The SV ''Resolven'' was a merchant

brig A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square rig, square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the ...

which was found abandoned on 29 August 1884, with her lifeboat missing, between

Baccalieu Island Baccalieu Island or Bacalhoo Island () is a 5 km2 uninhabited island at the northern extremities of Conception Bay in Subdivision 1G, near the community of Red Head Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It is separated from the island ...

and

Catalina, Newfoundland and Labrador Catalina ( ) is a community located on the eastern side of the Bonavista Peninsula, in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Catalina adjoins the union town of Port Union, the town built for and home to the Fisherman's Union Compa ...

. The abandoned vessel was found by HMS ''Mallard''. The last entry in her logbook was within six hours of her being sighted. Other than a broken

yard The yard (symbol: yd) is an English unit of length in both the British imperial and US customary systems of measurement equalling 3 feet or 36 inches. Since 1959 it has been by international agreement standardized as exactly 0.914 ...

, she had suffered minimal damage. The galley fire was alight and the lamps were burning. A large iceberg was sighted nearby. It has been claimed that none of the seven crew members or four passengers were accustomed to northern waters and it was suggested that they panicked when the ship was damaged by ice, launched the lifeboat, and swamped, though no bodies were found. The ship was towed into the nearby port, refitted and put out to sea again. No trace was found of her crew. The mystery of this ship earned it the nickname "The Welsh ''

Mary Celeste ''Mary Celeste'' (; often erroneously referred to as Marie Celeste) was an American-registered merchant brigantine, best known for being discovered adrift and deserted in the Atlantic Ocean off the Azores Islands on December 4, 1872. The Cana ...

''". Three years later, ''Resolven'' was wrecked while returning to Newfoundland from Nova Scotia with a load of lumber.The Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador – CD Version article ''Resolven''

References

1880s missing person cases Ghost ships Maritime incidents in August 1884 Missing person cases in Canada Mass disappearances {{ship-stub

See also

References