Detective Comics #295

While out on a patrol, Aquaman and Aqualad spot a hermit aboard a strange ship. The hermit warns the two to stay away because years ago on an expedition he was cursed by the ghost of an ancient Aztec sorcerer named Chitaq, dooming anybody to disaster if they ever came close to him. To the heroes surprise, any ship or plane that lands near the boat is quickly sunk by unseen forces. Suspicious Aquaman tries to approach the boat and is almost lost in a whirlpool, but is saved by Topo. He and Aqualad then attempt to get close to the ship at night but are forced to go back when the water begins to boil. Realizing it's only the surface water that's boiling, the two dive down and smash into the hull of the boat where they find that the "curses" were actually caused by machines inside the ship controlled by the hermit (really a crook in disguise) and a bunch of hired goons. It soon learned that they were a former band of pirates that were attempting to hide out until the statute of limitations for their crimes ran out.