A Boat a Day (no.41)

A Boat a Day no.41
The Ghostship Lady Loviband
(On GIMP)

After spending a few weeks in the Looking Glass with centuries of history I did a bit of research into the ghostly stories surrounding the cellars and from there got inspired to look up some Ghost ships!

So I've discovered a few stories, but the best (and nearest to home) is the Lady Lovibond. On February 13th 1748 The Lady Loviband's captain, (Simon Peel) took his new bride and wedding guests on a celebratory cruise to Portugal. The first mate of Lady Loviband, John Rivers was wracked with jealousy, for he lusted after the Captain's wife. In a fit of rage he slew the man at the helm and while the wedding party continued below deck River's steered the ship into treacherous waters, (the Goodwin Sands) and killed everyone on board.

The ghostly ship was witnessed exactly 50 years later on 13th February 1798 by two different men, one a Captain, one a fisherman. In 1848 local sailors were so convinced by the phantom of a ship sailing into the perilous Goodwin Sands that they sent out lifeboats to rescue survivors. There are reports of sitings in 1898 and 1949 but its most recent anniversary in 1998 saw no apparition.