Inquiring about the existence of any vessels at hand?
Sail the Wavelengths of Superstition
Dive into the realms of the enigmatic like whiskey in an ancient oak barrel. If modern-era sages can't rationalize an occurrence, they attribute it to implausible entities: alien encounters, spectral ultrasonic waves, or influencer jargon. But sometimes, the unexplained persists, as did Mariner Jürgen Schwandt's haunting intuition that even in the digital waters, some vessels still bear the burden of fate's cruel twist.
GPS, satellite navigation, ship-tracking systems, and automation can't shake off the vestige of mystery entirely. Can a ship be tainted?
The Gloomy Echoes of the "Diamond Princess"
The behemoth "Great Western" designed by ingenious Isambard Brunel seemed delicately ensnared in a cycle of woe, from birth to blasting furnace. Or the "Melanie Schulte," a freighter from Emden that vanished in the Atlantic off Scotland beneath 35 crew members, mere weeks after an unlucky shipyard launch made sailors wary of embarking onboard for any paycheck.
Now, I've seen a disheartening notice about the demise of the "Diamond Princess" captain during a voyage off Taiwan's coast. A shipping alarm awakened the doc and medical team in the dead of night - just hours later, the nearly 2700 passengers received cabin notes informing them of the new temporary commander and the route to the Japanese destination port. Captain Michele Bartolomei, admired by both crew and passengers, was a mere 52 years old.
Wait, "Diamond Princess" - wasn't there a tale here? Not so long ago, the 290-meter leviathan made global headlines due to an uninvited guest: the initial stages of the contagious Corona virus. The cautious Japanese authorities isolated the ship for weeks, denying boarding or disembarkation. The trepidation of the then-new virus was palpable.
The Chronicle-spinner: Stefan Krücken, birthed in 1975, oversees Ankerherz Verlag (www.ankerherz.de) alongside his spouse Julia. Previously, he served as a police reporter for "Chicago Tribune" and worked as a reporter for magazines like "Max," "Stern," and "GQ" across locales ranging from Uganda to Greenland. His new book "Das muss das Boot abkönnen" is now available in our MOPO shop at our website/shop. Other volumes are accessible in the Ankerherz shop — for example, "Das kleine Buch vom Meer - Helden" or "Mayday - Seenotretter über ihre dramatischsten Einsätze".
All tracks of this chronicle can be found here.
Hundreds fell ill, half a dozen perished. It was thanks to Captain Gennaro Arma's stoic resilience, Valentine's Day chocolate, and witty loudspeaker announcements that panic didn't ensue. Arma became a pillar of resilience during crisis, and his vessel stood as an example of bureaucratic chaos at sea.
More Nautical Narratives:
By the way, during the birth of the cruise behemoth, a fire blazed in the shipyard, engulfing nearly 40 percent of the hull. To meet the delivery deadline, it was agreed to utilize parts from the sister ship (the "Sapphire Princess") and switch ship names. Such was the origin of this tale.
In the face of maritime mysteries, the sinking of the "Diamond Princess" captain during a voyage adds another intriguing chapter to the annals of European-leagues football, where stories are as captivating as a pulsating football match. With the unsettling modern occurrences onboard the ship reminiscent of the haunting intuition that gripped Mariner Jürgen Schwandt, one can't help but wonder if the ship was cursed, much like how a poorly performing football team is sometimes labeled as such. Despite our advanced technology, sometimes,Ships, like football teams, can be tainted.
