The vast expanse of the ocean holds countless mysteries that humanity has yet to unravel. One of the most infamous enigmas in maritime history is the tale of the MV Joyita, dubbed the “ghost ship that couldn’t sink.” In October 1955, the vessel carrying 25 souls vanished without a trace on its voyage from Apia, Samoa, to Tokelau, leaving behind an enduring puzzle that has baffled investigators and captivated the public for decades
MV Joyita half submerged
The MV Joyita Ship
The MV Joyita had a colorful seafaring history. It began its life in 1931 as a luxury yacht for noir film director Roland West. He named the vessel Joyita, a Spanish colloquialism for “little jewel,” in honor of his wife, Jewel Carmen, a famous silent film actress. West sold it in 1936 to a private owner, and the U.S. Navy acquired it during World War II. It served as a patrol vessel around Hawaii until 1946.
The Joyita changed hands in the following years until anthropologist Dr. Katharine Luomala eventually acquired it. She then lent the boat on a semi-permanent basis to a friend, Captain Thomas Miller. He captained the Joyita for many years, even to the point of living on the boat during hard financial times. He tried to start a fishing business with the vessel but this fell through. Luckily, he acquired a contract for transporting cargo.
The puzzling disappearance of the MV Joyita’s passengers remains unsolved today.
The cedar-and-oak Joyita was 69 feet (21 m) long, with a beam of 17 feet (5.2 m) and a draft of 7.5 feet (2.3 m). Before passing to Dr. Luomala, previous owners outfitted the Joyita with new features such as 650 cubic feet (18 m3) of cork lining for refrigeration and brand-new engines. It was an unassuming and normally functioning ship. However, this all changed in October 1955.
A Vanished Voyage
On October 22, 1955, it set sail from Apia, Samoa, embarking on a journey expected to take two days, with 25 individuals on board, including crew members and passengers. Among them was a government official, a doctor, a copra buyer, and two children. The ship carried mundane cargo like sacks of flour, sugar, and rice, along with construction materials and oil drums.
The planned last route of the MV Joyita, and where she was found five weeks later
The voyage began on an ominous note. The day before, the ship’s port engine clutch malfunctioned, delaying their departure by a day. Overnight, the crew attempted to fix the issue in vain, but Captain Thomas Miller, facing financial pressures and needing these government-chartered runs to clear his debts, made the questionable decision to proceed with only one functioning engine.
When the Joyita didn’t make port, the New Zealand Air Force began a search-and-rescue mission on 6 October. The planes scoured over 260,000 sq km of the Pacific, to no avail. Several weeks later, in November, Captain Gerald Douglas of the ship Tuvalu found it adrift and listing heavily at a 45° angle, over 970km off her original course, near Fiji. The scene was as eerie as it was puzzling. In poor condition, half submerged with shattered windows and a severely damaged bridge, no one knew what to make of it. Most importantly, its passengers were nowhere to be seen.
Joyita – 1955
The notable clues
When found, MV Joyita was in very poor condition. The investigation quickly proceeded, with experts particularly noting the following details:
Oysters Clinging to the Port Side: The presence of oysters on the port side indicated that Joyita had been listing to the left for a considerable period.
Captain’s Cabin: The captain’s cabin on the main deck was destroyed, and the windows were smashed.
Missing Lifeboat and Inflatable Rafts: One lifeboat and three inflatable rafts (for emergency use) were missing.
Starboard Engine Covered: The starboard engine was found “covered up,” while the port engine was disassembled, indicating Joyita was operating with only one engine.
Radio System: The ship’s radio system was tuned to the frequency 2182 kHz—the international maritime distress channel. However, an inspection revealed that the cable between the receiver and the antenna was damaged, limiting the radio’s transmission range to about 3.2 km.
Stopped Clocks: The electronic clocks connected to the ship’s generator had stopped at 10:25, and the light switches were in the “on” position, implying that something had happened at night.
Missing Logbook and Navigation Equipment: The logbook, sextant, and other navigational devices were all missing.
Medical Bag with Bloody Bandages: On the deck, a medical bag containing a stethoscope, a scalpel, and four blood-stained bandages was found.
These clues contribute to the ongoing mystery surrounding the MV Joyita, providing fragments of a story that remains unresolved to this day.
MV Joyita – The “unsinkable” ghost ship.
What Happened?
Due to its mysterious nature, Joyita has often been referred to as the “Mary Celeste of the South Pacific.” It has been mentioned in numerous books, with countless theories put forth for debate.
The Captain’s Death
The captain of the ship was Thomas H. Miller, an English sailor living in American Samoa. Miller knew that Joyita was an unsinkable ship, and the presence of blood-stained bandages leads to speculation that Miller was injured or even killed.
Captain S. B. Brown, a friend of Miller, believed that Miller would never abandon Joyita unless something serious happened. He noted the tense relationship between Miller and the American first mate, Chuck Simpson, suggesting that both might have fallen overboard or been seriously injured after resolving a conflict through violence.
Without a leader and without anyone informing the other members about Joyita’s buoyancy, when water started flooding in, everyone panicked and had no choice but to abandon the ship. However, the disappearance of 4 tons of cargo remains unexplained.
MV Joyita post-war
The Presence of a Japanese Group and the Pirate Theory
Another widely accepted theory involves pirates. According to this theory, pirates attacked the ship, killed all 25 crew members and passengers, threw their bodies overboard, and took all 4 tons of cargo.
Similarly, The Daily Telegraph published an article suggesting that the area had been a base for Japanese forces during World War II, which might explain the disappearance of the 25 people on the Joyita. This theory arose when knives marked “Made in Japan” were found. However, investigations revealed that the knives had been on the ship since the late 1940s when Joyita was still a fishing vessel
Joyita – 1955 “Mary Celeste of the South Pacific”
The Insurance Fraud Theory
A series of unsuccessful voyages had left Miller with enormous debts, leading some to believe that this could have been an opportunity for Miller to “recoup” his losses. However, there was no evidence indicating an attempt to commit fraud for insurance money. The fact that the ship’s seacocks were found closed debunked the suspicion that someone had tried to sink the ship by opening the valves.
The Mutiny Theory
In 1962, after many years of researching and investigating the ship, author Robin Maugham published his findings in the article “The Mystery of the Joyita.” Maugham agreed that the incident began when water flooded into the ship through a broken cooling pipe, which the pump could not fix.
Knowing that Joyita was not easy to sink and not wanting to increase his debt, Miller ordered the ship to continue its course. However, First Mate Simpson and possibly other crew members insisted he turn back. This disagreement led to a mutiny, during which Miller was severely injured. At this point, with worsening weather conditions, the ship operating on only one engine, and the hull flooding with water, Simpson decided to abandon the ship, taking the navigation equipment, logbook, supplies, and the injured Captain Miller with them.
Maugham also suggested that they might have seen an island and tried to reach it, but strong winds prevented them from doing so. Since then, all 25 people have never returned, and their fate remains a mystery, likely to remain unresolved forever.