re: November 10, 1975 - The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald

The tide is effecting another Fitzgerald today.

History Repetes itself.

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The Great Lakes are rougher than the oceans.

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uh, no

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I’ve been to Grand Island on Lake Superior many times. It’s a beautiful place. It’s great hearing the story of the EF from locals.

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I love that song, I always used to get a laugh about the song "Woodstock," written by Joni Mitchel for C,S,&N, I would always hear the comment, "she wasn't even there!" I'd always respond with "I don't think Gordon Lightfoot was on the Edmund Fitz either, but he wrote a hell of a song about it"

Fact:

In contrast to the words of the song, the Edmund Fitzgerald was headed for Detroit, not Cleveland.

It was going to head to Cleveland after the Detroit stop, though.

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Superior and Duluth are very cargo ship oriented.

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mesabi range iron and two other ranges.

40 million tons a year. 75% of us production.

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Gordon Lightfoot must of had ESPN, to write a song about 29 people that died on a ship call Edmund Fitzgerald, 5+ years before 29 people died on a ship called Edmund Fitzgerald.

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Y R DUM

He couldn’t have had ESPN before 1979.

(no message)

Everyone knows about it from the song

Max waves on the great lakes are smaller than what you see in the Atlantic or Pacific (20-30 ft), but the wave frequency is higher meaning they come faster than what you see in the ocean. You don't have long to recover if things go sideways.

Water temps are also generally very low meaning you are usually dealing with hypothermia in minutes year round on Lake Superior, the other lakes vary seasonally but never get out of the mid-seventies peak summer.

Wouldn't argue they are more dangerous than the ocean, but they are closer to oceans from a boating standpoint than they are lakes.