Emergencies and World Disasters
The Ghost Ship That Vanished: 75 Souls, One Broken Mast
23 min•9 augusti 2026
Om avsnittet
The Ghost Ship That Vanished: 75 Souls, One Broken Mast
A crippled five-masted giant with a broken foremast drifted past Tristan da Cunha on 21 January 1929 and kept sailing into the void - no flag, no signal, no wreckage ever found. Seventy-five people had left Denmark in autumn 1928 aboard the København, and the last confirmed sighting was that silent silhouette; what happened to them?
In this episode, we lay out the factual timeline and technical details of the København, the ship’s last known positions, and the circumstances of her final voyage, asking whether the ship’s condition and the decisions made aboard help explain the disappearance.
Person: Captain Hans Andersen
Event: Last confirmed sighting off Tristan da Cunha on 21 January 1929
Ship: København, five-masted sailing ship, hull number 256
Passengers: 75 people departed Denmark autumn 1928
Construction: Completed 1921 at Ramage and Ferguson, Leith
- The København was 430 feet long with five masts 197 feet above the keel and carried 56,000 square feet of sail.
- Her standing rigging ran 4.5 miles and weighed 27 tons; running rigging totaled 23 miles of rope.
- She displaced nearly 4,000 tons empty and could carry more than 5,000 tons of cargo.
- The København left Buenos Aires on 14 December 1928 in ballast with empty holds and fuel for 75 days of motoring.
- Her last radio message before disappearance was three words: “all is well.”
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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
A crippled five-masted giant with a broken foremast drifted past Tristan da Cunha on 21 January 1929 and kept sailing into the void - no flag, no signal, no wreckage ever found. Seventy-five people had left Denmark in autumn 1928 aboard the København, and the last confirmed sighting was that silent silhouette; what happened to them?
In this episode, we lay out the factual timeline and technical details of the København, the ship’s last known positions, and the circumstances of her final voyage, asking whether the ship’s condition and the decisions made aboard help explain the disappearance.
Person: Captain Hans Andersen
Event: Last confirmed sighting off Tristan da Cunha on 21 January 1929
Ship: København, five-masted sailing ship, hull number 256
Passengers: 75 people departed Denmark autumn 1928
Construction: Completed 1921 at Ramage and Ferguson, Leith
- The København was 430 feet long with five masts 197 feet above the keel and carried 56,000 square feet of sail.
- Her standing rigging ran 4.5 miles and weighed 27 tons; running rigging totaled 23 miles of rope.
- She displaced nearly 4,000 tons empty and could carry more than 5,000 tons of cargo.
- The København left Buenos Aires on 14 December 1928 in ballast with empty holds and fuel for 75 days of motoring.
- Her last radio message before disappearance was three words: “all is well.”
To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.
© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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