Ghost Ship

Guy and Margret meet a broker to purchase the steam yacht Cyclops, intending to renovate it as their home. The meeting establishes their plan and the ship's potential appeal. The sale sets the course for the adventure that follows.

The Yard Manager recounts that Cyclops has had many owners and a rumored haunting. He notes a postwar purchase by atomic scientist Professor Martineau and the gadgets he installed, like automatic gyro steering. The tale foreshadows trouble aboard the vessel.

After the war, Martineau, his wife, and their engineer sail for Deauville but never arrive. The disappearance prompts an official inquiry and speculation about what happened at sea. The trio's fate remains unresolved for now.

A month later fishermen find the yacht abandoned; the equipment is in perfect condition and no distress signals were sent, yet one lifebuoy is missing. An inquiry reveals two men drowned trying to save a third, and a housekeeper notes a burn scar absence on Martineau's arm. The mystery deepens but the ship is left behind.

The Yard Manager hints that the Cyclops may be haunted and even smells cigar smoke aboard. Guy suspects the manager may be dodging the sale due to smuggling operations around the vessel. The atmosphere thickens with superstition and suspicion.

Guy and Margret buy the Cyclops and begin an overhaul to turn it into their home. The project raises hopes of a fresh start despite the ship's dark history. They settle in for a long and possibly eerie rebuild.

With no local deckhands available, Mansel is hired and dismisses the haunting rumors as superstition. However, he admits the yacht has suffered years of neglect under his watch. His attitude foreshadows trouble ahead.

During the housewarming party on the Cyclops, a guest mentions smelling cigar smoke aboard the ship. The eerie scent lingers, feeding Margret's growing unease and suspicion. The question of whether spirits are at play intensifies.

The first engineer quits, claiming his wife is ill; the Yard Manager later casts doubt and suggests a ghost could be involved in the departure. Tension rises as the crew changes hands. Margret grows more convinced something supernatural may be at work.

A new engineer is hired, but Margret again smells cigar in their quarters. When confronted, the engineer quits, claiming to have seen a ghost. The pattern reinforces the couple's fear of a presence aboard.

Margret receives a phone call from the bridge that carries only breathing on the line, and Guy and Mansel are unavailable. When they investigate, they find the bridge empty and Margret faints after another cigar odor. The mystery deepens without clear answers.

Margret contacts the Institute of Investigation of Psychic Phenomena; Dr. Fawcett senses a strong psychic presence and the smell of cigar smoke. He arranges for a séance with medium Mrs. Manley to probe the phenomenon. The investigation leans toward a supernatural explanation.

During the séance, the truth emerges that Martineau's wife and Peter plotted to kill him; he shot them and hid their bodies in a disused water tank, then altered the course and jumped overboard with a lifebuoy. Mansel commits suicide on deck, and Guy discovers a burn scar on Mansel's arm, proving Mansel was actually Martineau. Dr. Fawcett concludes the haunting should cease now that the truth is known, and the couple sets sail.