03/23/2026
Spring is the perfect time to visit the Ghost Ship of Kentucky, also known as the USS Sachem...a rusting old steam ship sitting just off the Ohio River near Petersburg, Kentucky. It may look like a quiet, worn-out wreck today, but this ship lived a long and wild life before ending up here. It was built in 1901 in Wilmington, Delaware, by the Pusey & Jones shipyard as a private steam yacht named Celt for businessman John Rogers Maxwell. During World War I, the U.S. Navy took control of it, renamed it USS Sachem, and used it to patrol the East Coast for German submarines. Inventor Thomas Edison even worked on the ship, using it as a floating lab while testing early naval defense ideas. After the war, it went back to private use and later became a large party fishing boat in New York. During World War II, the Navy took it again, renamed it USS Phenakite, and used it for patrol and training work. By the 1980s, the ship was left behind and forgotten. It was later moved to Kentucky, where it now sits slowly rusting near the mouth of Taylor Creek. The ship is surrounded by private land and can only be reached by water. If you paddle out to it, you’ll find one of the most eerie and unforgettable sights along the Ohio River...and spring is a great time to go as the rains often leave the creek surrounding the ghost ship plenty deep to navigate your kayak!
