Resolven (ship)
A Welsh merchant brig found adrift with no trace of her crew.
The SV Resolven was a merchant brig found abandoned on 29 August 1884 between Baccalieu Island and Catalina, Newfoundland and Labrador. Her crew had vanished within six hours of the last log entry, and none were ever seen again. The mystery has drawn comparisons to the infamous brigantine Mary Celeste.
Quick Facts
- Type
- Merchant brig
- Found
- 29 August 1884
- Location found
- Between Baccalieu Island and Catalina, Newfoundland and Labrador
- Discovering vessel
- HMS Mallard (Royal Navy gunboat)
- Commanding officer of discoverer
- Lieutenant William L.H. Browne
- Last log entry
- Within six hours of being sighted
- Missing persons
- 7 crew members and 4 passengers
Facts from the source article.
Did You Know?
- Resolven was named for a village in Neath Port Talbot, Wales.
- Her homeport was Aberystwyth, and her primary route carried timber and cod between Wales and Canada.
- She was wrecked in 1887 while returning to Newfoundland from Nova Scotia with a load of lumber.
Derelict
On 29 August 1884, the Royal Navy gunboat HMS Mallard, under Lieutenant William L.H. Browne, sighted the Resolven moving erratically. After repeated hails went unanswered, Mallard boarded the vessel. Sailors found the ship intact and serviceable, with no explanation for her abandonment. The logbook's last entry was made only six hours earlier. Damage was limited to a broken yard and superficial marks. The lifeboat was missing, but the galley fire was still alight and lamps burning. A large iceberg was nearby. It has been suggested that the crew and passengers, unaccustomed to northern waters, panicked after ice damage, launched the lifeboat, and swamped, though no bodies were recovered. The ship was towed to port, refitted, and returned to service under new ownership. The incident earned Resolven the nickname "The Welsh Mary Celeste".
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