In 1969, while walking along the coast of Alaska, a group of Inuit (a native people who have lived in the Arctic for thousands of years) saw an unusual “object” stuck in the middle of the frozen sea. The location they were standing in was the westernmost part of the Arctic Ocean, a relatively shallow area called the Chukchi Sea located between Russia and the United States.

That giant black “object” – to be exact, an old large ship, with a rusty hull that could not be confirmed as the identity written on the hull. However, being very familiar with this land, the nomadic Inuit people quickly recognized what it was.

There was only one ship with the ability to “disappear and appear” off the harsh northern waters of Alaska for many years: the SS Baychimo. In 1969, it had been abandoned for nearly four decades by the last crew at the helm. The “legend” of Baychimo began at that time – an abandoned ship that no one could find or possess.

Is the strange merchant ship still “wandering” around the Arctic Ocean or has it been quietly sunk? After more than 50 years it officially disappeared, maritime experts still cannot find the answer. – Photo: WonderOpolis
Is the strange merchant ship still “wandering” around the Arctic Ocean or has it been quietly sunk? After more than 50 years it officially disappeared, maritime experts still cannot find the answer. – Illustration: WonderOpolis
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Starting as a steamship with a sturdy armored hull, SS Baychimo was “born” in southwestern Sweden, at the port of Gothenburg – an important center of the Northern European maritime industry in the 19th and 20th centuries. The ship was manufactured to order by German merchants.

“It was officially launched in 1914 and was first called Ångermanälven, after a mighty river in Sweden,” says American maritime historian and journalist David Reamer.

“Initially, Baychimo lived up to its name, a powerful vessel. With a hull length of more than 70,000 meters, equipped with the most modern steam engines of the time, and a steep, sturdy bow designed for icebreaking, Baychimo was the perfect choice for transporting merchant cargo between and among the northern European ports, which sometimes suffered from extremely harsh winter weather.”

SS Baychimo has now become one of the most enigmatic “legends” associated with the vast Arctic seas. – Photo: MaldivesMaritimeJournal
SS Baychimo has become one of the most enigmatic “legends” associated with the vast Arctic seas – Photo: MaldivesMaritimeJournal
The ship “worked hard” until the end of World War I. Germany was defeated, and the fate of Baychimo was decided by the Treaty of Versailles. “Many German merchant ships used during the war later fell into the hands of the Allies, under the post-war reparations regulations,” explains Reamer.

Ångermanälven became one of a series of “reparations” belonging to the United Kingdom. “In more ancient terms, it could be called ‘spoils of war,’” Reamer notes.

The British government quickly sold Ångermanälven to private hands. In 1921, for much less than the cost of a new ship, the British fur trading firm Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) acquired a sturdy steamer, fully equipped to handle the particularly frigid sea lanes their merchant fleet traveled year-round. HBC renamed the ship the SS Baychimo.

“From then on, she sailed through many Arctic waters,” says Reamer. “From Quebec to Siberia, Canada to the northern waters of Alaska, … she was used primarily for cargo (mainly furs), but occasionally for passengers. Ångermanälven impressed many crews with her durability and solidity. However, she was often criticized … for her appearance.”

The crew, who had loaded the furs off the ship, turned the Baychimo into a “ghost ship” after the fateful voyage. – Photo: AmusingPlanet
The crew transported goods and important items from the SS Baychimo. In order to avoid the snowstorm, they were forced to leave the ship and find temporary shelter before continuing their journey. – Photo: AmusingPlanet
“An ugly, strange mass”

In the remaining diary page, a sailor once described the Baychimo: “From the first sight, the ship gave me a feeling of disappointment and… strange horror. It was not as magnificent as a whaler equipped with many masts to help increase speed. A huge “iron block” running on steam, with no details worth enjoying with the eyes”.

On the contrary, that “ugly iron block” contained a special ability – “resisting the test of time”. Reamer was excited when mentioning this strange feature of the “ghost ship”: “In the 1920s and 1930s, in the Arctic, every trade and commerce by water was like a “gamble” that could threaten the lives of ships and sailors at any time. But Baychimo was unusually resilient”.

In 1924, HBC suffered a heavy loss when they lost the three-masted ship Lady Kindersley, which they were once very proud of, because a large iceberg suddenly shifted, leaving the entire crew stranded for weeks.