Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

I’ve had part of large boat fishing the north shore these Covid years. Pop up storms are a bother for sure but when that wind swings the wrong way with force time to beat oars to shore.
Ive not been caught out but I’ve been out the break lines to watch the water come in. Amazing how big that lake can get.
As big as the lake is it’s hard to believe the water temperature swings, the wind moves massive temp currents around.

RIP to all who have gone down on that lake, there have been a bunch.

Osky

What was flying out of there in those days? B-52s or F-111? Was a bomber base as I recall.

My Grandfather was a commercial fisherman on the north shore of Lake Superior. He built a rail system to pull the boats up a small stream. I spent a lot of time up there as a kid hunting and fishing.

Cool.

I went to school at NMU and knew when they were doing touch and goes. Don't know how many of you guys were in the air or how far apart you were but many days of seeing B-52s lining up their approach over the lake in Marquette on their way to Gwinn.

I have sailed on every body of water on this Earth for over 60 years....some of the fastest building storms are on Lk. St. Clair....I have lost more friends the Lk. St. Clair than any other body of water....this summer a neighbor in a fast building early summer storm just move on the Lake the summer before and didn't know or understand how powerful the Lake can be......

When I arrived on base Wurtsmith had the B-52H and KC-135s. They had an ADC Detachment that flew the F-106 (most likely the planes you saw with afterburners) that was deactivated a week before I arrived.

First, in an attempt to stay with the thread, thanks to all with the personal experiences discussed herein. I, for one, learned a lot.

Second, my joining the thread drift:

There appear to be two major themes running through members' utilization of these forums. There are many more minor ones; but, these seem to be the major two.

1) Always an interesting topic. I think I'll open the thread and see what those in the know and with personal experiences have to say.

Or

2) Hey, look, a thread in which I have no interest at all. I think I'll open it and let everybody know that I have no interest and therefore it sucks and I'll go crap all over it.

I've always thought the wreck was interesting. Thanks for stories about the lakes.

A local artist made this drawing of the Fitz. Here she is meeting the Anderson and both are about to begin the journey down before the lake starts screaming.
The Fitz was this close to the Anderson when the latter left Two Harbors. I track the Anderson and try to catch it passing whenever I can.

She's entering Detroit right now

Well said, Big Sky.
I have been thinking along the same lines.
If a topic is of no interest to you, just move on.

Too many options, man, I can’t figure out which one I am. I really like the song.

If I had to pick just one, I’d go with drunk.





P

I'll be at the Split Rock lighthouse tonight for the ceremonial lighting.

30,000 mariners' have lost their lives on the Great Lakes...

Heard more than a few people say that about Lake St Clair this year ... we were up there the week of October 21st again this year. There were still boats in the water, it was warm. Weird weather up there for that/this time of the year. Everyone was saying the lake was due-to take some boats this year. We spent time in Charlevoix too .... I like that lake.

Listen, I get the Edmund Fitzgerald fascination. I actually owned the album in college and was called a geek for it ... but everyone wanted to smoke weed, get stoned, and listen to that album back then when we all thought we were going-to live forever. As time has passed I came to learn that there have been tens of 1000s of souls lost on those lakes and for equally as tragic and mysterious reasons. Over 30k lost in ships gone down and 1000s and 1000s more simply drowned while recreational swimming. Hell, we were told that these past couple two or three years Lake Michigan alone has had record numbers of drownings.

There was the Great Storm of 1913 ... drowned hundreds in downed boats and ships within a couple of days. There is the infamous but little known Great Lakes Triangle where, inside its border, hundreds of ships have mysteriously gone down.

So thread drift what it is ... we do this same old same old Fitz thread every year .... because of a song and because the Fitz was the biggest of them. It never changes. So I wonder why anyone would bitch or moan or complain when, for once, we take a moment to learn a little bit more about THE 30,000+ OTHER sailors who have lost their lives on those lakes .... not just Gitche Gumee.

Sheeesh, the way we pigeon hole ourselves sometimes when there are so many oppotunities to expand our horizons within the scope of a particular beat-to-death topic.

BTW, fwiw, in terms of shipwrecks, Gitche Gumee, while being the largest, ranks fourth .... that's right, fourth fewest shipwrecks outta four great lakes. Few know that and ever fewer ask why because they're too busy paying yearly hommage to the Fitz ... because of a song.

Anyways, whatever. I love the country up there and those lakes ... and I'm a southern boy to the bone but, those lakes and that country are absolutely fascinating. I wish more people would take the time to learn about them.

The Fitz get's play because it was 75 and by then you'd think that a modern steel ship just couldn't sink on a lake. The song is why people talk about it now but why was the song written?

I get it - there are a ton more interesting shipwrecks to talk about but most people aren't just that well versed on the Bradley, The Eastland or The Elgin. Hell the Morell's aft section steaming along after splitting in two is crazy but most don't know about it unless you're a boat nerd. Most aren't boat nerds.

Touché Teal. Well-stated.

Great book about the Daniel J Morrell .... perhaps the most bizarre incident in the history of the Great Lakes imho.




The Bizarre Story of sister ship, the SS Daniel J Morrell, et al

Thanks for posting, Wabigoon.

Well, without the song, few would be aware of ANY maritime catastrophes of yesteryear, so I reckon we should be grateful for the song, no?