Remembering the Edmund Fitzgerald

[MODU]

Many of you may know of the song "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," but less would know of the actual ship itself.  Today is the 30th anniversary of the loss of the Fitzgerald in Lake Superior.  Being one who has sailed in the Winter North Atlantic, Puget Sound, and around the peninsula of Florida catching the leading edge of a tropical storm, nothing beats the crazy, dangerous storms that whip up across the Great Lakes.  You would make an old sailor proud if you take a moment today to remember those that continue to sail the open waters (both commercially and militarily), and that they all may reach their ports safely after each voyage.


News article: "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald: Remembering shipwreck that inspired Lightfoot song"

[Blue Rectangle]

Actually, it was the Ella Fitzgerald, and it was rammed by the Cat Stevens.[/Seinfeld]

[MODU]

Never really watched Seinfeld.

[Hatman 🍁]

Never thought I'd hear a discussion related to Gordon Lightfoot  on the forums

[MODU]

Never thought I'd hear a discussion related to Gordon Lightfoot  on the forums

hahaha . . . he's only one of the best singer/song writers ever. 

[MODU]

Doing a little digging, I found the thread which I had mentioned my prior sailing history, and one of the ships that I had sailed on being damaged at sea.  Here's that portion of the discussion:

Searching online for photo's, I've come across an article regarding one of my ships, and ome interesting stories that occurred involving the ship and one of the guys I've sailed with.

Green Island C9-S-81d - technical information
"Heroism on the high seas" - Charles "Charlie" Brown was the 1st Asst. Engineer when I sailed with him
Image of ships damage - Note the size of the hole.
"MTMC delivers military equipment to Jordan" - Back in service

Hard to believe that storm caused such a large hole.  I really need to scan in some of my old pictures of that ship for you guys.  I think I have one of Charlie still.

[MODU]

"Bell tolls for Edmund Fitzgerald"

The bell at Mariner's Church tolled eight times, not the usual 29.

Two days after the 31st anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, the church broadened its scope Sunday to remember all of the more than 6,000 lives lost on the Great Lakes.

Each year since it happened, the church located near the Detroit riverfront had held a memorial service to mark the November 10, 1975 sinking of the 729-foot ore freighter in Lake Superior. The highlight of the ceremony was the ringing of a church bell 29 times, once for each victim of the fabled tragedy.

But several weeks after last year's ceremony, the church received word that the Canadian government had approved a regulation restricting divers from the sunken wreck, which lies in Canadian waters. For families, it was long-awaited protection for their entombed loved ones.

The news spurred the late Rev. Richard W. Ingalls -- the current rector's father, who passed away in April -- to suggest a return to memorializing other maritime tragedies.

"The only sensible way that I could think of to do that was to have one toll for each of the Great Lakes and the interconnected waterways," said his son, the Rev. Richard W. Ingalls Jr.

(Cont...)

[Dr. Cynic]

I've always been fascinated by the story of the Fitz, as well as many other famous shipwrecks. Of course, I love travelling on them as well.

I found the story so interesting when I first heard about it when I was in seventh grade, I began researching to write a screenplay on it... Eventually, I just ran out of time to do it, so somewhere I have 67 pages of script on it... Oh well...

[MODU]

If you've got it/find it, send it to me.  I'd love to read it. 

[Dr. Cynic]

MODU, if I can find it, I'd be glad to share it with you.

[MODU]

MODU, if I can find it, I'd be glad to share it with you.

Excellent! 

[merseysider]

Never thought I'd hear a discussion related to Gordon Lightfoot  on the forums

I didn't either - 'If you could read my mind' is my favourite song.

[MODU]

Never thought I'd hear a discussion related to Gordon Lightfoot  on the forums

I didn't either - 'If you could read my mind' is my favourite song.

One of the greatest musicians of all times (at least, better than 99.99% of the bands BRTD is constantly making polls about).