The original ship on which the legend of the "Flying Dutchman" is based has not been identified, but many early stories can be found. Van Straaten was the name of the skipper in the Dutch version of the story. All folklore and legend yet with a message. All yearn for home with protection and rest from the storms. A ghost ship - a phantom ship. Nothing more.

It is not known if the Flying Dutchman refers to the ship or to her captain.

I think that since the story's beginning, the ship's name has dissapeared. I think that the story was based on a true event a LONG time ago (maybe in the 1500's or 1400's) and that the captain's name may have been changed also. I wouldn't be suprised if at the time of the story, English wasn't even known real well. I might be wrong though. The crew of the ship may have been Roman as far as we all know.

The Flying Dutchman of course. (following from essortment and wikipedia) The legend of The Flying Dutchman is said to have started when a Dutch ship sank off the coast of the Cape of Good Hope: Versions of the story are numerous in nautical folklore and are related to earlier medieval legends such as that of Captain Falkenburg who was cursed to ply the North sea until Judgement Day, playing at dice with the Devil for his own soul. According to some sources, the 17th century Dutch captain Bernard Fokke is the model for the captain of the ghost ship. Fokke was renowned for the uncanny speed of his trips from Holland to Java and was suspected of being in league with the devil to achieve this speed. However the first version to appear in print seems to be that which featured in Blackwood's Magazine for May 1821. This puts the scene of the action as the Cape of Good Hope: She was an Amsterdam vessel and sailed from port seventy years ago. Her master’s name was Captain Hendrik Van der Decken. He was a staunch seaman, and would have his own way in spite of the devil. For all that, never a sailor under him had reason to complain; though how it is on board with them nobody knows. The story is this: that in doubling the Cape they were a long day trying to weather the Table Bay. However, the wind headed them, and went against them more and more, and Van der Decken walked the deck, swearing at the wind. Just after sunset a vessel spoke him, asking him if he did not mean to go into the bay that night. Van der Decken replied: ‘May I be eternally damned if I do, though I should beat about here till the day of judgment.' And to be sure, he never did go into that bay, for it is believed that he continues to beat about in these seas still, and will do so long enough. This vessel is never seen but with foul weather along with her.

The Black Pearl , thats why it could sail at unnatural speeds , he made a deal with the devil ,Hence the flying Dutchman. But I could be wrong

The Flying Dutchman (dutch: De Vliegende Hollander) was a ship that was trapped in a storm near Cape of Good Hope (at the southern tip of Africa) and crashed into some rocks. It sank, and now some people believe that this ship is still on the seas as a ghostship. The Pirates of the Carribean story gives a twist to it but hey it's as fictional as the bible. They also call all the KLM's (Royal Dutch Airlines) airplanes 'The Flying Dutchman', ironic.