The Ghost Yacht Mystery: Three Men Vanished at Sea

On April 20, 2007, a helicopter crew spotted something strange off the coast of Queensland, Australia: a 40-foot catamaran named Kaz II drifting in circles with no one at the helm. When authorities boarded the vessel, they found a scene that would become one of maritime history's most baffling mysteries.

The yacht's engine was still running. A laptop sat open and powered on. The radio worked perfectly, as did the GPS. Down below, the table was set with plates, utensils, and food—a meal interrupted mid-preparation.

But the three-man crew had vanished.

The Missing Men

Derek Batten, 56, owned the Kaz II and had planned this voyage as a leisurely sail up Australia's eastern coast. His brother-in-law Peter Tunstead, 69, and Peter's son James Tunstead, 63, joined him for what should have been a routine trip from Airlie Beach to Townsville.

They were experienced sailors. The weather was calm. Nothing suggested trouble.

What Investigators Found

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority's examination revealed even stranger details:

• Life jackets remained stowed—none were missing
• The emergency equipment was untouched, including flares and the life raft
• Personal belongings, wallets, and mobile phones were all on board
• The boat's fenders were deployed, suggesting they'd been preparing to dock somewhere
• One sail was badly shredded, though not from a storm

Most eerily, the boat's GPS showed it had been circling the same area for three days before being discovered, like a ghost ship on autopilot.

Theories and Dead Ends

A year-long investigation considered every possibility. Had all three men gone swimming and been unable to climb back aboard? Unlikely—the ladder was down. Foul play? No evidence of violence or struggle. Rogue wave? The weather had been excellent.

The Queensland coroner ultimately ruled the deaths as accidental drowning, but couldn't determine what actually happened. The official report suggested they may have been trying to free a tangled rope or anchor when something went catastrophically wrong.

A Maritime Enigma

The Kaz II mystery joins a short list of modern maritime disappearances that defy explanation. Unlike historical ghost ships that drifted for weeks before discovery, this happened in 2007—an era of GPS tracking, satellite phones, and instant communication.

Yet somehow, three experienced sailors vanished from a functioning vessel in calm seas, leaving behind a scene that suggested they'd simply stepped away for a moment. The running engine, the prepared meal, the working electronics—all pointed to crew who expected to return within minutes.

They never did. And despite forensic analysis, witness interviews, and maritime expertise, no one has definitively explained how three men disappeared from a yacht that showed no signs of distress, emergency, or disaster. The Kaz II was eventually salvaged and sold, but the answer to what happened aboard it remains somewhere in the Coral Sea.