On December 4, 1872, sailors of the Dei Gratia saw another ship near the Azores. They get on board: the Mary Celeste no longer carries anyone. Captain Benjamin Briggs, his wife, their daughter and the seven crew members have disappeared. The boat normally stowed on the deck is also missing.
Royal Museums Greenwich distinguishes observations from theories. There is water in the ship, damage to the sails and rigging, as well as a partially disassembled pump. Business remains on board, but the captain's instruments of navigation and the boat's papers are no longer there. These clues suggest abandonment without establishing the reason.
The fate of the ten remains unknown. A fiction by Arthur Conan Doyle then blurred the narrative, even in the name sometimes transformed into “Marie Celeste”.
What we know
The reasons for the abandonment and the fate of the occupants remain unknown; no theory is presented as a solution.
To go to the source
References accessed October 11, 2026. Linked pages may be in another language.
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