The Alkimos was originally a US Liberty Ship launched in World War 2 called the Viggo Hansteen. After the war it was sold to Greek owners and renamed Alkimos. Over the next 20 years it endured many accidents and workers believed it was jinxed. In 1964 it wrecked on Eglinton Rocks near Mindarie, Australia after breaking free from its anchor. Attempts to salvage or scrap the wreck were unsuccessful. For many years the partly dismantled remains could be seen from shore but have since disintegrated. Local myth says the wreck is haunted by the spirit of a seaman named Harry, with reported sightings of his apparition on deck and strange smells from the galley

1. SS Alkimos, Michael McCarthy©
Western Australian Museum
The history of Alkimos
If you look past the soft and sandy dunes, the almost untouched white
has another story.
that it is now the resting place of many ships.
Alkimos is named after the shipwreck of the Greek freighter Alkimos
The Alkimos was originally christened Viggo Hansteen, a United States’
Liberty Ship, launched in Baltimore, America, during World War II and
saw war service for around 18 months.
After the war, the 7033 ton freighter was sold to a Greek shipping
company and given her new name Alkimos (which is Greek for ‘strong’).
If renaming a boat is supposed to bring bad luck, this certainly appears
to be the case with Alkimos which, whilst plying the world’s oceans for
two decades, endured many minor accidents; people were convinced
the ship was jinxed, with workers continually having to weld the ship.
In March 1963, the vessel was on route from Jakarta and struck reef
Alkimos left
Fremantle by tow from a Hong Kong tug when disaster struck again.
Only a few hours out of port, the Alkimos was driven into shore, when
the tow ropes broke. Two attempts were made to refloat the ship, but
each time the towlines parted.
After a stay on shore, another tow boat returned and the Alkimos was
refloated in January 1963 and continued its journey to Manila.
Not long into the journey, the tug towing the seemingly jinxed ship
was seized by authorities, leaving the Alkimos left at anchor yet again.
After four months anchored at sea, the Alkimos broke free and in May
1964, the Alkimos wrecked itself on Eglinton Rocks, 4.95 Nautical Miles
due North from Mindarie Marina .
So severely damaged that any thoughts of salvage were soon
dismissed. Eventually, sold for scrap – yet even this did not go
smoothly as a fire aboard the wreck quickly stopped the work.
The partly dismantled remains of the Alkimos were visible several
metres from the water for many years. Today, almost all of the wreck
is disintegrated and can no longer be viewed from the coastline.
All these events have led many to believe that Alkimos was jinxed from
the start. More than this, local myth has it, that the ship is haunted by
an old seaman known as ‘Harry’.
Many sightings have been reported of an apparition dressed in oilskins,
patrolling the deck and it’s even been said that cooking smells have
emanated from the galley.
Boat compasses have spun uncontrollably and horses riding along the
beach have refused to ride past the Alkimos
Could this be true? Who knows.
Haunted or not, one thing’s for sure: Alkimos could not have found
a more beautiful coastline to finally call home.