A History of The Phantom Ship While we are dwelling on the activities in and around the shore we should think about The Phantom Ship. This phenomenon has been sighted many times over the years and not just by our Cove people. It has been seen on both sides of the Northumberland Strait and has been written about in many papers and magazines, the and The Insight to mention two. It has been described as a sailboat and as a steamer, always on fire, and some people have claimed to have seen sailors running to and fro on the ship. The ship would remain stationary for hours, ablaze from stem to stern, then suddenly disappear. Many Cove people, most of which are dead, have seen this phenomenon. However, Hector MacNevin is one of the few who can give a first hand account of his sighting of the Phantom Ship.