Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee

Still a great song.

Aye, 'tis that, Merry.

Gordon Lighfoot sings,

"They may have broke deep and took water,"

Is that just his choice of words or is that actual sailing/ship jargon? Not being a sailor type, I'd say 'drove deep and took water'.

Theres lots of errors in the song , like, It was NOT even headed for Cleveland, it was owned by Oglebay Norton which is HQ'd in Cleveland. The Fitzgerald was actually heading for Zug Island on the Detroit R.

The Fitzgerald hadd a history of design problems and continued maintenace issues.
Like, it was too long and was subject to flex and to hogging. Hogging cracks led to at least 2 major refits to put side stiffeners to add strength and to repair cracks in the center superstructure.
The cracks led to several of the center hatchcovers being broken due to flex on the hinges (Apparently these hatch covers dont have much play . So in 1975 (August) A USCGinspection stated that the hatch covers and stiffeners needed major work and after winter layover the Fitzgerald would need these things repaired or it wouldnt be allowed to sil in the spring (BUT THEY LET THE BOAT GO TO FINISH OUT THE 75 SAILING SEASON WHICH ENDED BEFORE THANKSGIVING).

The Fitzgerals had been given 2 approvals by ABS to "LOWER THE FREEBOARD" so the damn thing was allowed to sail (loaded) with a total of over 4 additional feet of freeboard being lowered. It would sail looking like a WWII Japanese Battleship. On several times the lower freeboard had allowed the waves to break over the hatches.

Looking for a rogue wave to sink the boat kinda cops out th responsibility that was on the heads of the designer, Oglebay, the USCG, The ABS and the captain. This was a too long boat, too much flexing, frequent cracking from its design, and it still was allowed to sail with it deck just above water and bad hatches and cracks amidships. It woulda happened anyway.

Lyrics are off in this video, but at least it's really Lightfoot and not a cover:

I always liked that song. I have thought, while listening, that the Fitzgerald was probably too long.

I do like one cover it, by blues grass guitar master Tony Rice: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HU2Zof3IDjg

I never did think it was captain error. I don't think the song refers really to crew/captain error. But it is a damn good song. It would be good to find the wreck and see it broken up. Which undoubtedly it is broken up in two parts.

Yeah, Tony Rice does justice to all his covers of Lightfoot. One of my fave CDs is "Rice Sings Lightfoot"

They did find the wreck and it was in rather deep water for the LAke. There was atv show several years ago. They had a burial at sea service and they raised the ships bell and rang it once for each man that was lost. It was a rather respectfully done show for basic cable. (It was done in the day before they realized the market potential of post- adolescent self- mutilation stunts, and the draw power of female body parts)

I am pretty sure that "broke deep" refers to riding the wave; they broke the wave too deeply.

Looking for what may well have been there is exactly what research is all about, Farmer, is it not?

I remember that show now. Ringing the bell for each sailor. I don't remember the condition of the boat.
Today your icon looks beat up.

Research attempts to be comprehensive in its answers. Do you deny the findings I posted? these are all indesputible facts that were brought out in the inquiries. "Rogue wave" issues wouldnt have been part of the story IF the ship had been taken out of service when the AUgust 75 inspection that noted the sprung hatch covers and cracks in the super'. The worst storms occur in the fall before the lake freezes. This is a known fact, a to keep a severly beaten up boat in service to haul concentrated pellets of iron oxide across a stormy lake from the iron range, is called a major contributing cause.

So, When one does research, one tries to determine as many of the variables as possible, not just one item that will make good copy. I was not denying a "rogue wave", I wanted everyone to know that the ship was a disaster waiting to happen, rogue waves or not.