All At Sea by Beyond Midnight - The Horror! (Old Time Radio)

Podcast Summary: The Horror! (Old Time Radio)

Episode: "All At Sea" by Beyond Midnight

Date: March 14, 2026
Host: RelicRadio.com

Episode Overview

This episode of The Horror! features a chilling tale from the South African radio series Beyond Midnight. Set aboard the Atlantic-crossing vessel "Kamshatka," "All At Sea" unravels the unnerving events surrounding cabin 105, where multiple passengers have mysteriously vanished overboard. Rumors of hauntings and inexplicable occurrences at sea build suspense, culminating in a tense supernatural encounter that blurs the boundary between the living and the dead.

Key Discussion & Story Points

1. Introduction to Beyond Midnight

Beyond Midnight aired on Springbok Radio from 1968 to 1970; featured tales of terror and the supernatural.

“[Beyond Midnight] debuted November 1, 1968 and aired for 78 episodes… Our story today is from February 28, 1969. Episode 18 titled All At Sea.” — Host [01:02]

2. The Arrival — Setting and Suspense

The unnamed narrator, a seasoned sailor, always selects his favorite ships but is unnerved by what happens aboard "Kamshatka."

“I was only cheated out of a good passage once in my life… You’ll find out the terror that was curtained in the upper berth on the June crossing of the Atlantic that year…” — Narrator [01:42]
Cabin 105 is introduced with a strange atmosphere and an unsettling vibe from the steward.

“I wasn’t very pleased to find I was to have a companion… He was very tall, very pale-faced… He was overdressed and a bit odd.” — Narrator [05:34]

3. Ominous Conversations & The Ship's Reputation

The ship’s doctor reveals the disturbing pattern surrounding cabin 105.

“It’s because on the last three trips the people who have slept there actually have gone overboard.” — Doctor [11:07]
Both the captain and crew confirm multiple overboard incidents, but wish to keep this from other passengers to avoid panic.

4. Unexplained Phenomena in Cabin 105

The recurring issue of the porthole inexplicably opening, regardless of how well it is fastened.
A wager is offered by the narrator to the steward: if he finds the port open again, he’ll pay him five pounds.

“If I find it open in the night, I’ll give you a fiver. It’s not possible.” — Narrator [14:47]

5. The First Supernatural Encounter

In the dead of night, the narrator senses a presence in the upper berth.

“It was as if I was plunging my hands into a damp cellar… I laid hold of something that had the shape of a man’s arm. It was smooth and wet and icy cold.” — Narrator [17:37]
The ghostly figure rushes past him, leaving behind a chilling smell of stagnant seawater.

6. Seeking Help and Clashing Explanations

The doctor, unnerved, refuses to help further, suggesting supernatural causes are more likely than rational explanations.

“You’ll get to the bottom of something else if you try. The bottom of the sea. I’m leaving this ship. It’s not canny.” — Doctor [19:30]
The captain is consulted and agrees to investigate in person, bringing the carpenter for a thorough cabin search.

7. Final Confrontation and Resolution

Together, the narrator and the captain secure the porthole and prepare the room, ensuring no possible entry or exit.
They witness the porthole bolt moving on its own, then a spectral manifestation attacks.

“It was like the body of a man long drowned. And yet it moved and had the strength of ten men living dead… I was wrestling with a dead thing.” — Narrator [25:33]
After a fierce struggle, the creature disappears through the porthole. Both men survive; the captain is stunned, the narrator shaken but alive.
Cabin 105 is sealed with multiple screws and effectively condemned.

8. Conclusion and Epilogue

Superstitious belief overtakes rationality — the captain never sails the ship again, nor does the narrator.
The ghost is thought to be the first overboard victim, forced to repeat his drowning eternally.

“You’ll be told that [cabin 105] is engaged. It is engaged by something that’s dead. I finished the trip in the surgeon’s cabin. The captain never sailed again on that ship… I shall never sail her either.” — Narrator [29:16]

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

Introduction to Haunted Cabin:

“You’ll find out the terror that was curtained in the upper berth on the June crossing of the Atlantic…” — Narrator [01:42]
Doctor’s Grave Warning:

“If you’ll take my advice, you’ll move in with me… I might as soon see you overboard as though that you or any other man with a sleep in 105.” — Doctor [10:45]
Steward’s Reluctance:

“There’s nobody on board who can keep that porthole shut… I ain’t staying on this ship any longer. Once she docks, sir.” — Steward [14:50]
Supernatural Attack:

“It was like the body of a man long drowned. And yet it moved and had the strength of ten men living dead.” — Narrator [25:33]
Final Words — Damned to Drown:

“I believe he’s condemned until that ship sailed the Atlantic for the last time. To sleep in the upper berth and hurl himself to his drowning death at night. Every night.” — Narrator [29:00]

Important Segment Timestamps

[01:42] – Cabin 105 and ominous feelings about the Kamshatka
[11:07] – Doctor reveals the deadly history of cabin 105
[14:47] – Steward insists on the porthole’s supernatural resistance
[17:37] – First direct encounter with the ghostly entity
[19:30] – Doctor refuses further involvement
[21:36] – Preparation for the final night’s confrontation
[25:33] – Final supernatural attack and the struggle to survive
[29:16] – Epilogue: cabin condemned, survivors’ fates

Tone and Style

Throughout, the storytelling is atmospheric and tense, capturing both the rational skepticism and the creeping dread typical to classic ghost tales. The dialogue moves from matter-of-fact to deeply unnerved, blending sailor’s superstitions with Victorian-era horror language (“the living death that was overpowering me…”).

Final Thoughts

“All At Sea” exemplifies the best of old time radio horror: a claustrophobic setting, a building sense of unease, and a finale that lingers in the imagination. Those who enjoy maritime ghost stories or tales of cursed places will find this a particularly memorable entry in The Horror! podcast.

Transcript

A (0:06)

Oh, stories. Real stories. And murder too. Turn out your legs. Turn them out. Good evening. Come in, won't you? What's the matter? Surely you're not nervous for that to be calm, I think restored we are meant to call from out of the past. Stories, strange and weird. Tales of mystery and terror by radio's masters of the MAA Stories of the supernatural, the supernormal dramatized the mysteries of the unknown. We tell you this. Frank. Frank. So if you wish to avoid the excitement of these magnet play ladies, we urge you our latest series to turn off your radio.

B (1:02)

Welcome back to the Horror. Our story comes from Beyond Midnight this week. A series that debuted November 1, 1968 and aired for 78 episodes until April 24 of 1970 over Springbok Radio in South Africa. Our story Today is from February 28, 1969. Episode 18 titled all at Sea.

A (1:42)

I'm an old sailor. I cross the Atlantic pretty often. I have my favorite ships, you see, and I have a habit of waiting for certain vessels I favor. It may be prejudice, but I was only cheated out of a good passage once in my life. I remember it very well. It was the 1st of June and the Kamshatka was a ship I always loved to travel on. I say was because she emphatically and no longer is. She's uncommonly clean in a run aft. She has enough bluffing off in the bows to keep her dry, and the lower berths are most of them double. She has a lot of advantages, but I won't cross that duck pond in her again. Why? You'll find out. You'll find out the terror that was curtained in the upper birth on the June crossing of the Atlantic that year when all the drowned souls who ever were endeavored to drag me beyond Midnight. Biotech the new soak and pre wash powder presents Beyond Midnight by Michael McCabe. Since biotechs appeared on the market, we've had many endorsements from time to time and these can be seen in our office. I am broadcasting some of these to you and will do so as they come to hand. Mrs. M.V. clauser of 5th Avenue, Pinetown, Natal wrote and said, here's a letter from me of appreciation to the basis of biotechs. I am highly satisfied with biotechs and have introduced my friends to your product and so far there has not been one complaint that it does not live up to the claims you make for it. I have two sons aged two and a half and one year. The elder boy gets filthy dirty and his clothes are pretty much the Worse for wear. At the end of the day, the baby naturally drags himself about and his little diapers become very black and dirty at the end of each day, too. The point I'm trying to make with you is that every night I soak these diapers and the elder child's clothing in Biotex. And in the morning, all I have is a slight rubbing and rinsing and that's it. The name again is Biotex. 105. Lower birth, please. Stewart took my portmanteau, great coat and rug. I shall never forget the expression on his face. I supposed at the time, as he led me into the lower regions, that the steward had had a little grog. But I said nothing and followed him. 105 was on the port side, well aft. There was nothing remarkable about the cabin. The lower berth was double. There was the usual washing apparatus. The folded blankets looked like large buckwheat cakes. The general air was one of desolation. I remember. I'll try and make you as comfortable all I can, sir. Thank you. Oh, thank you, sir. Ciao. I hope it'll be a good crossing for you. Well, one passes across the Atlantic very much like another. Whales and icebergs are always indeed objects of interest. But after all, one whale is very much like another whale. One rarely sees an iceberg at close quarters. I agree, sir. No one don't. I must say I'm not looking forward the first day at sea. People pace the decks and stare at one. Everything's uncertain. No one knows whether the food's going to be good or bad or indifferent.