This stuff absolutely fascinates me.

I cannot imagine being a Sailor in the last two centuries.

I try to follow all those wrecks found in the past 50+ years.

https://www.foxnews.com/scienc...overed-lake-michigan

Me, too. Thanks for posting.

Come uo to Whitefish Point and visit the Shipwreck Museum. Then to Munising to take a glass bottom boat tour of the Underwater Preserve.
I will meet you at Pine Stump Junction for a beer.

I might take you up on that next summer if the offer is open to the public!

What boggles my mind is simply how VAST the Great Lakes are.

Very interesting! Thanks for posting. The HMS Ontario is rumored to rest not far from where I am. I am not certain its exact location has ever been released.

Here is a little more information on shipwrecks in the Great Lakes.

The Great Lakes, a collection of five freshwater lakes located in North America, have been sailed upon since at least the 17th century, and thousands of ships have been sunk while traversing them. Many of these ships were never found, so the exact number of shipwrecks in the Lakes is unknown; the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum approximates 6,000 ships and 30,000 lives lost, while historian and mariner Mark Thompson has estimated that the total number of wrecks is likely more than 25,000.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...s_in_the_Great_Lakes

quote:

Originally posted by cslinger:
What boggles my mind is simply how VAST the Great Lakes are.

One fifth of the freshwater on the planet.

quote:

Originally posted by cslinger:
What boggles my mind is simply how VAST the Great Lakes are.

Being out on Ontario in a 20’ fishing boat so far you can’t see land in any direction after a fairly short trip made an impression on me. And we weren’t very far out, either, according to the guy who took us fishing.

Lake Michigan is large enough to impact the weather in much of the state. Storms can spawn, grow, diminish, or totally die as they come across the lake, mostly dependent on water temperature. They can spawn out of no where and it is absolutely unwise (read stupid) to be on that lake without a ship to shore radio.

Until the lake freezes 5-15 miles out the winds will pick up water and dump lake effect snow on NW, W, and SW Michigan in bands that can be feet deep. It can be a cloudless day and you'll be in a blizzard you won't believe, with flakes the size of silver dollars.

Lake Superior... it will just try and kill you, more successful than you'd think.

Yep the offer is open to anyone! And for real adventure, after the Museum, we can try to get to the Crisp Point Light.

quote:

Originally posted by cslinger:
What boggles my mind is simply how VAST the Great Lakes are.

Having crossed 4 of the Great Lakes on numerous occasions, it is mind boggling how big they really are. I usually cross each lake from one end to the other in the same day and it's also mind boggling how the weather and sea conditions change drastically about every 50 miles.

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:

quote:

Originally posted by cslinger:
What boggles my mind is simply how VAST the Great Lakes are.

Having crossed 4 of the Great Lakes on numerous occasions, it is mind boggling how big they really are. I usually cross each lake from one end to the other in the same day and it's also mind boggling how the weather and sea conditions change drastically about every 50 miles.

What brings you to cross them like that?

quote:

Originally posted by ubelongoutside:

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:

quote:

Originally posted by cslinger:
What boggles my mind is simply how VAST the Great Lakes are.

Having crossed 4 of the Great Lakes on numerous occasions, it is mind boggling how big they really are. I usually cross each lake from one end to the other in the same day and it's also mind boggling how the weather and sea conditions change drastically about every 50 miles.

What brings you to cross them like that?

Part of my business/work is delivering yachts. Generally 45'-90'. I've taken a 75' Hatteras MY from Fort Lauderdale to Chicago and then back. A 64' Princess from Fort Lauderdale to Port Washington, WI. A 58' Searay from DE to Ohio, and a 68' Searay from Fort Lauderdale to Chicago. Most of the yachts I run have enough speed and range to cross a lake in a day (daylight hours) or the majority of one of the lakes in a day. For example Buffalo, NY or St. Catherines to Detroit (across all of Lake Erie) or Detroit river to up by Macinaw in one day. The weather patterns do change drastically about every 50 miles or so.

One trip I left Northern end of the Detroit river and it was as calm as could be. 50 miles later I had 4-6' seas out of the west and 20+ knot winds, 50 miles later same but out of the NE, then another 50 miles the same out of the East.

quote:

Originally posted by f2:
At seven pm a main hatchway caved in he said fellas it's been good to know ya

Would anyone happen to know what, specifically, was the Edmund Fitzgerald's "main hatchway"? Where was it in the ship?

quote:

Originally posted by 229DAK:

quote:

Originally posted by f2:
At seven pm a main hatchway caved in he said fellas it's been good to know ya

Would anyone happen to know what, specifically, was the Edmund Fitzgerald's "main hatchway"? Where was it in the ship?

Without derailing the thread, it was surmised by the NTSB in their report that one of the main cargo loading hatches on the deck was caved in by the force of the waves breaking over the ship. There is still disagreement about that as the association of ship operators thinks the ship may have bottomed out and opened some leaks to cause flooding and the Coast Guard initially blamed the crew for not properly securing the hatches. Several videos on YouTube talk about these differences.

quote:

Originally posted by 229DAK:

quote:

Originally posted by f2:
At seven pm a main hatchway caved in he said fellas it's been good to know ya

Would anyone happen to know what, specifically, was the Edmund Fitzgerald's "main hatchway"? Where was it in the ship?

The big Fitz went down with all hands. The only things found was a life ring, two heavily damaged lifeboats and miscellaneous debris. There is no personal account of what occurred on the ship.

The ship was a great lakes ore hauler which means it had multiple large hatches spanning width wise along its length to allow ore loader load material into the holds. There is no single main hatch. It is likely that this was just a good lyric that fit the song.

There are six potential causes for the sinking and at least as many potential contributing factors. The actual cause was not conclusively determined by the US coast guard.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Rightwire,

There's a good great lakes maritime museum in Sault Ste Marie. There's wooden shipwreck off 40 Mile Point Lighthouse in only 15' of water. There's also supposed to be quite a few wrecks off Alpena that can be seen while snorkeling. We're planning on seeing those next summer.

There are several around Tobermory that we dove on years ago. I believe it was the Arches shipwreck that I got narked on. I believe 110' foot deep and COLD, did I mention friggen COLD!!