Mummy Sailing a Ghost Ship

It could be the title of a B movie from the mid-20th century, but — to all reports — it’s a true story.

Last sighted in 2009, the ghost ship in question is a 40-ft sailboat named Sayo, sailed by the now-mummified German singlehander Manfred Fritz Bajorat. He’s described as a 59-year-old adventurer who had been sailing for 20 years. He had been voyaging in 2008 with his wife, Claudia, when they split up. She died from cancer in 2010.

Sayo was spotted on January 31 by a crew in the Clipper Round the World Race. According to that event’s official statement, "During the leg from Australia to Vietnam, LMAX Exchange came across a dismasted boat south of Guam. An LMAX Exchange crewmember boarded the yacht and reported the find, which was relayed to the relevant authorities [the US Coast Guard in Guam], who instructed the team to continue racing while they took over the investigation and traced the next of kin."

A month later, Philippine fishermen found the battered yacht more than a thousand miles west of Guam. “A white yacht floating with a destroyed sail prompted them to enter the boat to verify further,” reported the Barobo Police. That’s when they discovered the naturally-mummified remains of the solo sailor, sitting slumped over at the nav station. The fishermen towed Sayo the 60 miles to shore.

“We have no evidence of a second person aboard and no weapon was found on the yacht,” said police spokeswoman Goldie Lou Siega. As forensic examiners found no evidence of foul play, they believe that Bajorat died of natural causes. They surmised that dry ocean winds, hot temperatures and salty air helped preserve the body — once again proving Mark Twain’s observation that truth is stranger than fiction.