Ghost Ship: the Alkimos

The Alkimos, a Greek merchant ship wrecked off the coast off Preth's northern beaches, has many urban ledgends associated with, both during its service and as a wreck. The ship even being the subject of a book co-written by well known Australian, Jack Wong Sue.

The story starts (from the link above):

Leased to the Norwegian Merchant Navy as a new vessel, she set to sea under the name Viggo Hansteen as part of the daily support convoys across the Atlantic. She was dogged by rumours, of construction workers having been welded between the ships plating during construction. Dogged by numerous unexplainable mechanical faults and repairs, crews started reporting paranormal activity on board while the liberty ship mysteriously dodged U Boat torpedoes as sibling ships abreast took numerous hits and sinkings.

In August 1944, Maude Steane, a Canadian radio operator was murdered aboard the ship, alledgedly by another crew member who then shot them-self.

Steane served on the ship for around six months as a Radio Operator. The ship was being used to transport gliders to Naples. When the ship was unloading the Gliders it is said that Maud Steane was shot dead by another member of the crew, the crew member then committed suicide. Because the incident was so horrific, the Military said that Steane had been killed by enemy fire and she was classed as the fist woman from Toronto to die in service. Steane was buried in Italy.

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After the war the ship was sold and then re-named to Alkimos, from the name of a Greek god. In typical sea-farer superstition, this was just another sign that this ship would bring bad luck to those who encountered it. In 1963 it struck a reef off the Western Australian coast, and was towed into my home town, the port of Fremantle. After two months of repairs it was then taken under tow to Manila, but the cursed ship had its own agenda...

Only a few hours out of port, the tow line gave way and the Alkimos was driven onto the shore. Although the ship remained intact, it could not be floated off at that time, and so it was filled with water to secure it in place and left in the charge of an on-board caretaker. Another tug returned in January 1964 and the ship was refloated, but the planned journey to Manila had hardly begun when the tug was seized at sea by authorities and the Alkimos was left anchored. In May 1964, the vessel broke anchor and was driven onto the Eglinton Rocks near present-day Yanchep.

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The story doesnt end there, tho the ships commercial life was clearly over. In 1969 a salvage crew was driven off by a fire, and the ship was left to slowly disintegrate in the salt water. There were also reports from salvage workers of cooking smells coming from the galley, strange foot-steps on the ladders and tools being moved by invisible hands.

Even today, the beach near the wreck is said to be a no-go zone for horses and dogs. (from ABC interview with Jack Sue):

JACK SUE: Well, it's affecting two or three people up in Yanchep who are wrapped up with horses and all sorts of things, and the horses will not go anywhere near the wreck. And dogs don't like being associated with it. And people have nearly drowned swimming out to the wreck site and back - so common.

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Do we have any members here with their own stories of the Alkimos? Feel free to share them in the comments.

Thanks

I'm simply going to weigh-in here and endorse the validity and "freakiness" of this.

ANYTHING maritime on ATS, good or bad, gets my personal thanks and thumbs up.

Cheers matey.

(NB: check out my last story in the X-files 3 of 3 thread)

a reply to: Sublimecraft
The Ourang Medan is a strange one, I had heard the story before but not the possibility it was a chemical/bio-weapon. I guess that makes ore sense than aliens (I think that was how the story was presented to me the first time I heard it?).

As a kid I was fascinated with the disappearance of HMAS Sydney, but time and peoples research have kind of taken the mystery away from that for me.

Tis an ill ship that steers no man any good laddies...(and lassies)
*burp*

a reply to: canucks555

Holy ship - have you got salt in your veins?

That thar be words a wisdom me matey.........

a reply to: ItVibrates

Thanks for the post mate. I've lived in perth most of my life and never knew the story of that ship

I have not heard of this ship before now, but I truly love haunted ships. I have actually done an overnight stay on the Queen Mary. But this is a fascinating story. I'm definitely going to look into it more.

a reply to: ItVibrates

There was a show on CTC few months ago about all the creepy things happening on ships in far out oceans

Bbrrrr

In the early 90's my wife and I were on a trip to Melbourne (we are Australian) and visited this restored sailing ship with a steel hull they have as a museum type thing. When we went below we heard loud footsteps on deck and went up to check it out and there was no one there. It happened twice. Any Melbournians on here that tell me the name of the ship? My wife thought it was haunted.

a reply to: grumpy64
Could it be the Polly Woodside? I dont know Melbourne that well but Google found me that.

camped on the beach near it many a time as a kid when it was still above the waterline, never game enough to swim out though. heard a few odd things at night, and always seemed to catch the corner of my eye.

my friends dad (who camped there often over many years) and a couple of his friends saw someone watching them from the ship one day while they were fishing, although no one was actually there. scared them #less! this was some years ago when it was much more intact though.

My cousin swam out to it and climbed aboard once but I heard this from my dad, and not from my cousin himself. I dont know if he saw any ghosts or anything like that?. This would have been in the mid-70's so there is probably no use following this up.

Next time I'm in a book shop I'll see if I can find Jack Sue's book, since its considered the most comprehensive tome on the Alkimos.

a reply to: ItVibrates
I think you might be right. Thank you.