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On October 3, 1955, the MV Joyita, a 69-foot wooden vessel, departed from Apia Harbour in Samoa bound for the Tokelau Islands. The ship was carrying 25 individuals, including 16 crew members and nine passengers, among them a doctor and two children. The cargo included medical supplies and various foodstuffs. However, the voyage began under unfortunate circumstances; the ship’s port engine clutch had failed just before departure, forcing Captain Thomas H. “Dusty” Miller to set sail on only one operational engine.

A Shipwreck[]

MV Joyita

A photograph in MV Joyita

The MV Joyita was constructed by Wilmington Boat Works for film director Roland West and named after his wife, actress Jewel Carmen. Over the years, it changed ownership multiple times and served various purposes, including as a patrol boat for the U.S. Navy during World War II. By 1955, it was owned by Dr. Katharine Luomala and captained by Thomas H. “Dusty” Miller.

Disappearance and Ghosts[]

On October 3, 1955, the Joyita departed from Apia Harbour in Samoa bound for the Tokelau Islands, approximately 270 miles away. The ship had a crew of 16 and nine passengers onboard, including a doctor and two children. Notably, the vessel’s departure was delayed due to a malfunctioning port engine clutch; however, Captain Miller decided to proceed with only one operational engine.

The voyage was expected to take between 41 to 48 hours. When the ship failed to arrive at its destination on October 5, concerns grew. A search-and-rescue operation commenced on October 6 but yielded no results despite extensive aerial searches covering nearly 100,000 square miles of ocean.

Five weeks later, on November 10, Captain Gerald Douglas of the merchant ship Tuvalu spotted the Joyita drifting over 600 miles off its intended course near Fiji. Upon boarding the vessel, he discovered it partially submerged and listing heavily at about a 45-degree angle. There were several alarming signs:

  • The ship’s radio was tuned to 2182 kHz (the international distress frequency).
  • All clocks on board were frozen at 10:25.
  • Life rafts and navigational equipment were missing.
  • A doctor’s bag containing medical instruments and bloody bandages was left behind.
  • Mattresses were found against the starboard engine.

These findings raised numerous questions regarding what had transpired during those weeks at sea.

Conlusion[]

The mystery of MV Joyita remains unsolved more than six decades later. The combination of missing persons alongside peculiar findings aboard has made this case one of maritime lore’s most enduring enigmas.

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