CGI mainly replaces images and clips of similar but not actual events related to the video! The ships looked great and gave you an idea of what they saw when they first sited Mary Celeste! So the CGI works great with the information and photos in so many ways! Thanks Tom!

The in-person touch really puts these videos over the top. Great video!

I'm from Nova Scotia and I absolutely love your videos. Thank you for covering all this amazing history.

What a gem of a channel - glad I found you, completely by accident!!

I've been aware of the mystery surrounding the Mary Celeste since I was a lad growing up in the '50s so found this documentary absolutely gripping. Can't believe you completed the whole project in one week - I wouldn't have been surprised if it took a year to complete!!

Only 6 minutes in and I’m totally captivated by your story telling! Keep up the great work!!!!!

You are a great storyteller. There are a lot of channels out there but they do not have the polish and level of research that I have found here. Well done. Time to subscribe.

The Mary Celeste has haunted me since I was a little kid. It's part of the reason I got so interested in ships among other things. Great CG in this one by the way!

Another masterpiece. Thank you for this! With a girlfriend named Mary Celeste, I knew this video would be a particularly special one for me as a huge fan of your other content. In the Death Valley area of California, there is a cabin named Briggs Cabin. This is a perfect story to tell/watch the next time I'm there...

Love this deep dive on the Mary Celeste. I first became familiar with its story via it being featured on Unsolved Mysteries. Thank you for the great content!

Your documentaries are first class... I'm less than halfway watching this video and I'm enthralled at the story... Very well presented, very well researched, great, engaging pacing. Keep up the good work!

I always appreciate your videos and especially love that you included interviews with locals. That provides such a unique perspective

They almost certainly abandoned ship due to fear of the cargo. Still it was interesting that you tackled Spencer's sland shipbuilding, have heard of Canada's ship building prowess but this was a good look of a more obscure section of that history.

The quality of these animations is getting better with each video!

Brilliant video. One of the most in depth I’ve seen detailing from start to end. Thank you.

Excellent job collecting and narrating the abundant and sometimes conflicting information, Thank you!

The time and research you put into your videos is really commendable. Respect and keep up the good work, sir

Excellent production! Your attention to detail and research is top notch, along with the musical score and animations. I've found a new channel to binge watch on!

Very well done! I love stories which tries to reveal history and perhaps mystery. This video indeed, is a masterpiece!!

A splendid documentary on a topic that I had known little about. Well, done, Tom, as always!

I recently discovered your channel and discovered I love ship stories from long ago. Your documentaries are beautifully done and you share so much interesting info and details. I can almost hear the captain and crew; smell the salt air; feel the spindrift and the deathly cold of the ocean. I also watched the SS Artic after this. Now I know who the “shameful” were. Love your work! ❤

I love the passion you have for your topic, it's infectious! I love how informative your videos are, I always learn something new. Thank you so much! I'm looking forward to the next episodes!

I LOVE your videos! I especially enjoy your attention to details! I look forward to watching the rest!

Great story telling, editing, and animations to add to the experience. Everyone loves a mystery.