Case file · High strangeness
Joshua Slocum vanishes
Joshua Slocum, the Nova Scotia-born seaman who first sailed alone around the world, left Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts, in November 1909 in his sloop Spray and was never seen again.
1909 CE · 41.45, -70.60 · status: unexplained
The account
His book 'Sailing Alone Around the World' (1900) was a bestseller. He was declared dead in 1924.
The sceptical view
The likeliest explanation is an ordinary loss at sea, possibly a collision with a steamer at night.
The researched reading
The first solo circumnavigator, lost at sea in an old boat. An ordinary accident explains it.
| Explanation | Weight | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A known natural phenomenon | 40% | A 65-year-old sailing alone in the ageing Spray in November; a storm, a fall overboard, or being run down at night by a steamer (a common fate of small craft) explain the loss. |
| Undetermined | 35% | The share a generic explanation had beyond what has been shown for this case: it fits many cases like this one, but has not been demonstrated for this one. |
| A cultural story | 10% | His fame made him a sailing legend, and the open ending adds romance. |
| Perception, memory or mind | 7% | He had been depressed and in legal trouble; a deliberate risk or suicide has been suggested without evidence. |
| A hoax or fabrication | 4% | A chosen disappearance is speculated but has no support. |
| Something in the surroundings | 2% | Nothing beyond the sea itself. |
| Genuinely anomalous | 2% | A solo sailor lost at sea is a known risk. |
Official position: He was declared legally dead in 1924.