I updated the game today to fix a number of annoying bugs which were inadvertently introduced in v0.27. If you downloaded the game more than 24 hours ago, I highly recommend redownloading it or you'll run into some very frustrating problems.
In particular, the ghost ships have been removed and the overly strict fast travel restrictions have been reduced.
Edit: Another mini update has just been released:
- Changed the function of the Escape key slightly, by popular demand (it now exits control panels like backspace instead of immediately taking you to the main menu)
- Increased the maximum number of crew from 15 to 20, to prevent crashes in some custom submarines.
Also, there is a new thread for sharing custom submarine designs here:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=217354