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The Flaming Ship of New Bern

In New Bern, North Carolina, the Atlantic Ocean meets the Neuse River, providing an idyllic setting to spend a vacation on the beach each summer under sunny and star-filled skies. Gentle, warm breezes drift in from the ocean, and many locals and tourists enjoy a peaceful stroll on the beach under the moonlight. Yet on one night of the year, a horrifying site appears on the water near New Bern.

In the early 1700s, a group of German Protestants hired a captain and crew to sail them from England to North Carolina. Their plans were to settle in New Bern and begin their new lives there. This group was known as the Palatines. They carried all their worldly goods with them, and reportedly they had quite a large amount of gold and silver, which they had kept hidden from the captain and crew.

As the ship approached the North Carolina coast, the Palatines excitedly prepared for the landing, pulling their belongings up onto the deck. They were preparing to disembark from the ship as quickly as possible. The captain and crew, seeing the substantial wealth of the Palatines, told them that for their own safety, the landing could not be made until the next morning.

That evening, as the Palatine passengers slept aboard the ship, the crew stabbed and killed all of them. They collected all of the Palatines’ gold and silver and loaded it into rowboats. As the captain and crew made their escape, they set fire to the ship to destroy any evidence of the Palatine passengers. The ship quickly caught fire, and as the murderous captain and crew watched, the ship became engulfed in flames, but to their surprise, it never sank. Instead, while on fire, it began to sail toward them. Terrified, the crew rowed as quickly as possible to shore and ran to hide in the woods. Local reports at the time stated that at daybreak the ship was no longer on fire, but it still remained floating on the water in a blackened and charred state. That evening, the ship appeared to be on fire again, and then sailed away out to sea until it disappeared from the horizon.

Each year, during the first night of the new moon in September, the “Flaming Ship of New Bern,”—as described by locals—is reported to make its appearance off the shores of New Bern. Others say that it now appears during the full moon of a summer evening in July or August, and other reports say that it is during the first full moon in September.

It has also been reported as the “Flaming Ship of Ocracoke.” The legend states that the Palatines were supposed to live in New Bern but that they were killed on the ship near Ocracoke. Witnesses have reported seeing the ship in both locations. Perhaps the Palatines are chasing the evil captain and crew along the entire watery trail. The oldest reports date back to seeing the ship off the coast of Ocracoke, while more recent sightings report the ship near New Bern. Over the years, it looks as if the Palatines are drawing ever closer to the place they wanted to call home.

The ship reportedly appears out of nowhere and burns brightly in the water three times before disappearing as quickly as it appeared. Local lore states that the Palatines will continue to appear each year in search of their treasure. Until they have their gold and silver returned to them, they refuse to rest in peace and are looking for revenge on the captain and his crew.