bsebesy

Something crazy to think about. If the EF would have rested directly on its stern the bow would have been over 300 ft out of water!

RedDog382

Close. The Fitz was 730 feet long and sank in 530 feet depth. I remember this boat sailing out of Port of Toledo when I was a kid. I know people who have been on it, the captain and many of the crew were out of the Toledo area.

My grandfather was a commercial fisherman on the western end of Lake Erie through the depression and years following. I imagine he saw some pretty wild storms/conditions out there over the years.

It's rumored that the commercial fishermen would sometimes run over to Canada on their fishing "breaks" to make their contibution to prohibition.

BROWNIE

My cousin died under Ella Fitzgerald.

Airpacker

The EF was a BIG boat. Just imagine how the early sailors of the great lakes felt when storms came upon them and they were in 20 to 100 foot narrow beam steamers.

I have had the opportunity to dive on a few of the wrecks in Georgian Bay ( the other great lake) and to see the skeletal remains of those old wooden ships, some with their engines still recognizable is a very erie feeling.

At our cottage on Lake Couchiching ( lake of many winds ), about 150 feet off the shore from our island lies the wreck of a 65 foot steamer. Apparently she was used to transport people from where the rail lines ended at the time at the bottom of Lake Simcoe 40 odd miles to the north end of our lake. She went down one night in a storm in the early 1900's. Turtled and sunk mid lake. The west winds and very rough water our lake can have moved the hulk to where it lies today and has for some 40 yrs. The engine and part of the side wheels are still visible and several oak ribs and her keel timbers.

Makes a great spot for catching fish but also makes you think what was going thru the heads of all onboard when they knew they were going down in a wicked storm at night.


RIP to all that the waters have taken.

Catmando

BROWNIE you're mean.

Too Stroked

Many people who run on the ocean fail to realize just how rough the great lakes can get. It's a whole different type of beating. Worse yet, these lakes can go from dead calm to downright nasty in the space of an hour.

Back in the mid-1980's a group here in Rochester decided to run a national level offshore powerboat race. Most of the "big guys" laughed at the "little lake." Unfortunatley, Lake Ontario decided to throw a snit fit the day of the race with 8'-12' waves. Several boats sunk, people died and the race was red flagged / cancelled minutes after the start. So much for the little lake.

SmurfOnABoat

They had a memorial locally here in River Rouge, MI.

http://www.ssedmundfitzgerald.com/

klaw

Great Lake are very scary when its kicks up.

I had the cig right over where the EF sank and it was flat as a plate of pee. Hard to imagine that day how rough it must have been when she sank.

floatingphil

Below is info from a buoy on the NE end of Superior from a few weeks ago when thing were really blowing.

Station 45136
Slate Island
Lat: 48.53N, Lon: 86.95W Station List Large Map World Map
Latest Observation
Updated: 8:00AM EST WED OCT 27 2010
Temp (Air): 43.9°F
Temp (Water): 49.1°F
Winds: 33 knots SW (210 deg true)
Gusts: 45 knots
Pressure: 28.85 in (+0.05 in)
Wave Height: 26.2 ft
Dominant Wave Period: 10 sec