The captain of a phantom ship (the Flying Dutchman) who was condemned to sail against the wind until Judgment Day WordNet 3.0 & Open English WordNet

A mythical Dutch-flagged ghost clipper that is very fast sailing, and never makes it to port, seen on the high seas, where upon being hailed, occupants request information on persons long dead, or leave messages for said people. In European naval folklore, it was considered to portend bad luck. Wiktionary

Mythical ghost ship. Wiktionary (translation)