John Wayne’s Haunted Yacht

Wayne was a prolific actor in the 20^th century. He starred in 142 films of which 82 were Westerns. He was a top box office draw for over 30 years. For millions of Americans, he became a symbol that represented the countries’ frontier heritage.

Wayne as cowboys and The Quiet Man.

Two of my favorite films he starred in were not Westerns, The Quiet Man in 1952 and Hellfighters in 1968.

The Wild Goose

In Wayne’s later years his favorite possession was his yacht, the Wild Goose.

I wrote a post about John Wayne’s ghost being seen at the Alamo in Texas, here, but it said his spirit appears more often on his beloved yacht.

This is not surprising since Wayne considered this yacht his home away from home. He bought this cruiser in 1962, just seventeen years before he died of cancer.

He docked the Wild Goose in Newport Beach Harbor near his home but he often sailed to Mexico, Alaska and Avalon. On these trips, he included his drinking and poker buddies—Bob Hope, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and Jackie Gleason.

Shortly before Wayne’s death in 1979, he sold the Wild Goose to Lynn Hutchins, an attorney. Within a few months of her purchase, she began to see Wayne’s ghost.

A portrait of Wayne
that is displayed on
the Wild Goose.

Several of Wayne’s possessions remain onboard, including, portraits, furniture, and prized mementos.

She often heard his ghost rattling beer glasses, and pacing loudly across the yacht’s decks. His spirit would block doorways, and she would see his image reflected in mirrors and through portholes.

In 1983, a psychic, Patricia Hayes arranged a séance on board the ship. Wayne’s spirit told her he visited, “because it is his favorite place.” He also explained to her he knows he is dead.

John Wayne onboard the Wild Goose.

Since Hutchins’ sold the Wild Goose to Hornblower Cruises and Events in 1991, the paranormal activity has continued.

Female passengers on these charters report that bathroom doors lock mysteriously and strange noises are heard.

A captain on another ship reported he saw lights on in the Wild Goose’s stateroom late one night when she was docked and empty. The next morning the maintenance crew arrived to find the dock gate locked and all the lights off.

In one bizarre incident, the ship slipped its lines in the middle of the night. It was found the next morning across the bay, at the old dock near Wayne’s former home.

There were no signs that the pilothouse or engine room had been entered. The rope lines were intact; they had not been cut or broken.

Wild Goose

Josh Reeves the event manager and maître d’ for Hornblower Cruises states he hears the sounds of an ice machine that no longer is on the yacht. He has also seen Wayne’s image through portholes.

The companies’ chef, Said Lassia, working alone one night saw a flashing light, like a candle, in the yacht’s main salon. He left, too frightened to stay.

Hutchins’ engineer, Elser Morales, who worked on the Wild Goose for 13 years, tells the story of what happened to one former captain of the ship. This man was abruptly awakened one night as he slept in Wayne’s bedroom. Something rudely “threw him out of the bed.”

Since Morales heard this story he has never stayed on the ship alone.