A stealth ship is ghosting the Portland boatyard where it’s stored
Portland Yacht Services Sues Owner of Military‑Prototype Vessel “Ghost” Over Unpaid Storage Fees
A Portland boatyard has filed a lawsuit in federal court against the former owners of the experimental 38‑foot military prototype vessel known as Ghost, alleging the vessel has accrued more than $30,000 in unpaid storage fees since a contract expired on September 30, 2025.
The suit, filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine, seeks a maritime arrest warrant that would allow the yard to detain Ghost until the debt is satisfied, the parties reach a settlement, or the court takes further action. If the court signs the warrant, any party with a legal interest in the vessel has 14 days to announce their claim and 21 days to respond. Should the owners fail to file a statement of interest, the vessel could be sold to satisfy the yard’s claim.
Ghost’s Background
Ghost was built in 2009 in a hangar at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine. The prototype features a super‑cavitating hull that allows it to ride out of the water at high speed, and it is constructed from aluminum and stainless steel, making it difficult to detect with standard sonar. The vessel is 38 feet long and was originally intended for covert manned insertion and extraction missions.
The concept was conceived by former medical‑technology entrepreneur Gregory Sancoff, who said in early 2025 that Ghost could “get into denied‑access ocean areas and loiter for 30 days with the fuel on board, listen to cellphone conversations, and launch operations and leave, and no one knows you’re there.” Sancoff stepped down as president of Juliet Marine Systems several months ago, and the company dissolved as a corporation after its startup phase, during which it raised $15 million from investors.
Storage and the Current Dispute
The vessel first arrived at Portland Yacht Services (PYS) about three years ago and has been stored there under a series of agreements. The most recent contract, in effect from July 1 to September 30, 2025, stipulated that if the parties failed to agree on new terms by the end of September, Ghost would incur daily storage fees of $1,087. The yard claims Ghost remained in its dock beyond the expiration date and has accumulated more than $1,000 a day in unpaid charges.
“We are asking the court to issue a maritime arrest warrant for Ghost,” said an attorney for PYS. “Until the owners pay the debt or the court decides otherwise, the vessel will remain in our possession.”
Potential Outcomes
If the court grants the warrant and the former owners of Ghost do not file an interest claim within the statutory window, PYS could auction the prototype to recoup the unpaid fees. The case is still in its early stages, and it remains unclear whether the former owners will contest the claim or negotiate a settlement.
The lawsuit follows a partnership announced earlier this year between Juliet Marine Systems and General Dynamics, which intended to test Ghost as an unmanned or optionally manned vessel in Portland’s waters. General Dynamics officials have not yet responded to inquiries about the partnership or the current legal dispute.
For now, Ghost’s fate hangs in the balance while a federal judge weighs the merits of a maritime arrest and the owners’ right to contest the claim.
