:cry: It was 32 years ago today that the Great Lakes ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald set sail from Superior, Wisconsin enroute to Detroit, Michigan with 29,000 tons of taconite (iron) ore destined for the auto industry. An intense low pressure system (some old salts said it was the most intense they had ever remembered) came swooping down from the northwest and turned Lake Superior into a hellish cauldron of hurricane force winds, 80-foot waves, snow and ice. About 15 miles before it would reach the calmer waters of Whitefish Bay The Big Fitz as she was often called, took a nosedive and sank carrying her entire 29 man crew with her. So sometime today let's take a moment of silent prayer in memory of these brave sailors and the families they left behind. :cry:

 

A tribute:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99rOzMVtcx4

The story:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_Fitzgerald

 

Come Oct and Nov Superior can be the wickedess body of water in the World. It was the Perfect Storm
Still ring the Bell 29 times up here

 

The most logical theory that I ever saw concerning the way the ship split and the orientation of the wreckage was that the two ends were hoisted by huge waves, with the center of the ship unsupported. Whatever documentary I was watching seemed to downplay that possibility, but it made the most sense to me. This was several years ago, but the last line heard from the captain - "We're uh, holding our own..." - still strikes some kind of chord with me. That's some line of work late in the year.

 

Didn't it take them years to figure out what happened?

I mean it was obvious it went under, but exactly how?

Wasn't there also sort of "spires" coming from way down, sort of like narrow mountains. People thought the fitz listed, and slammed into one of these.

Apparently in really huge waves, a boat can list as much as 45 degrees, and come back!

 

I'm under the impression that various people have their ideas, but it's one of those 'we'll never know for sure' situations.

 

Didn't it take them years to figure out what happened?

there's never been a conclusion on what happened. Some say the hatches were open-Some say it broke in 1/2 with monstrous waves. I don't think they'll ever know for sure.

 

Also Yoop, some say she might have scraped bottom near Caribou Island at Six Fathom Shoal and began taking on water and then was hit by three rogue waves (called Three Sisters) and simply went under without any warning. :cry:

 

There's a video somewhere of a rogue wave. Pretty insane.

 

yeah-I'm sure there was a Roque wave(s) involved. Never heard of the Scrapeing bottom at Caribou Island before though.
I knew she was really Heavy and heard about the Fitz riding a huge wave up and then nose-diving to the bottom