[Photo: CRI Online]

3. Bel Amica

Bel Amica was discovered off the coast of island of Sardinia near Punta Volpe on August 24, 2006.

The Italian Coast Guard discovered the ship with no crew on board. They boarded the vessel and steered her away from the rocks and shallow waters she was drifting towards.

A half-eaten meal of Egyptian food, French maps of North African seas, a pile of clothes, and a flag of Luxembourg was then found on the ship.

The ship has been described as a "classic style" schooner never seen in Italy before.

Later investigations found that she had never been registered in Italy nor any other country. The only identification aboard the ship was a wooden tablet or "plaque" as described in some papers that read "Bel Amica," a likely misspelling of "Beautiful Friend."

Italian newspapers later reported that Franc Rouayrux, from Luxembourg, was identified as the owner of the vessel. The Italian press suggested that this may have been an attempt to avoid steep taxation of luxury vessels.