The MV Joyita was a wooden ship built in 1931 as a luxury yacht. It was commissioned by the US Navy as a patrol boat during WWII, serving in the South Pacific. The ghost ship is shown being towed to shore in the images on this page.
On October 3, 1955, the Joyita left Samoa for the Tokelau Islands. The Joyita was carrying cargo of medical supplies, lumber and foods, along with 9 passengers and 16 crew. She never reached port, so a search crew covered 100,00 square miles in search of the Joyita to no avail.
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The MV Joyita being towed...half full of water.
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The MV Joyita lists badly...
The Joyita was found on November 10th, 600 miles away from her planned route. No trace of the cargo, crew or passengers were ever found on the partially submerged vessel. The ghost ship's radio was tuned to the international marine distress channel.
It has been theorized in books that the Joyita most likely was attacked by pirates or Japanese fishing boats possibly conducting illegal activity. If so, the crew and passengers were murdered and the cargo stolen.
