Ship ghost stories are mainly superstition. However, the human mind loves to create and believe in such tales. The idea of a ship being haunted might be a way for people to deal with the unknown and the fear associated with the vast and often dangerous ocean. There are always going to be strange events on ships due to the harsh conditions, but these can be explained by natural causes rather than ghosts.
Well, while there's no proof of ghosts in a scientific sense, some aspects of ship ghost stories might have a kernel of truth. For example, in some cases, the so - called 'haunted' feelings could be due to the psychological impact of the ship's history. If a ship has been through a lot of tragedies, like battles or mass deaths from diseases, the stories that build up around it can create an eerie atmosphere that makes people believe in ghosts. Also, old ships can have strange creaking noises from their structures which could be misinterpreted as ghostly activity.
Mostly, they are superstition. In the past, sailors had limited knowledge about the sea and many natural phenomena seemed mysterious. When something strange happened on a ship, like sudden disappearances of crew or unexplained noises, they attributed it to ghosts. But there's no scientific evidence for actual ghosts on ships.