# Modern day Mary Celeste **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 20, 2007, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-mary-celeste/400938 "2007-04-20T14:30:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2007, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-mary-celeste/400938/1 "2007-04-20T14:30:44Z")
[Unmanned ship found off the coast of Australia](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6574547.stm) Table set for dinner, computers and engines running, life jackets on board. Three missing. Unlike the _Mary Celeste_, this ship has GPS, so hopefully we can find out what happened. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2007, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-mary-celeste/400938/2 "2007-04-20T16:15:20Z")
Not hard to imagine. By misadventure, A falls off, B tosses him a rope and is pulled in. C jumps in to save them. C slaps A and B on the head, “You knuckleheads.” It does say something about how dangerous small-boat sailing is. Even in this day and age. ---
**Author:** ![meek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce73a5/32.png) [@meek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meek)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2007, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-mary-celeste/400938/3 "2007-04-20T16:18:01Z")
My first thought was, scuba diving accident, but these guys were sailing in a 40 foot catamaran and their ages (56, 63 & 69) diminishes that possibility even further. So that leaves only… [sub]Pirates[/sub] . ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2007, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-mary-celeste/400938/4 "2007-04-20T16:31:22Z")
But there were apparently three _[insert nautical name I forget for rubber things used to protect the hull]_ thingummies slung over the side, which strongly suggests another vessel had come alongside. I think there’s more to this. If you asked me to bet, I reckon I’d put my money on the crew’s still being alive, and maybe some sort of fraud scam / faked death, etc. Second possibility is they met with foul play. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2007, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-mary-celeste/400938/5 "2007-04-20T16:35:47Z")
I used to keep the fenders over the side all the time. Nobody to see them out there and I did not want trip over them. Pirates would have taken the valuables. ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2007, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-mary-celeste/400938/6 "2007-04-20T16:56:13Z")
Demons. Happens all the time Seriously tho, R’lyeh is known to be somewhere east of Australia, is it not possible that Cthulhu awoke, for he did hunger? ---
**Author:** ![meek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce73a5/32.png) [@meek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meek)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2007, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-mary-celeste/400938/7 "2007-04-20T17:05:17Z")
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi] … Pirates would have taken the valuables. [/QUOTE] [sub]Picky pirates?[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2007, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-mary-celeste/400938/8 "2007-04-20T17:12:34Z")
[QUOTE=meek] [sub]Picky pirates?[/sub] [/QUOTE] Independently wealthy pirates who just wanted to keep in shape. ---
**Author:** ![meek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce73a5/32.png) [@meek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meek)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2007, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-mary-celeste/400938/9 "2007-04-20T17:36:06Z")
[QUOTE=OneCentStamp] Independently wealthy pirates who just wanted to keep in shape. [/QUOTE] That too… 🙂 So… Picky pirates pillaging poor people parked past port, passing on puny profits, pushing patsies off plank… presumably? . ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2007, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-mary-celeste/400938/10 "2007-04-20T17:36:47Z")
I’m thinking shark. They were fishing for dinner, got a big one on the line, all three of them are trying to pull it in, then _yank_…flying off the ship the go. I’m still working on thre shredded sail. ---
**Author:** ![Marlitharn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marlitharn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlitharn)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2007, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-mary-celeste/400938/11 "2007-04-20T23:04:10Z")
Wasn’t there a similar case several years ago, where authorities finally figured out that all the yachters had decided to go overboard for a quick swim, but no one had the forethought to lower a ladder so they could climb back into the boat? Of course, those giant squid have been a lot more active lately. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2007, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-mary-celeste/400938/12 "2007-04-20T23:43:11Z")
[QUOTE=ivylass] I’m still working on thre shredded sail. [/QUOTE] Sharks often do that, to throw investigators off the trail. ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2007, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-mary-celeste/400938/13 "2007-04-20T23:48:31Z")
[QUOTE=Marlitharn] Wasn’t there a similar case several years ago, where authorities finally figured out that all the yachters had decided to go overboard for a quick swim, but no one had the forethought to lower a ladder so they could climb back into the boat? [/QUOTE] They’d kill the motor if they were going to swin, yes? ---
**Author:** ![A.R.Cane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-mary-celeste/400938/14 "2007-04-21T00:01:42Z")
[QUOTE=Marlitharn] Wasn’t there a similar case several years ago, where authorities finally figured out that all the yachters had decided to go overboard for a quick swim, but no one had the forethought to lower a ladder so they could climb back into the boat? Of course, those giant squid have been a lot more active lately. [/QUOTE] You might be thinking of an episode of “King of the Hill”. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-mary-celeste/400938/15 "2007-04-21T02:11:15Z")
[QUOTE=Malodorous] They’d kill the motor if they were going to swin, yes? [/QUOTE] All three of them would be damned fools to swim at the same time. I didn’t read anything about a drag, or sea anchor, and a high freeboard boat will go downwind faster than you can swim. ---
**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-mary-celeste/400938/16 "2007-04-21T02:18:38Z")
[QUOTE=Malodorous] They’d kill the motor if they were going to swin, yes? [/QUOTE] Most likely, especially if they were the smart and/or cautious type. What really kills that theory, however, is that the sails were still up. The shredded sail tells the tale and I’m surprised you folks can’t tell what really happened here. This was clearly the work of a giant squid. Or is it giant octopus? I can’t remember which one has the affinity for blow-boats ---
**Author:** ![Marlitharn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marlitharn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlitharn)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-mary-celeste/400938/17 "2007-04-21T03:03:42Z")
[QUOTE=Malodorous] They’d kill the motor if they were going to swin, yes? [/QUOTE] You’d think. However, I’ve learned that there’s nothing so :smack: that someone, somewhere, won’t do it. Giant squid still seems like the most logical explanation, though. Or alien abduction. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-mary-celeste/400938/18 "2007-04-21T03:15:53Z")
[QUOTE=Marlitharn] Giant squid still seems like the most logical explanation, though. Or alien abduction. [/QUOTE] I’m going to go with “alien space bats.” ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-mary-celeste/400938/19 "2007-04-21T04:33:53Z")
What about an alien giant squid? ---
**Author:** ![This\_ll\_Do](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/this_ll_do/32/3023_2.png) [@This\_ll\_Do](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/This_ll_Do)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-mary-celeste/400938/20 "2007-04-21T09:17:04Z")
Re: the shredded headsail. This sail had no boom and was not self-tacking. Since it was untended for a couple of days, perhaps it simply flapped itself to shreds. I’ve had a foresail ripped to rags in a couple of _hours_, though admittedly it was in nasty weather, because I was injured and couldn’t make it to the foredeck to clear a rigging problem. But that’s the only part of this mystery that doesn’t puzzle me. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-day-mary-celeste/400938.md?page=2)