The Flying Dutchman

An artists impression of the Flying Dutchman

Legend has it that in the year 1641, Captain Hendrik van der Decken (also called Falkenburg) was returning from a succesful voyage to the Far East and was sailing round the Cape of Good Hope, and pondering over whether to build a settlement for seafarers on the southern tip of Africa.  Unfortunately he did not notice the storm clouds on the horizon, and so the ship entered the storm, at which point the captain exclaimed that he would continue even if it took him till doomsday.  This resulted in mutiny with his seamen who insisted they turn around, but the captain killed the ringleader and threw him overboard.  Then a divine figure materialised on the deck and stated his stubbornness, to which the captain said that he never asked for a peaceful passage, and that the figure should leave or risk being shot.  The captain drew his pistol and attempted to fire the shot, but the gun exploded in his hand.  The figure then spoke again, saying that as a result of his actions he and his crew would be fated to sail round the cape for all eternity, not being allowed to stop at port or receive any peace,and will bring death to all who sight your ship... a romantic tale but is there any truth in the legend?  The name 'Flying Dutchman' comes from Wagners 'Der Fliegende Hollander', in which van der Decken was the flying dutchman, not the ship as so often assumed and has been a great inspiration to classic novelists, as well as English pub landlords.  It has received many sightings in its 400 year history, and Sir Walter Scott describes it as 'distinguished from earthly vessels by bearing a press of sail when other vessels are unable, from stress of weather, to bear an inch of canvas'.  The ships captain has also seemed to have developed a habit of writing letters on its eternal voyage, and it is said that to receive these is a sign of impending doom.  One such account is that of a passenger ship who received a small party of four from the ghost ship who offered a letter to the ship's chaplain, who wisely declined.  The letters were left on board, however, and weighted with an iron bar.  Luckily the ship lurched and the papers were blown off the side resulting in an uneventful voyage.  There are numerous notable accounts from the Royal Navy's journals, including Captain W.F.W Owen of HMS Leven in the 19th century, who claimed to have seen the ship twice, one time the ship launched a communications party, which Owen wisely avoided.  Another account is that of a pirate ship on the cape, who disguised themselves as the Flying Dutchman in order to terrify their victims, but in some poetic justice, the pirates saw the real ghost ship and retired.  Perhaps the most noteworthy of sightings, though, is that of King George V of England during his time on the HMS Bacchante.  On 11 July, he wrote 'At four a.m, the Flying Dutchman crossed our bows... a strange red light, as of a phantom ship, all aglow in the midst of which light the mast, spars and sails of a two brig two hundred yards distant stood out in strong relief as she came up.'  This ship was also seen by two others in the same fleet, with a total of 13 people sighting it.  The first seaman to see it died from a fall 7 hours later.  The Flying Dutchman is not the only phantom ship of our oceans, although its name has now become a generic name for any ghost ship.  Two of these ships are the 'Libera Nos', also a Dutch East India Company ship, which also sails the cape of good hope with a skeletal crew captained by Bernard Fokke, and the 'van Dieman' another Dutch vessel in Indonesia. Normally at this point I would ask you to look out for such phenomena, but in this case I don't think that would be such a good idea...

Wagner's 'Der Fliegende Hollander'

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