Ekuseni ngovivi ngo-October 3, 1955, i-MV Joyita, ethwele abagibeli abangu-25 (abangu-16 kubo okwakungamalungu ezisebenzi) namathani amane ezimpahla, yasuka e-Apia, inhloko-dolobha yaseSamoa. Indawo eyayiya kuyo kwakuyiziQhingi zaseTokelau, uhambo lwezinsuku ezimbili lwamakhilomitha angu-270 ukunqamula eningizimu yePacific Ocean.
Umkhumbi uhlangabezane nezinkinga kusukela ekuqaleni. Ekuqaleni bekulindeleke ukuthi kuhambe ngayizolo, kodwa kwahlehliswa ngenxa yokungasebenzi kahle kwenjini echwebeni. Ekugcineni, lapho isuka ngosuku olulandelayo, yakwazi ukusebenzisa injini eyodwa kuphela.
Itheku obekumele libize ngalo iJoyita ngo-Okthoba 6 libike ukuthi umkhumbi ubungakabonwa. Njengoba ingekho i-SOS eyathunyelwa, uphenyo olunzulu lwaqhutshwa yiziphathimandla, iRoyal New Zealand Air Force yadlala indima ebalulekile. Ngeshwa, kusukela ngo-Okthoba 12, abukho ubufakazi bomkhumbi noma abagibeli bawo obutholakele.
Ngemva kwenkathi yamasonto amahlanu, umkhumbi ohwebayo wabona iJoyita ngaseFiji ngo-November 10. Yayisesimweni esingesihle, ihambe cishe amakhilomitha angu-600 futhi impahla yayo eminingi ingasekho.
Umkhumbi ubungenamuntu, futhi umsakazo wawo wezimo eziphuthumayo wawufakwe kumaza ophuthumayo, okubonisa ukuthi ukapteni ubezama ukucela usizo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, zontathu izikebhe zokuhlenga kanye nesikebhe kwakususiwe.
Kwaba sobala ukuthi kukhona okwakungahambi kahle ngesikhathi ebuka isikebhe ngaphandle. Amafasitela amaningi ayephukile futhi kwakubekwe umpheme wesikhashana phezu kwendlu ewumpheme. Ngaphezu kokuvaleleka olwandle, imbobo enkulu endaweni ephakeme yomkhumbi yabangela ukuba indawo engezansi igcwaliswe amanzi.
Umzimba womkhumbi watholakala usesimweni esikahle, okubonisa ukuthi wawusakulungele ukuyiswa olwandle. Isizathu sokuthi umkhumbi uphume eceleni kwaba yizikhukhula ezidalwe ubude besikhathi obukhukhuleka olwandle. Iningi lomonakalo wamanzi wawuwumphumela wokuzulazula komkhumbi amasonto.
Kuyadida ukuthi naphezu kokuthunyelwa kwezikebhe ezisindisa ukuphila nezikebhe, akukho neyodwa imisebenzi yezandla emine eyabonwa. Lokhu kuziphatha kubonakala kungenangqondo kubagibeli nabasebenzi bomkhumbi.
Okugcinwe ngaphakathi komkhumbi kwakuyinto engavamile ngempela. I-logbook kanye nemishini yokuqondisa imikhumbi yayithathiwe. Isikhwama sikadokotela somunye wabagibeli (obengudokotela) sikhishwe zonke izimpahla kwafakwa izindwangu ezinegazi.
Umzamo oyiphutha ongenangqondo wokuxhuma ukuvuza wenziwa lapho omatilasi bendlalwa phezu kwenjini ye-starboard.
Abasebenzi babenze umzamo wokuhlanganisa iphampu ngomzamo wokulwa nezikhukhula egumbini lenjini. Ngeshwa, akuzange kusebenze, nokho, kubonisa ukuthi babezimisele ukugcina umkhumbi unganyakazi phakathi nolwandle.
Yize i-motor room yashintshwa yaba i-swimming pool, iJoyita yayisakwazi ukuqhubeka intanta. Kwakufanele kwaziwe kahle eqenjini lamatilosi ayishumi nesithupha ukuthi isikebhe esifakwe ukhokho kanye nokuthunyelwa okusele kwemiphongolo kaphethiloli engenalutho kwakuzogcina umkhumbi untanta.
Yini eyayingabangela abantu abangu-25 ukuba ngesibindi bawushiye umkhumbi nezinto zawo futhi balibangise ePacific Ocean ngezikebhe zokuhlenga, kungakhathaliseki ukuziphatha okungavamile kanye nendwangu engcolile? Kwenzekani kubo?
Kwambulwa ngesikhathi sohlelo lokuhlenga ukuthi uhlelo lomsakazo oluphuthumayo emkhunjini lwalunezintambo ezinephutha, okusho ukuthi nakuba lusasebenza, uhla lwalulinganiselwe kumamayela amabili. Lokhu kungachaza ukuthi kungani ucingo lokucindezeleka lungazange lubanjwe.
Kuyathakazelisa ukuqaphela ukuthi amawashi wonke ame ngo-10:25, okunikeza ukugqugquzeleka okuthakazelisayo kwemibono eqanjiwe ye-paranormal. Nokho, maningi amathuba okuthi ijeneretha yomkhumbi ivalwe ngaleso sikhathi sakusihlwa.
Nokho, ukuthi kwenzekani ngabagibeli nempahla, kuseyimpicabadala. Omunye umbono uthi uKaputeni Thomas “Dusty” Miller kanye Nomlingani wakhe Wokuqala, u-Chuck Simpson, babe nempi eyayinzima kangangokuthi yabashiya bobabili bengakwazi ukwenza okuthile - yingakho amabhandeshi anegazi.
Bekuzoba yisimo lapho umkhumbi ubuzohamba ngaphandle kwetilosi elinolwazi futhi izinga le-IQ labo bonke abagibeli belizokwehla ngamaphuzu angama-30. Ngaphansi kwalezi zimo, akuvamile ukuthi kwenzeke izigameko ezinjalo.
Kuphinde kwavela nokuqagela ukuthi iJoyita kungenzeka ukuthi yaba yisisulu sabadobi baseJapan noma mhlawumbe ababengamaNazi ababesasebenza ePacific ngemva kweWWII. Le thiyori ibiwukubonakaliswa okukhulu kwemizwa ebhekiswe eJapan esifundeni kunokuba ibe nobufakazi obuphathekayo.
Kuyo yonke iminyaka, kuye kwabekwa imibono ecatshangelwayo mayelana nokuvukela umbuso kanye nokukhwabanisa komshwalensi okungenzeka. Noma kunjalo, ayikho kule mibono engachaza ukuthi kungani kungakaze kutholakale izinsalela zabahambi noma izisebenzi zesikebhe.
Ngenkathi i-Joyita itholwa ngoNovemba ka-1955, kubonakala sengathi impahla yakhe kungenzeka ukuthi yaphangwa ngaphambili. Ngisho noma izisebenzi zazibulewe izigebengu, ubufakazi obuthile bemikhumbi eyisizayo emine bekufanele okungenani butholakale.
IJoyita yayisilungisiwe yase idayiswa kumnikazi ohlukile ngo-1956, nokho, yayizophinde ishayeke kabili eminyakeni emithathu elandelayo. Inhlanhla yayo yaphela ngesikhathi inkinga yemishini, ngenxa yokungafakwa kahle kwamavalvu, idala ukuthi imiswe okwesithathu. Lokhu kwenza umkhumbi waba nedumela elibi futhi kwenza kwaba nzima ukuthola umuntu ofuna ukuwuthenga.
Ekugcineni, uRobert Maugham, umbhali waseBrithani, wamthengela izingxenye zakhe futhi wagqugquzelwa ukuba abhale 'The Joyita Mystery' ngo-1962 ngemva kokwenza kanjalo.
