Another Boat For Monday Mystery...!

We will never run out of mystery tales from the sea, as there are just too many of them. Some are not even that far away from port.

Here is a case of one that was actually close to home, as far as distance goes. This is the kind that drives many researchers crazy trying to figure out.

The Witchcraft

In December 1967, Miami hotel owner Dan Burack decided to view the city’s Christmas lights from his luxury cabin cruiser, the Witchcraft. Accompanied by Father Patrick Hogan, he sailed about a mile out to sea. The boat was in good working order when the two men left.

At about 9:00 PM, Burack radioed to request a tow back to the marina, reporting that his boat had struck an unknown object. Despite the incident, Burack didn’t sound worried at all—after all, he’d personally built Witchcraft with a special hull to keep her from sinking. He confirmed his location with the Coast Guard and assured them he would fire a flare when they arrived in the area.

It only took the Coast Guard about 20 minutes to reach Burack’s reported location, but by the time they arrived, the Witchcraft had vanished. Although initially unconcerned, the Coast Guard eventually searched more than 3,100 kilometers (1,200 mi) of ocean. But Dan Burack, Father Patrick Hogan, and the Witchcraft were never found.

Somehow I can't help but wonder if maybe the name had anything to do with this mystery. I'm not sure I would ever name a vessel something like this. No need to invite trouble, ya know?

Coffee out on the patio again today.