Harpswell Harbor is associated with "The Dead Ship of Harpswell," a phantom ghost ship, sometimes identified as the schooner Dash, that vanished in 1815 and is said to be a harbinger of death to local residents. This legendary vessel was immortalized in the poem "The Dead Ship of Harpswell" by John Greenleaf Whittier. The ghost ship appears fully rigged, often in the late afternoon, and may vanish in a shimmer or fog. The phantom schooner is known as "The Dead Ship of Harpswell". The ship is believed to be the Dash, a schooner that disappeared with all hands on a stormy night in 1815. Fishermen have reported seeing a phantom ship glide by, sometimes with the name Dash inscribed on its bow. It's described as a breathtaking sight of a fully rigged ship under sail. The ship's appearance is considered a bad omen, foretelling the death of a local resident in Harpswell.