I first heard this song as a pre-teen well before I ever imagined I would pursue a life at sea. I remember thinking how brave or insane mariners had to be. I only heard of dead mariners at that young age & thought they all eventually died at sea?
It was cool of the the Mariners Church of Detroit to ring the bell 30 times in 2023 instead of the traditional 29.
Side note, while alive he donated money every year to GLMA for a scholarship that helped lots of young (and older people) cover education costs while cadets.
Quite coincidentally, as I wasnât aware of the approach of the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, I bought a new book about the subject: âThe Gales of Novemberâ, by John U. Bacon. The author does a really good job of telling the stories of the individual crewmen, including those who fortuitously missed the last trip. For me, as a west coast guy, he also did a fine job of explaining the importance of the Great Lakes and that whole side of our industry. While he obviously hasnât sailed, the author does a very good job with this book, and I recommend it highly.
Some expert commentary.
What is the best source for detailing the weather conditions that the Fitzgerald was experiencing? Iâve essentially just heard that she had strong NE that then backed around to NW and W. Without more info, Iâm kind of scratching my head as to the advantage of the âNorthern routeâ they took across the lake. Shortening fetch?
Nevermindâ found it.
Spooky thing is, the November â98 storm was actually worse, but tracked a slightly different path. I was home when it came through and knew a honey hole on a local river would hold flight mallards and had the canoe/burlap/ decoys in my truck the night before.
I was supposed to meet my then-wife for lunch at noon but figured I had ample time for my 4 bird limit. Up at 0500 and while the coffee was brewing I went back to the bedroom to get dressed. As sleet pelted the windows, lightning flashed, and the trees shook she rolled over and asked what the blank I was doing. âGoing for mallards above the damâ, I replied. âOh, that makes senseâ, she mumbled, âyou get off a thousand foot long ship and now are going out in a 17ft fiberglass canoe in this weather? I bet your dad isnât going today.â
I told her to call up north and sheâd probably find he had already left the house! I tried to take November off each year because I wanted to be duck hunting during the bad weather. In hindsight, I really should not have been on the water that dayâŚwicked wind and a big effort to paddle upriver. I did get my mallards, though! Fat flight birdsâŚyummo.
It was a BIG storm.