Boatnerd News
Boatnerd News – November 11, 2025
Great Lakes Iron Ore Trade Down in October
CLEVELAND – Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes totaled 4.4 million tons in October, a decrease of 1.3 percent compared to 2024. Shipments were 8 percent below the month’s 5-year average.
Year-to-date, the iron ore trade stands at 35.8 million tons, a decrease of 12.6 percent compared to last year.
Through October, iron ore loadings are 6.7 percent below their 5-year average.
[See Charts in Gallery below]
[Lake Carriers Assoc.]
Great Lakes Maritime Academy commemorates 50th annual Mariners Memorial
TRAVERSE CITY — The Great Lakes Maritime Academy hosted its 50th annual Mariners Memorial Service on Monday afternoon. The annual ceremony took place at the Great Lakes Campus of Northwestern Michigan College and honored mariners who have lost their lives on the Great Lakes.
Organized by the Student Propeller Club, Port 150, the service brings together cadets, alumni, and members of the maritime community for a moment of remembrance.
This year’s ceremony also falls on the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, the Great Lakes freighter that went down in a storm on Lake Superior on November 10, 1975. The tragedy claimed the lives of all 29 crew members, including multiple graduates of the Great Lakes Maritime Academy.
While the Mariners Memorial Service honors all who have perished at sea, the timing and tradition carry a special connection to the Edmund Fitzgerald, which remains one of the most remembered shipwrecks in Great Lakes history.
The memorial took place in the academy’s courtyard, where participants gathered for a moment of silence and the ringing of a ship’s bell to honor each individual life lost.
The Academy encourages the public to attend each year and continue supporting maritime traditions that have shaped Great Lakes culture for generations.
The Last Voyage: Remembering the Edmund Fitzgerald
MICHIGAN — The Great Lakes are forces of nature, and one stands apart from the rest.
Lake Superior is the biggest and deepest of the five Great Lakes.
For centuries, humankind has fought to navigate the waters that serve as a critical artery in the heartbeat of North American commerce.
Taking on Superior is no small challenge, but it’s one men like Ransom Cundy didn’t shy away from.
“He was driven; he enjoyed sailing. I can’t imagine what that would be to be a father with young children at home. I just have a deep appreciation for what mariners do. Somebody’s got to do the job,” said Cundy’s grandson, Darren Muljo.
“He was always joking around, but he was the one that people would go to when they had something – a problem or needed someone to talk to. It just shows the character and how good a person he was,” said another of Cundy’s grandsons, Kevin Soumis.
Oliver ‘Buck’ Champeau also chose the life of a Great Lakes mariner.
“I was daddy’s girl, and he was this big guy that had this laugh that would fill a room. He didn’t always say he loved what he did, that it was kind of a lonely life being out there on the ship, but he was close to all the guys who were on the ship with him; they were like brothers and sons and a very close-knit group. He ended up not graduating from high school and went to work because his dad died young and he had to provide for the family, so he was very devoted to family, said Buck’s daughter, Deborah Gomez-Felder.
And in November of 1975, Cundy, Champeau and 27 other men found themselves on board the finest freighter the Great Lakes had to offer: the Edmund Fitzgerald.
“This was a ship that was built to carry steel, carry iron ore, basically. It was built to be fast. It was going to have some of the finest appointments on board. If you were a crewman, this was where you could be pretty happy, pretty proud that you were serving on the ‘Queen of the Lakes’, the Edmund Fitzgerald, one of the fastest ships, one of the newer ships that were operating,” explained Bruce Lynn, Executive Director of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society.
Owned by the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, the ship was named for the outgoing company president.
“I was daddy’s girl, and he was this big guy that had this laugh that would fill a room. He didn’t always say he loved what he did, that it was kind of a lonely life being out there on the ship, but he was close to all the guys who were on the ship with him; they were like brothers and sons and a very close-knit group. He ended up not graduating from high school and went to work because his dad died young and he had to provide for the family, so he was very devoted to family, said Buck’s daughter, Deborah Gomez-Felder.
And in November of 1975, Cundy, Champeau and 27 other men found themselves on board the finest freighter the Great Lakes had to offer: the Edmund Fitzgerald.
“This was a ship that was built to carry steel, carry iron ore, basically. It was built to be fast. It was going to have some of the finest appointments on board. If you were a crewman, this was where you could be pretty happy, pretty proud that you were serving on the ‘Queen of the Lakes’, the Edmund Fitzgerald, one of the fastest ships, one of the newer ships that were operating,” explained Bruce Lynn, Executive Director of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society.
Owned by the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, the ship was named for the outgoing company president.
“I just thought it was cool that my grandfather was climbing on board the thing, right?
My mother packed up five kids, and we went over and visited with him and had lunch in Duluth superior area, probably in August of 75. But we were fortunate enough, actually, to go back with him to the Fitzgerald and actually watch him climb the ladder to board it along with his best friend, Freddy Beetcher. It was just majestic, right? And nothing like I’d ever seen before,” recalled Muljo.
By 1975, the Fitzgerald wasn’t breaking records at the same blistering pace, but she was still one of the workhorses of the Great Lakes and no stranger to the challenges of sailing them.
“For two years in a row, Fitzgerald had the most storms, and that was under Captain Pulcer. When McSorley came, every time you’d look at the chart, the Fitzgerald would be in there taking on these gales. In 1975, it was no different from spring to fall. They had been in no less than five storms, one on Lake Huron and four others with gale force winds that were coming out of Lake Superior,” said Mixter.
And as the end of the Great Lakes Shipping season approached, the Fitzgerald and her crew were preparing to face off once again with Lake Superior’s infamous gales of November.
On Nov. 9, 1975, the Edmund Fitzgerald and her crew prepared to set out from Superior, Wisconsin, bound for Zug Island near Detroit.
They’re led by seasoned Great Lakes Captain Ernest McSorley.
Following behind The Fitz is the Arthur M. Anderson, led by Captain Bernie Cooper.
“The weather when they departed was fantastic. Unseasonably warm, beautiful weather. But they knew that there was something brewing on the lake and actually was brewing in other areas and converging on the lake,” said Lynn.
Both captains know this late-season run could be a bumpy ride.
Both ships opt for a route along the northern side of Lake Superior.
“Small craft warnings were coming out. No small boats were allowed out. They knew it was going to escalate as the front left Oklahoma and came up. The question was, as it approached Marquette, how long would it take to get across Lake Superior and then change the wind direction from a nor’easter to the northwest, where those winds would now be pushed by 70-mile-an-hour winds that would push those waves so tall they’d be as big as a three-story building. The problem is that both Captains Cooper and McSorley miss guessed on how fast. It was easily an hour faster than they thought,” said Mixter.
“They weren’t having seas that were boarding them or causing them any real problems until they made that turn and started heading down to Whitefish Bay. Snow squalls were coming and going. Again, the waves were getting higher, winds were increasing in intensity,” said Lynn.
The afternoon of Nov. 10 brought the first signs of trouble for the Fitzgerald
“He called me up at 3:00 in the afternoon and he said I’ve got a little problem. He said my fence rail is down, he said I’ve got two vents missing and I’ve taken a starboard list. I asked him if he had his pumps on and he said yes, but later on he said he wasn’t gaining anything by pumping out, so the water was coming in the hull as fast as they were pumping it out. From that time on he was sinking. The water would get into these side tanks and if these side tanks weren’t tight, the water would start leaking through them into the cargo hold, and there’s no way of getting the water out with the pellets in there,” recalled Capt. Cooper in a 1993 interview.
As the storm intensified, the Fitzgerald was sailing blind, relying on the Anderson to guide her.
“He called one time I can remember, and told me my big radar is gone and the small one is only getting out three and a half miles. The last transmission I had with the first mate, I was down below, the first mate Morgan Clark, he called the Fitzgerald and told him about these three ships, these saltwater ships that were coming out of the bay, it was McSorley he was talking to, and he said am I going to clear them, and Morgan says yeah you’ll be well clear of them, and then morgan as an afterthought says how you doing, he says we’re holding our own. That was at 7:10,” recalled Cooper.
A short time later, Captain Cooper and his crew made a horrifying discovery
“When we missed him was when it cleared up, in fact, it cleared up right shortly after it sank, I think we saw the three vessels coming out of the bay, and no Fitzgerald lights,” said Capt. Cooper.
Radio chatter between Captain Cooper and the Coast Guard captured those alarming first moments after the Fitzgerald disappeared.
USCG: Just for confirmation, sir, he couldn’t see any lights or pick him up on radar. Is that correct?
Capt. Cooper: I don’t know, I thought we were picking him up on radar when I went up and talked to the mate. The receiver antenna is real bad, but I thought we had the target, but I don’t know. Now I wonder.
USCG: At what time was the last time that you had any contact? That you notice that you had the Fitzgerald in front of you? – over.
Capt Cooper: 19-hundred, he was approximately 15 miles from the high up at Crisp Point. That was when I was talking to him; he was 15 miles from the lamp.
USCG: You said you had him visually and on the radar, and you lost him in both respects?
Capt. Cooper: No, I didn’t have him visually; I had him on the radar. He was exactly 10 miles ahead of us. I asked him at the time how everything was going, and I asked him if he was making out with his problem. He said he lost those vents, and he had a list and he said he was holding his own. The last time I talked with him, he said he was holding his own and, uh, that’s the last time uh, I lost contact after that.
USCG: Roger that, and also we understand there were three up-bounders that were to keep an eye out for this, for the Fitzgerald, and they’ve had negative contact, is that correct?
Capt. Cooper: Roger on that, we tried to call him about 6 or 8 times on the emergency FM; we could not reach him.
USCG: Do you think there’s any possibility that you could come about and go back there and do any searching? Over.
Capt. Cooper: Oh God, I don’t know. Uh. Uh. The sea out there is tremendously large. If you want me to, I can, but I’m not going to be making any time. I’ll be lucky to make 2 to 3 miles per hour going back out that way.
“I was reluctant to go, really I was, but he said there’s a ship on the bottom and I felt like saying there could be two if I go back. I still thought it was an exercise in futility with what had happened with the sudden disappearance; he had to be on the bottom with no maydays or anything. I was just scared the hell I was going to find somebody, and I didn’t know what I was going to do. It was quite a bit before daylight when we started running through a lot of debris, gas tanks like for the stove, life preservers, ores, canisters, but no sign of anybody else,” said Cooper.
By the morning of Nov. 11, 1975, it was clear, the Edmund Fitzgerald and her crew were gone.
Word slowly started reaching the families of the 29 men who were on board.
“I was in kindergarten or preschool or something like that back then, and, my, the rest of my brothers and sisters had gone to school, and I was home with my youngest sister and just sometime in that morning, word started to spread that there was a ship missing. It came out later that it had been Fitzgerald. Of course, we knew what that man my mother did. As kids, we obviously experienced the anguish and the heartache and the gathering of family who didn’t have any answers because we never heard anything but what we got from the news. The families were never contacted by the owner of the ship directly. It was something that we had to get through the media at that time. So, to process that and realize that, yeah, he wasn’t coming home, and then the days that followed, having a casket, without a body, for a funeral, was pretty tough,” said Muljo.
“I was 17 when he passed away, and it took us a while to know what happened, but once we found out that it was a sure thing, that he was on the Fritz, it was pretty devastating to his family and my family. I was graduating from high school, and I thought my dad wouldn’t have stopped for anything to be at my graduation. He was a good swimmer. He swam to a cave. I thought all kinds of things unanswered,” said Gomez-Felder.
“By morning, they realized 29 guys were gone. That was the big mystery. How did 29 guys vanish in 1975 when we had a weather satellite in the sky, we had what we thought were modern boats, radio direction finders? How did that happen?” explained Mixter.
It’s a question that’s never been definitively answered, but all historians and researchers have ever concluded is that whatever happened to the Fitzgerald happened fast.
“The ship just disappeared completely, it had to have just dove under, and that screw on the ship just acted like a propeller on a submarine and just drove it right to the bottom. To me, she just went down so fast and so quickly just nobody had a chance. I don’t think there can be any conjecture about that, hell, all he had to do was pick up the phone and say mayday, mayday, and there was nothing,” recalled Capt. Cooper.
“I wanted to know how he died. What was he thinking at the end? Did he know this was the end? But I understand through time and talking to other engineers that it was very quick. If he was at his post, which I believe he was, they didn’t have time to even know what was going on. Was he praying? Was he scared? Was he trying to protect others?” said Gomez Felder.
The loss also ripped through the maritime community.
“It shook it so hard that we didn’t see another big loss after that. We found most of the crew of the Bradley. We had two survivors in 1958. In 1966, when the Morrell went down, Dennis Hale survived. Most of the bodies were found, but the Fitzgerald 29 guys vanished. That’s when the world went crazy. That’s why Newsweek wrote the article. That’s why Gordon Lightfoot saw it and said, I’m going to write a song about that, that disappearance of 29 guys in modern time,” said Mixter.
“Gordon Lightfoot had a huge impact on the telling of this story and putting this shipwreck, and maybe to a certain degree shipwrecks in general, on the Great Lakes into the public consciousness. It’s a great song. It tells the story really, really well and pretty accurately. But it also made people learn whether they wanted to or not about this ship called the Edmund Fitzgerald,” said Lynn.
The song helped make the Fitzgerald the most well-known and most talked about shipwreck on the Great Lakes.
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point is now home to the Fitzgerald’s bell, serving as a lasting link to the ship and her crew.
“That’s the closest that I can get to my dad. When we ring it, I just imagine that it was ringing back then with that storm 50 years ago. I come here and I touch the bell, I kiss the bell. It means more to me than the symbolization of it. It was the soul of the ship, and it was the closest thing to my dad,” said Gomez-Felder.
“The bell, I mean, it’s the heart of the ship. It got a little emotional here. It’s a piece of this ship where there’s nothing else. It’s something concrete where you can see it,” said Muljo.
There have only been a handful of dives to the wreck site of the Fitzgerald in the years since her sinking.
“Until you’re in a submarine and you go up to the letters of the Edmund Fitzgerald that are this wide, and you realize how big that vessel is, and then you start to see the humanity of the ship. That’s the blankets that are hanging out of the windows. We saw, I think, weather tarps that were used to keep the splashing from coming up onto the deck that was torn away. Maybe I mistook that for blankets, but I got this feeling that this was not just a ship. This was a place where men worked and lived,” recalled Mixter.
The dive to retrieve the ship’s bell in July of 1995 was the last dive on the Fitzgerald.
And the Fitzgerald families hope that remains the case.
“We’ve got protection over the site. We’ve asked the province of Ontario and the state of Michigan, which’ve enacted laws to protect sites against dive and photographing remains. I feel like we’ve got that closure, and I think it’s left to others who want the ultimate answer,” said Muljo.
“I just want his remains left in peace. That’s why I come up here every year. That’s why I’m emotional. Because I don’t believe anymore in closure. I don’t think it exists. When you lose a loved one. If the tables were turned and that was me on the Fitz, my dad wouldn’t have stopped at anything to figure out how to protect me,” said Gomez-Felder.
We’ll likely never know everything that may have happened that November night half a century ago.
For the families of the 29 men lost when the Edmund Fitzgerald went down, their focus isn’t on theories about why or even how.
What matters most 50 years later is making sure the memories of the ship and her crew live on.
“To me, the most important thing to do is remember those crewmen. By virtue of that, remember all of the sailors that are lost in the Great Lakes and passengers that were on passenger vessels and lifesaving service crewmen that were out there trying to rescue people on shipwrecks,” said Lynn.
“Legends are made to be repeated. I think they’ll probably be remembered a lot more than you realize by the ships that are still sailing. I think the thought would cross their mind when you go over wherever the Fitzgerald was sunk, you go oh boy, there’s the Fitzgerald down there,” said Capt. Cooper.
“I’d like to just have respect for the family. Have respect for the men who went down. That’s what I would want,” expressed Soumis.
“I don’t want the 50th anniversary of the Fitzgerald sinking to be just about the man and the Fitzgerald. It should be about the dedication, the courage it takes for all mariners who are still sailing today. Providing us with the service. At the end of the day, people just have to understand the dedication, the courage, and the sacrifice of the maritime community, not just across the Great Lakes but across the oceans as well. They sacrifice a lot to support their families, and at the end of the day, and we never we never got closure. Grandpa never came home. The legend lives on,” said Muljo.
“It doesn’t seem, even after 50 years, that it gets easier. I look for closure, but I don’t think there is any closure. My eyes are on the ship all the time, so that’s what I’ve told my grandchildren. That’s what I told my sons and my daughters to always look out for. Eyes on the Fitz. Eyes on the Fitz, because at some point, I don’t know when, I don’t think I’ll be alive. But it’s still going to be protected by family members, so the legacy does live on,” said Gomez-Felder.
Edmund Fitzgerald Crew Members:
Michael E. Armagost
Armagost, 37, of Iron River, Wisconsin was the third mate. As an officer with the ship’s deck department, Armagost supervised several high priority operations.
Fred J. Beetcher
Beetcher, 56, of Superior, Wisconsin, was the ship’s porter and handled luggage and cargo aboard the ship.
Thomas D. Bentsen
Thomas D. Bentsen, 23, of St. Joseph, Michigan, was an oiler aboard the ship.
Edward F. Bindon
Bindon, 47, of Fairport Harbor, Ohio, was responsible for the proper operation, maintenance and preservation of all engine department machinery and equipment.
Thomas D. Borgeson
Borgeson, 41, of Duluth, Minnesota, was a maintenance technician. He repaired anything the ship needed, from hull breaches to broken pipes.
Oliver J. Champeau
Champeau, 41, of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, was nicknamed “Buck.” He was a third assistant engineer on the Fitzgerald. He quit school at 13 to raise four siblings after his father died. Champeau also fought in the Korean War with the Marine Corps.
Nolan S. Church
Church, 55, of Silver Bay, Minnesota, was born on July 13, 1920, and didn’t start sailing until his 40s after watching the freighters pass by his home and thinking the job would be fun. He was a ship’s porter. He was survived through his children.
Ransom E. Cundy
Cundy, 53, of Superior, Wisconsin, was a watchman on the Fitzgerald. He born in 1922 in Houghton, Michigan, then joined the Marine Corps in during World War II and fought in the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945. According to the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald Online, he left behind a daughter, Janice.
Thomas E. Edwards
Edwards, 50, of Oregon, Ohio, was the second assistant engineer on the Fitzgerald, responsible for the proper operation, maintenance and upkeep of the main and auxiliary engines.
Russell G. Haskell
Haskell, 40, of Millbury, Ohio, also was a second assistant engineer on the Fitzgerald, responsible for the proper operation, maintenance and upkeep of the main and auxiliary engines.
George J. Holl
Holl, 60, of Cabot, Pennsylvania, about 35 miles from Pittsburgh, was the chief engineer. He was responsible for the proper operation and maintenance of all the Fitzgerald’s systems.
Bruce L. Hudson
Hudson, 22, of North Olmstead, Ohio, was a deckhand on the Fitzgerald. He maintained the vessel and its mechanical equipment. He was among the youngest crew members.
Allen G. Kalmon
Kalmon, 43, of Washburn, Wisconsin, was the second cook on the Fitzgerald. Kalmon’s role on the vessel included being responsible for the timely preparation and production of all menu items on the ship.
Gordon F. MacLellan
MacLellan, 30, of Clearwater, Florida, was the youngest of six children. He had just moved to Presque Isle, Michigan, before taking the last voyage on the Fitzgerald. His father, Capt. Donald MacLellan, had set sail across the Great Lakes several times. As a wiper, MacLellan was responsible for maintenance of the vessel which included cleaning the engine room.
Joseph W. Mazes
Mazes, 57, of Ashland, Wisconsin, was a special maintenance man on the Fitzgerald. He had no wife or children, but did have four siblings, according to the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald Online. During his free time, he loved to fish, hunt deer and snowmobile. According to the Awesome Mitten, Mazes’ family said he was afraid of Capt. Ernest McSorley’s habit of never pulling out of a storm.
John H. McCarthy
McCarthy, 62, of Bay Village, Ohio, was first Mate at the time of the Fitzgerald sinking, is from Bay Village, Ohio.
Ernest M. McSorley
Captain of the Fitzgerald, McSorley, 63, was born in Canada, but lived in Toledo. He was highly regarded for his skills, especially in heavy weather. He intended to retire after the 1975 shipping season and was survived by his wife, Nellie Pollock.
Eugene W. O’Brien
O’Brien, 50, was born in Minnesota and lived in Toledo. Nicknamed the “Great Lakes Gambler” O’Brien was a wheelman for the Fitzgerald. He was survived by his wife Nancy Ann Minarcin and son John.
Karl A. Peckol
Peckol, 20, of Ashtabula, Ohio, was the youngest crew member on the Fitzgerald. He was a watchman when the Fitzgerald sank.
John J. Poviach
Poviach, 59, of Bradenton, Florida, was a wheelsman, responsible for steering and directing the ship under the orders of the watchkeeping officer.
James A. Pratt
Pratt, 44, of Lakewood, Ohio, was the second mate.
Robert C. Rafferty
Rafferty, 62, of Toledo, was a steward on the Fitzgerald. He was thinking of retiring after the last trip due to bad health and always being away from his family, according to the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald Online. Rafferty was survived by his daughter Pam Johnson. Rafferty was filling in for a sailor who was home with bleeding ulcers.
Paul M. Riippa
Riippa, 22, of Ashtabula, was a deck hand. Riippa maintained the vessel and its mechanical equipment.
John D. Simmons
Simmons,62, of Ashland, was a wheelman when the Fitzgerald sank. Simmons was a jokester and storyteller, his biography say. He was also an avid pool player. He was survived by his granddaughter Mary, who resided in Ashland, according to the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald Online
William J. Spengler
Spengler, 59, of Toledo, was a watchman.
Mark A. Thomas
Thomas, 21, of Richmond Heights, Ohio, was a deck hand when the Fitzgerald sunk.
Ralph G. Walton
Walton, 58, of Fremont, Ohio, was an oiler aboard the Fitz. He was a often an orator of his tales of the sea, sharing tubs of popcorn with his nephews as he told them stories, according to the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald Online.
David E. Weiss
Weiss, 22, of Agoura, California, was a cadet aboard the Fitzgerald, tasked with casting the vessel.
Blaine H. Wilhelm
Wilhelm, 52, of Big Bay, Michigan, and raised in Moquah, Wisconsin, was an oiler aboard the ship. He liked to hunt and fish during his free time, Awesome Mitten said. The 52-year-old was survived by wife Lorraine, seven children, and a grandchild born just four days after the Fitzgerald sank.
[Credit for crew list; Detroit Free Press]
How a bonus led to Edmund Fitzgerald sinking. And 6 more surprises about ship
Boatnerd News – November 10, 2025
November 9th, 1978 at 2:39 PM Gale Warnings Go Up
EDMUND FITZGERALD | November 9th, 1975 at 2:39 PM. Shortly after departing captain McSorley of the Fitzgerald received the weather bulletin that a Gale Warning had been issued.
McSorley had known the storm was coming. Over the next several hours, the Fitzgerald and the Arthur M Anderson plotted a more northerly track across lake Superior, hoping to use the Canadian shore as a barrier from harsher northeast winds that would be developing. [Meteorologist Chris Vickers]
Whitefish Point Fitzgerald Memorial to be live-streamed
No chorus? No problem: The improbable story behind Gordon Lightfoot’s beloved hit ‘The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald’
All of these were devastating calamities that no doubt upended the lives of the affected families for generations. But it’s pretty safe to say that the average person today is only familiar with the last incident. And for that, we can thank Gordon Lightfoot.
Recorded in December 1975 — mere weeks after the ship had sunk — and released seven months later, Lightfoot’s song “The Wreck of Edmund Fitzgerald” was an astonishing feat on multiple levels. It was a direct response to a current event that exuded the gravitas of a centuries-old seafaring fable. It’s a folk-rock song that doubles as a work of investigative journalism, providing a vivid dramatization of the ship’s doomed journey while humanizing the sailors whom the public only knew as a grim statistic, and voicing the grief of their loved ones. It’s a six-minute slow-motion shanty comprising seven novelistic verses and no chorus that still managed to be a chart-topping hit.
A half-century later, as horrible headlines clog up our newsfeeds every minute only to be swiped away and instantly forgotten, “The Wreck of Edmund Fitzgerald” stands as a crucial work of historical preservation for an incident that might have otherwise faded from collective memory.
For evidence of the song’s lingering impact, look no further than the New York Times’s non-fiction bestsellers’ list, where Ann Arbor, Mich., journalist John U. Bacon’s “Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” debuted last month. A thorough accounting of the events of Nov. 10, 1975, and an intimate portrait of the crewmen’s families still trying to make sense of the tragedy, Bacon’s book also devotes considerable real estate to the creation and legacy of Lightfoot’s song.
“Let’s be honest: without the song, there is no book,” Bacon told the Star in a recent interview. “There were 6,000 shipwrecks in the Great Lakes between 1875 and 1975 and everybody can name one of them — and we all know why.
“But whenever somebody would say to me, ‘Oh, I already know this story,’ trust me, you don’t. I didn’t know 95 per cent of what’s in this book four years ago when I started working on it — and I grew up on the Great Lakes. I was amazed by how little I knew about this story, including the song. I just assumed this guy was inspired to write a song and that was it. I had no idea that the creation of the song was very unlikely, the recording of it was very unlikely, and the success might have been the most unlikely part.”
The recording of a classic
It’s well documented that Lightfoot started writing “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” after reading Newsweek’s coverage of the disaster, but the story of its completion is a tale less told. Lightfoot’s song may centre on a meticulously researched, intricately constructed narrative, but from a musical standpoint, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” is actually a triumph of on-the-spot improvisation.
“That was the first time we ever heard the song,” drummer Barry Keane said of “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, “it was the first time we ever played the song, and that is what’s on the record.”
After five days of rehearsals at Lightfoot’s Rosedale home in December 1975, the singer and his band booked a five-day session at Yorkville’s Eastern Sound Studio to record the songs that would form the “Summertime Dream” album. But “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” wasn’t on the to-do list; at that point, the song was just a skeletal sketch that Lightfoot would start fleshing out after the day’s work was done.
He’d start strumming this thing in 6/8 time,” drummer Barry Keane recalled, adding that lead guitarist Terry Clements and pedal-steel guitarist Pee Wee Charles would start working out parts to go along with it. “But as soon as Gord heard them play, he’d throw his hands up and say, ‘No, no, no — don’t worry about it. The song’s not finished, it won’t be on the album. We need to focus on the ones that will be on the album.’”
But when the “Summertime Dream” sessions wrapped up a day early, recording engineer Ken Friesen suggested that Lightfoot use the extra time (which was already paid for) to lay down the half-finished song he was so hesitant to share, if only to provide a rough outline.
Rick Haynes, who played bass with Gordon Lightfoot since 1968, said of the initial take of the song, “Oftentimes, that first rush of blood proves to be the best thing possible.”
“Very reluctantly, Gord said, ‘All right,’” Keane remembered. “Then he said, ‘Terry, Pee Wee — play those parts that you guys worked out.’”
But he never said a word to bassist Rick Haynes or Keane. “Just as Gord was about to count it in, I asked, ‘Gord, when do you want me to come in?’ And he said, ‘I’ll give you a nod.’
“So we got about a minute and a half into the song and I’m thinking, ‘We’ve got to be getting toward the end of the song — I think he forgot to cue me.’ But then we hit the break coming into the third verse and Gord gave me the nod. I did that big drum fill, and all of us played to the end of the song. That was the first time we ever heard the song, it was the first time we ever played the song, and that is what’s on the record.”
The band attempted a few more recordings of the track, but none matched the mercurial majesty of that initial, instinctual take.
As Haynes explained: “There was that first rush of blood — the instant response of musicians who are good enough to get through something without messing it up, but who were under pressure to come up with something. And oftentimes, that first rush of blood proves to be the best thing possible, and when you go back and try to improve on it, it just waters it down. Afterward, I just remember thinking, this song is a big deal — it’s way too long to be a single, but it’s going to be an awesome album cut.”
“Summertime Dream” was released in June 1976, with its typically folksy title track selected as the lead single. However, Warner Bros. Records CEO Mo Ostin noticed that “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” was getting played on more progressive FM radio stations and, at a Los Angeles meeting with Lightfoot and Keane, suggested it be promoted as the second single.
Keane recalled: “Gord and I are looking at each other like, ‘You know, Mo, you’re a very smart man, but are you really going to make a single out of a six-and-half-minute song about a shipwreck that has no chorus?’”
Ostin’s gut feeling proved correct: “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” went to No. 1 on the Canadian charts and No. 2 in the U.S. (where it was ultimately denied the top spot by Rod Stewart’s boudoir ballad “Tonight’s the Night”).
“I’ll never forget a concert we did in Kalamazoo, Michigan, at Wings Stadium, at the height of the record,” Keane said. “If that arena held 5,000 people, then there were 6,000 people in there. There were wire fences around the stage, and I will never forget seeing faces pressed up against those wire fences, trying to get close to the stage, and people just screaming. This was a big hit record, but it really hit home in a place like Kalamazoo, where we’re playing the song and meeting some members of the (sailors’) families. We weren’t just playing a hit song — there was a lot more emotionally to it, and that’s a feeling I never had before or since.”
Fifty years later
True to the song’s improvised origins and surprise success, the story of “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” has continued to evolve in unexpected ways: it’s hard to think of another 50-year-old golden oldie that’s proven to be such an evergreen source of Instagram memes.
And Lightfoot himself didn’t treat the song as some sacred, carved-in-stone text, but more like an online newspaper article that required periodic updating: as new information about the shipwreck came to light over the years, Lightfoot would modify some of the song’s more speculative lyrics in concert to ensure its authenticity. From those tentative first attempts in 1975 right up to his final performances before his 2023 death at 84, Lightfoot was committed to getting the story right, reaffirming that ”The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” was never intended to be some grand, self-edifying artistic statement for its writer, but a public memorial shrine for those directly impacted.
“The song mentions ‘the wives and the sons and the daughters,’ and they were always in the front of Gord’s mind,” Haynes said. “And he did it with the utmost respect, and did as much as possible to honour them.
“You know, Gord’s namesake in merry old England, the Lightfoots, were actually couriers that went from town to town to spread the news,” Haynes added. “And he was that kind of a guy. He told stories and he was very good at it.
“He was a very good journalist in the truest sense of the word.”
Bill
Boatnerd News – November 9, 2025
Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin Freed
SATURDAY 1 pm. UPDATE: Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin has been freed thanks to the efforts of 5 tugs and rising water levels. Tugs Ohio and Minnesota were on the bow, with the Ontario, Patricia Hoey and Tenacious on the stern. Once freed, the Martin turned downbound resuming its trip to Quebec.
SATURDAY NOON UPDATE: Five tugs are now on scene working to free the Martin. They are the tugs Ohio, Minnesota, Ontario, Patricia Hoey and Tenacious. All are Detroit-based.
ORIGINAL REPORT: Detroit, MI – A Canadian freighter that ran aground in the Detroit River on Friday will remain there until at least Saturday morning, a U.S. Coast Guard official said.
Petty Officer Omar Faba said the 738-foot motor vessel, known as the Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin, ran “soft aground,” meaning it was still surrounded by water, in the vicinity of the Renaissance Center. The ship was stuck perpendicular to the shore of the Detroit River.
Faba said the vessel was not creating any threat of “injury, pollution or impact to the marine transportation system” and that low visibility Friday evening was hindering efforts to free the freighter.
Faba said Coast Guard personnel were closely monitoring the incident. Authorities will reassess the situation Saturday morning and work to refloat the vessel, he said.
The MV Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin was traveling from Sault Ste. Marie to Quebec, Faba said. It wasn’t clear what the freighter was carrying or why it ran aground.
[The Detroit News]
No chorus? No problem: The improbable story behind Gordon Lightfoot’s beloved hit ‘The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald’
All of these were devastating calamities that no doubt upended the lives of the affected families for generations. But it’s pretty safe to say that the average person today is only familiar with the last incident. And for that, we can thank Gordon Lightfoot.
Recorded in December 1975 — mere weeks after the ship had sunk — and released seven months later, Lightfoot’s song “The Wreck of Edmund Fitzgerald” was an astonishing feat on multiple levels. It was a direct response to a current event that exuded the gravitas of a centuries-old seafaring fable. It’s a folk-rock song that doubles as a work of investigative journalism, providing a vivid dramatization of the ship’s doomed journey while humanizing the sailors whom the public only knew as a grim statistic, and voicing the grief of their loved ones. It’s a six-minute slow-motion shanty comprising seven novelistic verses and no chorus that still managed to be a chart-topping hit.
A half-century later, as horrible headlines clog up our newsfeeds every minute only to be swiped away and instantly forgotten, “The Wreck of Edmund Fitzgerald” stands as a crucial work of historical preservation for an incident that might have otherwise faded from collective memory.
For evidence of the song’s lingering impact, look no further than the New York Times’s non-fiction bestsellers’ list, where Ann Arbor, Mich., journalist John U. Bacon’s “Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” debuted last month. A thorough accounting of the events of Nov. 10, 1975, and an intimate portrait of the crewmen’s families still trying to make sense of the tragedy, Bacon’s book also devotes considerable real estate to the creation and legacy of Lightfoot’s song.
“Let’s be honest: without the song, there is no book,” Bacon told the Star in a recent interview. “There were 6,000 shipwrecks in the Great Lakes between 1875 and 1975 and everybody can name one of them — and we all know why.
“But whenever somebody would say to me, ‘Oh, I already know this story,’ trust me, you don’t. I didn’t know 95 per cent of what’s in this book four years ago when I started working on it — and I grew up on the Great Lakes. I was amazed by how little I knew about this story, including the song. I just assumed this guy was inspired to write a song and that was it. I had no idea that the creation of the song was very unlikely, the recording of it was very unlikely, and the success might have been the most unlikely part.”
The recording of a classic
It’s well documented that Lightfoot started writing “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” after reading Newsweek’s coverage of the disaster, but the story of its completion is a tale less told. Lightfoot’s song may centre on a meticulously researched, intricately constructed narrative, but from a musical standpoint, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” is actually a triumph of on-the-spot improvisation.
“That was the first time we ever heard the song,” drummer Barry Keane said of “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, “it was the first time we ever played the song, and that is what’s on the record.”
After five days of rehearsals at Lightfoot’s Rosedale home in December 1975, the singer and his band booked a five-day session at Yorkville’s Eastern Sound Studio to record the songs that would form the “Summertime Dream” album. But “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” wasn’t on the to-do list; at that point, the song was just a skeletal sketch that Lightfoot would start fleshing out after the day’s work was done.
He’d start strumming this thing in 6/8 time,” drummer Barry Keane recalled, adding that lead guitarist Terry Clements and pedal-steel guitarist Pee Wee Charles would start working out parts to go along with it. “But as soon as Gord heard them play, he’d throw his hands up and say, ‘No, no, no — don’t worry about it. The song’s not finished, it won’t be on the album. We need to focus on the ones that will be on the album.’”
But when the “Summertime Dream” sessions wrapped up a day early, recording engineer Ken Friesen suggested that Lightfoot use the extra time (which was already paid for) to lay down the half-finished song he was so hesitant to share, if only to provide a rough outline.
Rick Haynes, who played bass with Gordon Lightfoot since 1968, said of the initial take of the song, “Oftentimes, that first rush of blood proves to be the best thing possible.”
“Very reluctantly, Gord said, ‘All right,’” Keane remembered. “Then he said, ‘Terry, Pee Wee — play those parts that you guys worked out.’”
But he never said a word to bassist Rick Haynes or Keane. “Just as Gord was about to count it in, I asked, ‘Gord, when do you want me to come in?’ And he said, ‘I’ll give you a nod.’
“So we got about a minute and a half into the song and I’m thinking, ‘We’ve got to be getting toward the end of the song — I think he forgot to cue me.’ But then we hit the break coming into the third verse and Gord gave me the nod. I did that big drum fill, and all of us played to the end of the song. That was the first time we ever heard the song, it was the first time we ever played the song, and that is what’s on the record.”
The band attempted a few more recordings of the track, but none matched the mercurial majesty of that initial, instinctual take.
As Haynes explained: “There was that first rush of blood — the instant response of musicians who are good enough to get through something without messing it up, but who were under pressure to come up with something. And oftentimes, that first rush of blood proves to be the best thing possible, and when you go back and try to improve on it, it just waters it down. Afterward, I just remember thinking, this song is a big deal — it’s way too long to be a single, but it’s going to be an awesome album cut.”
“Summertime Dream” was released in June 1976, with its typically folksy title track selected as the lead single. However, Warner Bros. Records CEO Mo Ostin noticed that “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” was getting played on more progressive FM radio stations and, at a Los Angeles meeting with Lightfoot and Keane, suggested it be promoted as the second single.
Keane recalled: “Gord and I are looking at each other like, ‘You know, Mo, you’re a very smart man, but are you really going to make a single out of a six-and-half-minute song about a shipwreck that has no chorus?’”
Ostin’s gut feeling proved correct: “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” went to No. 1 on the Canadian charts and No. 2 in the U.S. (where it was ultimately denied the top spot by Rod Stewart’s boudoir ballad “Tonight’s the Night”).
“I’ll never forget a concert we did in Kalamazoo, Michigan, at Wings Stadium, at the height of the record,” Keane said. “If that arena held 5,000 people, then there were 6,000 people in there. There were wire fences around the stage, and I will never forget seeing faces pressed up against those wire fences, trying to get close to the stage, and people just screaming. This was a big hit record, but it really hit home in a place like Kalamazoo, where we’re playing the song and meeting some members of the (sailors’) families. We weren’t just playing a hit song — there was a lot more emotionally to it, and that’s a feeling I never had before or since.”
Fifty years later
True to the song’s improvised origins and surprise success, the story of “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” has continued to evolve in unexpected ways: it’s hard to think of another 50-year-old golden oldie that’s proven to be such an evergreen source of Instagram memes.
And Lightfoot himself didn’t treat the song as some sacred, carved-in-stone text, but more like an online newspaper article that required periodic updating: as new information about the shipwreck came to light over the years, Lightfoot would modify some of the song’s more speculative lyrics in concert to ensure its authenticity. From those tentative first attempts in 1975 right up to his final performances before his 2023 death at 84, Lightfoot was committed to getting the story right, reaffirming that ”The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” was never intended to be some grand, self-edifying artistic statement for its writer, but a public memorial shrine for those directly impacted.
“The song mentions ‘the wives and the sons and the daughters,’ and they were always in the front of Gord’s mind,” Haynes said. “And he did it with the utmost respect, and did as much as possible to honour them.
“You know, Gord’s namesake in merry old England, the Lightfoots, were actually couriers that went from town to town to spread the news,” Haynes added. “And he was that kind of a guy. He told stories and he was very good at it.
“He was a very good journalist in the truest sense of the word.”
Bill
Whitefish Point area prepares for emotional tributes to Edmund Fitzgerald crew
As Nov. 10 marks five decades since the tragic loss of all hands aboard the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, communities near Whitefish Point are preparing heartfelt tributes
According to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS), leading up to the Nov. 10, 7 p.m. private remembrance service for the 50th Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point, there will be other special events in the Paradise/Whitefish Point area that the public is invited to.
Friday, Nov. 7, 6:30 p.m. at the Whitefish Township Community Center at 7052 M-123 in Paradise.
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum (GLSM) will host an Edmund Fitzgerald speaker panel. Panelists will range from historians and surviving Fitzgerald family members to Shipwreck Society staff and a former engineer on the Fitzgerald. This is a free event, and seating will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. The event will last approximately ninety minutes.
Saturday, Nov. 8, 6:30 p.m. at the Whitefish Township Community Center put on by the Paradise community.
A round table discussion will take place. We will hear the accounts of the then-teenagers that were in Paradise and at Whitefish Point, the evening of Nov. 10, 1975. They will undoubtedly reminisce about their parent’s stories handed down over the years as well. We are also asking if you were blessed to be a “Bell Ringer” in the past, please come if you can, if you have a pin please wear it proudly once more.
Seating limited to 200, first come first basis. Public is welcome.
Sunday, Nov. 9 from 1-3 p.m. at Whitefish Point.
The GLSHS will release the second edition of its popular Edmund Fitzgerald publication, The Legend Lives On.
With an additional 48-pages of content, this richly illustrated book features historic imagery and artwork of “Big Fitz” during its working life and of this ship’s ongoing story across the years since Nov. 10, 1975. Authors Bruce Lynn and Christopher Winters will be signing copies of the book at this time.
Monday, Nov. 10 at 2 p.m. at Whitefish Point.
The GLSHS will hold an outdoor public remembrance service for the 50th Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial. The public event will last around 90 minutes. We will ring a replica bell 30 times and have different speakers, and play The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald live. This event is going to be emotional, touching and memorable. No tickets are needed to attend.
Please note: the parking area at Whitefish Point needs to be vacated by 4:30 p.m. to make room for the Fitzgerald family’s private evening event at 7 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. at Whitefish Point inside the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.
A ceremony for family members only will take place at 7 p.m., which will be live-streamed for the public. Under no circumstances will the evening ceremony for the family members of the Edmund Fitzgerald be open to the public. The live-stream link of the evening ceremony will be made available prior to the ceremony via the website and social media channels.
Monday, Nov. 10, 5:30-9 p.m. at the Whitefish Township Community Center put on by the Paradise community.
The Community of Paradise will host the live-stream of the evening Memorial Service at Whitefish Point (which is closed to the public). Seating is limited to 200, first come first-served basis.
[Jim Lehocky]
[Sooleader]
For more information, please call: 800-635-1742, or head to the GLSM website by clicking here.
https://shipwreckmuseum.com/?utm_source=sooleader.com&utm_campaign=sooleader.com%3A%20outbound&utm_medium=referral
National Museum of the Great Lakes Remembers the Fitzgerald
Fifty years after the Edmund Fitzgerald tragically met its demise in Lake Superior, the National Museum of the Great Lakes invites you to Toledo for four powerful days of stories, music and reflection remembering the ship’s 29-man crew-many of whom called Toledo home.
[See the two-page flyer in the gallery.]
Mark 50 years since Edmund Fitzgerald sinking with historic cuisine, wreath laying
DETROIT, MI – From dining on authentic cuisine served on the ill-fated freighter to a solemn laying of wreaths on the water, the Detroit Historical Society is hosting a weekend of events to honor the 29 mariners who died in the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald nearly 50 years ago.
The museum is planning several opportunities, paid and free, to honor the Fitzgerald, which went down in a violent storm on Nov. 10, 1975, and is remembered in the Gordon Lightfoot ballad.
Rebecca Salminen-Witt, a spokeswoman for the Detroit Historical Society, said tickets are expected to sell out fast for a special brunch set for Sunday, Nov. 9, and the solemn wreath-laying ceremony on Nov. 10. Free events also are scheduled at the museum throughout the weekend.
“It’s important for people to learn about this history ― there’s a lot of it. And Detroit played a huge role in the maritime history of the state and in the whole country,” Salminen-Witt said.
Friday Nov. 7
The commemorative weekend kicks off at 11 a.m. with a book talk featuring Thomas Nelson, the author of “Wrecked: the Edmund Fitzgerald and the Sinking of the American Economy.”
Salminen-Witt said Nelson’s book takes a unique perspective on the ship’s sinking and how the loss of thousands of pounds of ore affected Michigan’s manufacturing economy, ultimately impacting the nation’s economy.
Register for the book talk here: https://www.detroithistorical.org/events/book-talk-wrecked
Detroit Free Press
Detroit Historical Society hosts several events for 50th anniversary of Edmund Fitzgerald sinking
By: Max White
(WXYZ) — The Detroit Historical Society is hosting a full weekend of activities to mark the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
According to the society, the activities all take place at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle, and will kick off on Friday, Nov. 7, with a talk by author Thomas Nelson, who wrote the book “WRECKED: the Edmund Fitzgerald and the Sinking of the American Economy.”
On Saturday, Nov. 8, curators and docents will host drop-in tours of the Edmund Fitzgerald exhibit on the lower level of the Dossin Great Lakes Museum. Also, the Great Lakes Maritime Institute will be there for information and merchandise.
Also on Saturday, the Livonia Amateur Radio Club will be in DeRoy Hall for the Edmund Fitzgerald radio broadcast, and a new pop-up exhibit will debut.
Sunday morning, the museum will host its first-ever Maritime Brunch, which will feature a chef-prepared meal directly from the Edmund Fitzgerald’s on-ship menu, along with a video presentation from Ship-to-Shore Chef Catherine Schmuck.
During the brunch, a new film will premiere about the Edmund Fitzgerald with experts from around the Great Lakes. Tickets for the brunch are available now.
Finally, on Monday, the society will host its 26th annual Lost Mariner’s Remembrance, which is a tribute to the sailors who were lost on the Great Lakes. The event takes place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and begins with a lantern vigil at the Fitzgerald’s bow setting. Officials say the event sells out every year, and tickets are available now.
Click to see Full story and videos: https://www.wxyz.com/news/detroit-historical-society-hosts-several-events-for-50th-anniversary-of-edmund-fitzgerald-sinking?sfnsn=mo&fbclid=IwY2xjawMsZ1VleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHi7V_IMl1KDLaV2aLwAgHT9l68-iG1GT4NPz0DBD_7FrGRv3vNimb9LJi74Q_aem_jJq4jLDiDZj4tCbMK3qspw
Split Rock lighthouse on Lake Superior to shine
beacon for Edmund Fitzgerald memorial ceremony
TWO HARBORS, MN – One of the most famous lighthouses on the Great Lakes will again be hosting an Edmund Fitzgerald memorial service this year, and the gathering marking the 50th anniversary of the freighter’s tragic loss is expected to draw thousands to the clifftop site.
Split Rock Lighthouse will host its annual event on Nov. 10, a half-century after the Fitzgerald sank in a violent storm off Whitefish Point at the southern end of Lake Superior.
At the service, all 29 names will be read aloud to the tolling of a bell. Then Split Rock’s beacon will be lit in tribute to those lost.
The Minnesota Historical Society will be hosting the event. The lighthouse, perched atop a high, rocky cliff, sits more than 130 feet above Lake Superior. It is one of the most photographed lighthouses in the United States.
“We’re just trying to provide a little place for memory and for remembrance and to really put into perspective the power of the lake,” site manager Hayes Scriven told Minnesota Public Radio recently. “So that’s why we think it’s very important for us to keep doing this.”
The Split Rock Lighthouse event is one of many taking place across the Great Lakes to honor the memory of the Edmund Fitzgerald’s crew. In Michigan, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point will be holding a public remembrance event on Nov. 10, as well as a private ceremony for the relatives of the Fitzgerald’s crew.
The Mariners’ Church of Detroit also has memorial events planned for November. You can see the lineup here: https://marinerschurchofdetroit.org/edmund-fitzgerald/
[M Live]
Fitzgerald Memorial Plans Announced By
Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society will hold an outdoor public remembrance service for the 50th Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial at Whitefish Point on Monday, November 10th, 2025 at 2 p.m.
PLAN AHEAD – WHAT TO EXPECT:
Outdoor Shelter: NO tent or seating will be setup for the outdoor public ceremony, as November can have volatile weather that would cause more harm than good. Check the weather forecast prior to traveling to Whitefish Point, and know your limits.
*(Seating will be provided for speakers and individuals ringing the bell.)
Parking: LIMITED parking is available at Whitefish Point. No RVs, Campers, or trailers will be allowed to park in the PAVED parking areas. Once paved parking areas are filled, be prepared to park along the shoulder of the road prior to reaching Whitefish Point.
No Shuttle Services: Be prepared to walk the distance from where you parked to get to Whitefish Point. Know your limits!
Museum Closed: The Museum will be closed to the public. Restrooms will be open.
Grounds Cleared: In order to make room (and parking available) for Fitzgerald families driving-in for the evening ceremony, daytime visitors will be asked to leave the grounds by 5PM.
A ceremony for family members only will take place at 7:00 PM, which will be livestreamed for the public. Under no circumstances will the evening ceremony for the family members of the Edmund Fitzgerald be open to the public.
The live stream link of the evening ceremony will be made available prior to the ceremony via our website and social media channels.
[Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society]
Boatnerd News – November 8, 2025
Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin Freed
SATURDAY 1 pm. UPDATE: Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin has been freed thanks to the efforts of 5 tugs and rising water levels. Tugs Ohio and Minnesota were on the bow, with the Ontario, Patricia Hoey and Tenacious on the stern. Once freed, the Martin turned downbound resuming its trip to Quebec.
SATURDAY NOON UPDATE: Five tugs are now on scene working to free the Martin. They are the tugs Ohio, Minnesota, Ontario, Patricia Hoey and Tenacious. All are Detroit-based.
ORIGINAL REPORT: Detroit, MI – A Canadian freighter that ran aground in the Detroit River on Friday will remain there until at least Saturday morning, a U.S. Coast Guard official said.
Petty Officer Omar Faba said the 738-foot motor vessel, known as the Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin, ran “soft aground,” meaning it was still surrounded by water, in the vicinity of the Renaissance Center. The ship was stuck perpendicular to the shore of the Detroit River.
Faba said the vessel was not creating any threat of “injury, pollution or impact to the marine transportation system” and that low visibility Friday evening was hindering efforts to free the freighter.
Faba said Coast Guard personnel were closely monitoring the incident. Authorities will reassess the situation Saturday morning and work to refloat the vessel, he said.
The MV Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin was traveling from Sault Ste. Marie to Quebec, Faba said. It wasn’t clear what the freighter was carrying or why it ran aground.
[The Detroit News]
Why can’t people dive to see the Edmund Fitzgerald? A preservation expert explains
[WCMU | By Tina Sawyer]
AJ Jones: Even though diving to view most shipwrecks in the Great Lakes is legal, the wreckage site of the Edmund Fitzgerald in Lake Superior has been deemed off-limits to divers for almost two decades. To discuss why that is and the other rules surrounding dives, WCMU’s Tina Sawyer recently sat down with Ron Bloomfield from Michigan’s Underwater Salvage and Preserve Committee. Ron began the discussion by explaining why The Fitzgerald is considered “sacred ground.”
Ron Bloomfield: It’s off limits by the Canadian government, and that was in response to there was a couple of divers in 1995 that actually dove it on open circuit scuba. But the Canadians at that point were concerned about the ramifications of people diving on the wreck.
Tina Sawyer: Would there have to be a certain amount of years that have passed in order for someone to say, okay, well, obviously they don’t have any family members left. It’s a 100-year-old shipwreck. Should that be allowed?
RB: There is actually a law in place that specifically, it does address 100 years. From what I understand of the law, there’s questions as to how that would be be enforced. Everybody has to look at the ethics part of it on their own terms. The Michigan legislature in 1997 passed the law about not being able to take pictures. There’s a penalty for taking pictures and distributing them of bodies on wrecks. And that was very much a, well, in any grave site actually, and that was very much a reaction to the body that was found on the Fitzgerald in one of the expeditions in the early 1990s and put into a video. There again, it’s a very specific circumstance. I don’t know that we’ve even seen any prosecutions or any even potential prosecutions that have come out of it. It’s only going to deal with a very small subset of shipwrecks.
TS: Let’s say of the Edmund Fitzgerald, a lot of those family members are no longer with us. And how would you be able to go back down in there? Would you have to, you know, go to the Canadian government and ask them for permission?
RB: That’s in Canadian water, so yeah, absolutely. They have total jurisdiction over it.
TS: So even if the family members said it’s okay, they’d still say no?
RB: They have the right to say no to it. But knowing what we do with permitting for bringing objects up, my guess would would be they would require something to talk about how are you going to deal with these types of things if they’re found, including human remains.
TS: These laws also apply to anything under the water or just shipwrecks?
RB: I would assume in reading the way that the definition is of what the grave site is, it could be that a plane, so that is a good point, that there are planes, but the way that I understand it, a lot of these plane wreckage are going to be more debris field than anything else. And if I’m not mistaken, some of these have been, people have been found, but you know, it could even be if a car was pulled out of the lake as well.
TS: It is the 50th anniversary this year of the sinking of the Fitz. And they did a swim this past summer from the wreck, Lake Huron, into Detroit. But they did so with some iron ore pellets that they claimed were aboard the Edmund Fitzgerald. How are they allowed to have that cargo without any penalty?
RB: That’s a good question. I did hear that as well myself. But that is Canadian Waters. If the Ontario government issued them a permit to be able to do that, it may have been stuff that was pulled up at the time. I mean, like I said, there were several. Submarine expeditions that went out, so it is possible that was stuff gathered at the time. Without knowing specifics about it, yeah, I would say that’s how it would be handled in Michigan. We would be requested a permit, we would give a permit…in this case it would be Canadian, if I remember correctly, they have a similar type of a process where you have to apply for permits.
AJ: That was Ron Bloomfield from Michigan’s Underwater Salvage and Preserve Committee talking with WCMU’s Tina Sawyer.
Whitefish Point area prepares for emotional tributes to Edmund Fitzgerald crew
As Nov. 10 marks five decades since the tragic loss of all hands aboard the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, communities near Whitefish Point are preparing heartfelt tributes
According to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS), leading up to the Nov. 10, 7 p.m. private remembrance service for the 50th Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point, there will be other special events in the Paradise/Whitefish Point area that the public is invited to.
Friday, Nov. 7, 6:30 p.m. at the Whitefish Township Community Center at 7052 M-123 in Paradise.
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum (GLSM) will host an Edmund Fitzgerald speaker panel. Panelists will range from historians and surviving Fitzgerald family members to Shipwreck Society staff and a former engineer on the Fitzgerald. This is a free event, and seating will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. The event will last approximately ninety minutes.
Saturday, Nov. 8, 6:30 p.m. at the Whitefish Township Community Center put on by the Paradise community.
A round table discussion will take place. We will hear the accounts of the then-teenagers that were in Paradise and at Whitefish Point, the evening of Nov. 10, 1975. They will undoubtedly reminisce about their parent’s stories handed down over the years as well. We are also asking if you were blessed to be a “Bell Ringer” in the past, please come if you can, if you have a pin please wear it proudly once more.
Seating limited to 200, first come first basis. Public is welcome.
Sunday, Nov. 9 from 1-3 p.m. at Whitefish Point.
The GLSHS will release the second edition of its popular Edmund Fitzgerald publication, The Legend Lives On.
With an additional 48-pages of content, this richly illustrated book features historic imagery and artwork of “Big Fitz” during its working life and of this ship’s ongoing story across the years since Nov. 10, 1975. Authors Bruce Lynn and Christopher Winters will be signing copies of the book at this time.
Monday, Nov. 10 at 2 p.m. at Whitefish Point.
The GLSHS will hold an outdoor public remembrance service for the 50th Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial. The public event will last around 90 minutes. We will ring a replica bell 30 times and have different speakers, and play The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald live. This event is going to be emotional, touching and memorable. No tickets are needed to attend.
Please note: the parking area at Whitefish Point needs to be vacated by 4:30 p.m. to make room for the Fitzgerald family’s private evening event at 7 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. at Whitefish Point inside the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.
A ceremony for family members only will take place at 7 p.m., which will be live-streamed for the public. Under no circumstances will the evening ceremony for the family members of the Edmund Fitzgerald be open to the public. The live-stream link of the evening ceremony will be made available prior to the ceremony via the website and social media channels.
Monday, Nov. 10, 5:30-9 p.m. at the Whitefish Township Community Center put on by the Paradise community.
The Community of Paradise will host the live-stream of the evening Memorial Service at Whitefish Point (which is closed to the public). Seating is limited to 200, first come first-served basis.
[Jim Lehocky]
[Sooleader]
For more information, please call: 800-635-1742, or head to the GLSM website by clicking here.
https://shipwreckmuseum.com/?utm_source=sooleader.com&utm_campaign=sooleader.com%3A%20outbound&utm_medium=referral
Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum Offers 2
Special Edmund Fitzgerald Events
WHITEFISH POINT, MI – Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum has two special events happening before the Fitzgerald memorial on November 10th. One on November 7th and one on the 9th. All our events this fall are free to the public…please read below.
NOVEMBER 7th
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum will host an Edmund Fitzgerald speaker panel to take place on Friday, November 7, 2025 (6:30pm) at the Whitefish Township Community Center in Paradise, MI. Panelists will range from historians and surviving Fitzgerald family members…to Shipwreck Society staff and a former engineer on the Fitzgerald. This is a free event and seating will be on a first-come, first serve basis. The event will last approximately 1.5 hours. The Whitefish Township Community Center is located at: 7052 M-123, Paradise, MI 49768.
ON NOVEMBER 9th
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society will soon release the second edition of its popular Edmund Fitzgerald publication, The Legend Lives On. With an additional 48-pages of content, this richly illustrated book features historic imagery and artwork of “Big Fitz” during its working life and of this ship’s ongoing story across the years since November 10, 1975. The GLSHS official release and book signing of The Legend Lives On will take place at the Shipwreck Coast Museum Store on the Shipwreck Museum campus (Whitefish Point) on Sunday, November 9, 2025 from 1pm-3pm. Authors Bruce Lynn and Christopher Winters will be signing copies of the book at this time
Gales of November Conference Honors Fitzgerald 50th
DULUTH, MN – Lake Superior Marine Museum Association presents Gales of November 2025, a two-day conference Nov 7-8 commemorating the 50th anniversary of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. This special event brings together maritime historians, lighthouse preservationists, and Great Lakes experts for a weekend of reflection, education, and storytelling
Attendees can look forward to in-depth presentations on shipwreck research, lighthouse restoration, and the evolution of theories surrounding the Fitzgerald disaster. The conference also includes updates from the Duluth Seaway Port Authority and the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center, buffet luncheons and a silent auction.
Gales of November offers an opportunity to honor the men lost aboard the Fitzgerald and celebrate those who continue to preserve the legacy of Great Lakes shipping and maritime history.
LEARN MORE & REGISTER AT: destinationduluth.co/GalesOfNovConf
Great Lakes Maritime Institute Marks Fitzgerald Anniversary
National Museum of the Great Lakes Remembers the Fitzgerald
Fifty years after the Edmund Fitzgerald tragically met its demise in Lake Superior, the National Museum of the Great Lakes invites you to Toledo for four powerful days of stories, music and reflection remembering the ship’s 29-man crew-many of whom called Toledo home.
[See the two-page flyer in the gallery.]
Mark 50 years since Edmund Fitzgerald sinking with historic cuisine, wreath laying
DETROIT, MI – From dining on authentic cuisine served on the ill-fated freighter to a solemn laying of wreaths on the water, the Detroit Historical Society is hosting a weekend of events to honor the 29 mariners who died in the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald nearly 50 years ago.
The museum is planning several opportunities, paid and free, to honor the Fitzgerald, which went down in a violent storm on Nov. 10, 1975, and is remembered in the Gordon Lightfoot ballad.
Rebecca Salminen-Witt, a spokeswoman for the Detroit Historical Society, said tickets are expected to sell out fast for a special brunch set for Sunday, Nov. 9, and the solemn wreath-laying ceremony on Nov. 10. Free events also are scheduled at the museum throughout the weekend.
“It’s important for people to learn about this history ― there’s a lot of it. And Detroit played a huge role in the maritime history of the state and in the whole country,” Salminen-Witt said.
Friday Nov. 7
The commemorative weekend kicks off at 11 a.m. with a book talk featuring Thomas Nelson, the author of “Wrecked: the Edmund Fitzgerald and the Sinking of the American Economy.”
Salminen-Witt said Nelson’s book takes a unique perspective on the ship’s sinking and how the loss of thousands of pounds of ore affected Michigan’s manufacturing economy, ultimately impacting the nation’s economy.
Register for the book talk here: https://www.detroithistorical.org/events/book-talk-wrecked
Detroit Free Press
Detroit Historical Society hosts several events for 50th anniversary of Edmund Fitzgerald sinking
By: Max White
(WXYZ) — The Detroit Historical Society is hosting a full weekend of activities to mark the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
According to the society, the activities all take place at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle, and will kick off on Friday, Nov. 7, with a talk by author Thomas Nelson, who wrote the book “WRECKED: the Edmund Fitzgerald and the Sinking of the American Economy.”
On Saturday, Nov. 8, curators and docents will host drop-in tours of the Edmund Fitzgerald exhibit on the lower level of the Dossin Great Lakes Museum. Also, the Great Lakes Maritime Institute will be there for information and merchandise.
Also on Saturday, the Livonia Amateur Radio Club will be in DeRoy Hall for the Edmund Fitzgerald radio broadcast, and a new pop-up exhibit will debut.
Sunday morning, the museum will host its first-ever Maritime Brunch, which will feature a chef-prepared meal directly from the Edmund Fitzgerald’s on-ship menu, along with a video presentation from Ship-to-Shore Chef Catherine Schmuck.
During the brunch, a new film will premiere about the Edmund Fitzgerald with experts from around the Great Lakes. Tickets for the brunch are available now.
Finally, on Monday, the society will host its 26th annual Lost Mariner’s Remembrance, which is a tribute to the sailors who were lost on the Great Lakes. The event takes place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and begins with a lantern vigil at the Fitzgerald’s bow setting. Officials say the event sells out every year, and tickets are available now.
Click to see Full story and videos: https://www.wxyz.com/news/detroit-historical-society-hosts-several-events-for-50th-anniversary-of-edmund-fitzgerald-sinking?sfnsn=mo&fbclid=IwY2xjawMsZ1VleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHi7V_IMl1KDLaV2aLwAgHT9l68-iG1GT4NPz0DBD_7FrGRv3vNimb9LJi74Q_aem_jJq4jLDiDZj4tCbMK3qspw
Split Rock lighthouse on Lake Superior to shine
beacon for Edmund Fitzgerald memorial ceremony
TWO HARBORS, MN – One of the most famous lighthouses on the Great Lakes will again be hosting an Edmund Fitzgerald memorial service this year, and the gathering marking the 50th anniversary of the freighter’s tragic loss is expected to draw thousands to the clifftop site.
Split Rock Lighthouse will host its annual event on Nov. 10, a half-century after the Fitzgerald sank in a violent storm off Whitefish Point at the southern end of Lake Superior.
At the service, all 29 names will be read aloud to the tolling of a bell. Then Split Rock’s beacon will be lit in tribute to those lost.
The Minnesota Historical Society will be hosting the event. The lighthouse, perched atop a high, rocky cliff, sits more than 130 feet above Lake Superior. It is one of the most photographed lighthouses in the United States.
“We’re just trying to provide a little place for memory and for remembrance and to really put into perspective the power of the lake,” site manager Hayes Scriven told Minnesota Public Radio recently. “So that’s why we think it’s very important for us to keep doing this.”
The Split Rock Lighthouse event is one of many taking place across the Great Lakes to honor the memory of the Edmund Fitzgerald’s crew. In Michigan, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point will be holding a public remembrance event on Nov. 10, as well as a private ceremony for the relatives of the Fitzgerald’s crew.
The Mariners’ Church of Detroit also has memorial events planned for November. You can see the lineup here: https://marinerschurchofdetroit.org/edmund-fitzgerald/
[M Live]
Fitzgerald Memorial Plans Announced By
Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society will hold an outdoor public remembrance service for the 50th Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial at Whitefish Point on Monday, November 10th, 2025 at 2 p.m.
PLAN AHEAD – WHAT TO EXPECT:
Outdoor Shelter: NO tent or seating will be setup for the outdoor public ceremony, as November can have volatile weather that would cause more harm than good. Check the weather forecast prior to traveling to Whitefish Point, and know your limits.
*(Seating will be provided for speakers and individuals ringing the bell.)
Parking: LIMITED parking is available at Whitefish Point. No RVs, Campers, or trailers will be allowed to park in the PAVED parking areas. Once paved parking areas are filled, be prepared to park along the shoulder of the road prior to reaching Whitefish Point.
No Shuttle Services: Be prepared to walk the distance from where you parked to get to Whitefish Point. Know your limits!
Museum Closed: The Museum will be closed to the public. Restrooms will be open.
Grounds Cleared: In order to make room (and parking available) for Fitzgerald families driving-in for the evening ceremony, daytime visitors will be asked to leave the grounds by 5PM.
A ceremony for family members only will take place at 7:00 PM, which will be livestreamed for the public. Under no circumstances will the evening ceremony for the family members of the Edmund Fitzgerald be open to the public.
The live stream link of the evening ceremony will be made available prior to the ceremony via our website and social media channels.
[Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society]
Huge crowd expected for 50th anniversary
memorial of sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald
A crowd of about 2,000 people is expected to turn out next month when Split Rock Lighthouse and the Minnesota Historical Society host a memorial to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald on Nov. 10.
The ship left port in Superior, Wis., in 1975 “With a load of iron ore, 26,000 tons more, than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty,” as immortalized in Gordon Lightfoot’s famous song about the wreck. The Fitz would have passed just a few miles off shore from Split Rock.
For the past 40 years, the lighthouse has observed the anniversary with a ceremony in which the names of the 29 crew members who perished in Lake Superior are read aloud to the tolling of a ship’s bell. Then Split Rock’s beacon is lit in their honor.
This year’s event will continue that tradition. In addition, former Split Rock Lighthouse Site Manager Lee Radzak will discuss why he started the annual memorial 40 years ago.
“My first one that I attended was actually the first day I was here on site, back in 2019, and the emotional response that I had was just very striking to me,” recalls current site manager Hayes Scriven.
“Listening to the names and the bell being rung, and all of sudden the light comes on, it’s very moving.”
Scriven said they’ve already sold more tickets in advance this year than they ever have for past events. He advises those interested in attending to arrive a few hours before it starts at 4 pm. Free shuttles will also be available from Silver Bay.
He believes there are a few reasons why the tragedy still resonates so deeply with people today. Many know it through the iconic song “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” There’s also the enduring mystery of what precisely led to the ship and crew’s demise.
Thousands of tourists flock to Duluth and the North Shore of Lake Superior to see up close the giant 1,000-foot freighters that carry iron ore and other materials across the Great Lakes. Scriven says many people have a hard time fathoming how one of those enormous ships could disappear.
“We’re just trying to provide a little place for memory and for remembrance and to really put into perspective the power of the lake,” Scriven says. “So that’s why we think it’s very important for us to keep doing this.”
MPR News
ISMA Milwaukee Lodge, Wisconsin Marine Historical Society
Will Host 50th Anniversary Fitzgerald Commemoration
International Ship Masters Association Milwaukee Lodge and the
Wisconsin Marine Historical Society have partnered to commemorate
the SS Edmund Fitzgerald and her Crew on the 50th anniversary of
her sinking.
Join us on Monday, November 10th, from 5-8 PM, at The
Cooperage (822 S. Water St., Milwaukee). The event will feature a
solemn bell ringing ceremony at 6:10 PM in memory of the 29 lost
crew members, followed by speakers sharing their personal
connections to this historic event.
Admission includes heavy hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. Tickets
are $20 presale, or $40 at the door if space allows. Secure your spot
early – the first 200 tickets sold will receive a commemorative
challenge coin and gift bag. Presale ends November 5, 2025.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to reflect on a solemn and
significant event in Great Lakes history. Space is limited, so purchase
your tickets today at:
http://www.shipmaster.org/lodge-6
This event is a commemoration, not a fund raiser.
Boatnerd News – November 7, 2025
Seaway Traffic Results (as of October 31, 2025)
[See Results in Gallery below]
Great Lakes museums and trails preserve stories of shipwrecks and sustainability
[SooLeader Staff]
While the song highlights one deadly wreck in 1975, all of the lakes can be a fearsome place for sailors, especially during the gales of November’
NEWS RELEASE
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
As autumn leaves change and fall around the Great Lakes region, history fans – and fans of Gordon Lightfoot’s song, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” – pay homage to the many ships and crews that have sailed the Great Lakes. This year is the 50th anniversary of the Lake Superior tragedy. While the song highlights one deadly wreck in 1975, all of the lakes can be a fearsome place for sailors, especially during the gales of November.
The lakes have been used for trade since the 17th century when fur traders navigated the waters. In the 19th century, transporting bulk materials such as iron ore and limestone became common. Over time shipping expanded and ships grew in size to carry more tonnage. Shipping remains an important aspect of the region’s economy today. The history of the ships, lighthouses, and sailors who navigate the Great Lakes offer fascinating stories. Learn more about the Edmund Fitzgerald by visiting The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum website, or the museum (May 1-Oct. 1) at Whitefish Point in the Upper Peninsula.
Another museum offering much to learn about shipwrecks is the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Alpena, MI (check online for hours of operation). The website tells the stories of the nearly 100 shipwrecks in the Lake Huron sanctuary.
But shipping is not the only thing that draws us to the lakes.
Fishing an important part of our history
For as long as humans have lived in the Great Lakes basin, fishing has also been an important ecological, economic, and recreational activity.
Great Lakes fishery heritage tells more than the story of Great Lakes fish and the people who catch them. This rich vein of history connects us to aquatic ecosystems, biodiversity, water quality, and environmental change. Fisheries serve as a gauge of resource sustainability and quality of life for communities around the state.
The article Small Fry & Big Catches gives a broad overview of the history of the Great Lakes fishery. Written by Michigan Sea Grant Extension Educators Brandon Schroeder and Dan O’Keefe, the article describes the important role fishing has served in the Great Lakes, and the evolution of fisheries management, improvements, and coming challenges.
Great Lakes Fisheries Heritage Trail Network
Great Lakes fisheries heritage sites throughout Michigan offer residents and visitors a unique opportunity to explore and experience the dynamic social, technological, and environmental changes that have shaped today’s fishery. The interactive website can help you learn more about the trail network and partnerships. Michigan Sea Grant is a leadership partner for the regional network.
Michigan Sea Grant is committed to research, education, and outreach through partnerships with people and organizations to foster healthy Great Lakes coastal ecosystems, communities, and economies. A collaborative effort of the University of Michigan and Michigan State University and its MSU Extension, Michigan Sea Grant is part of the NOAA-National Sea Grant network of 34 university-based programs.
Why can’t people dive to see the Edmund Fitzgerald? A preservation expert explains
[WCMU | By Tina Sawyer]
Editor’s note: This story was produced for the ear and designed to be heard. If you’re able, WCMU encourages you to listen to the audio version of this story by clicking the LISTEN button above. This transcript was edited for clarity and length.
AJ Jones: Even though diving to view most shipwrecks in the Great Lakes is legal, the wreckage site of the Edmund Fitzgerald in Lake Superior has been deemed off-limits to divers for almost two decades. To discuss why that is and the other rules surrounding dives, WCMU’s Tina Sawyer recently sat down with Ron Bloomfield from Michigan’s Underwater Salvage and Preserve Committee. Ron began the discussion by explaining why The Fitzgerald is considered “sacred ground.”
Ron Bloomfield: It’s off limits by the Canadian government, and that was in response to there was a couple of divers in 1995 that actually dove it on open circuit scuba. But the Canadians at that point were concerned about the ramifications of people diving on the wreck.
Tina Sawyer: Would there have to be a certain amount of years that have passed in order for someone to say, okay, well, obviously they don’t have any family members left. It’s a 100-year-old shipwreck. Should that be allowed?
RB: There is actually a law in place that specifically, it does address 100 years. From what I understand of the law, there’s questions as to how that would be be enforced. Everybody has to look at the ethics part of it on their own terms. The Michigan legislature in 1997 passed the law about not being able to take pictures. There’s a penalty for taking pictures and distributing them of bodies on wrecks. And that was very much a, well, in any grave site actually, and that was very much a reaction to the body that was found on the Fitzgerald in one of the expeditions in the early 1990s and put into a video. There again, it’s a very specific circumstance. I don’t know that we’ve even seen any prosecutions or any even potential prosecutions that have come out of it. It’s only going to deal with a very small subset of shipwrecks.
TS: Let’s say of the Edmund Fitzgerald, a lot of those family members are no longer with us. And how would you be able to go back down in there? Would you have to, you know, go to the Canadian government and ask them for permission?
RB: That’s in Canadian water, so yeah, absolutely. They have total jurisdiction over it.
TS: So even if the family members said it’s okay, they’d still say no?
RB: They have the right to say no to it. But knowing what we do with permitting for bringing objects up, my guess would would be they would require something to talk about how are you going to deal with these types of things if they’re found, including human remains.
TS: These laws also apply to anything under the water or just shipwrecks?
RB: I would assume in reading the way that the definition is of what the grave site is, it could be that a plane, so that is a good point, that there are planes, but the way that I understand it, a lot of these plane wreckage are going to be more debris field than anything else. And if I’m not mistaken, some of these have been, people have been found, but you know, it could even be if a car was pulled out of the lake as well.
TS: It is the 50th anniversary this year of the sinking of the Fitz. And they did a swim this past summer from the wreck, Lake Huron, into Detroit. But they did so with some iron ore pellets that they claimed were aboard the Edmund Fitzgerald. How are they allowed to have that cargo without any penalty?
RB: That’s a good question. I did hear that as well myself. But that is Canadian Waters. If the Ontario government issued them a permit to be able to do that, it may have been stuff that was pulled up at the time. I mean, like I said, there were several. Submarine expeditions that went out, so it is possible that was stuff gathered at the time. Without knowing specifics about it, yeah, I would say that’s how it would be handled in Michigan. We would be requested a permit, we would give a permit…in this case it would be Canadian, if I remember correctly, they have a similar type of a process where you have to apply for permits.
AJ: That was Ron Bloomfield from Michigan’s Underwater Salvage and Preserve Committee talking with WCMU’s Tina Sawyer.
Whitefish Point area prepares for emotional tributes to Edmund Fitzgerald crew
As Nov. 10 marks five decades since the tragic loss of all hands aboard the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, communities near Whitefish Point are preparing heartfelt tributes
According to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS), leading up to the Nov. 10, 7 p.m. private remembrance service for the 50th Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point, there will be other special events in the Paradise/Whitefish Point area that the public is invited to.
Friday, Nov. 7, 6:30 p.m. at the Whitefish Township Community Center at 7052 M-123 in Paradise.
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum (GLSM) will host an Edmund Fitzgerald speaker panel. Panelists will range from historians and surviving Fitzgerald family members to Shipwreck Society staff and a former engineer on the Fitzgerald. This is a free event, and seating will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. The event will last approximately ninety minutes.
Saturday, Nov. 8, 6:30 p.m. at the Whitefish Township Community Center put on by the Paradise community.
A round table discussion will take place. We will hear the accounts of the then-teenagers that were in Paradise and at Whitefish Point, the evening of Nov. 10, 1975. They will undoubtedly reminisce about their parent’s stories handed down over the years as well. We are also asking if you were blessed to be a “Bell Ringer” in the past, please come if you can, if you have a pin please wear it proudly once more.
Seating limited to 200, first come first basis. Public is welcome.
Sunday, Nov. 9 from 1-3 p.m. at Whitefish Point.
The GLSHS will release the second edition of its popular Edmund Fitzgerald publication, The Legend Lives On.
With an additional 48-pages of content, this richly illustrated book features historic imagery and artwork of “Big Fitz” during its working life and of this ship’s ongoing story across the years since Nov. 10, 1975. Authors Bruce Lynn and Christopher Winters will be signing copies of the book at this time.
Monday, Nov. 10 at 2 p.m. at Whitefish Point.
The GLSHS will hold an outdoor public remembrance service for the 50th Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial. The public event will last around 90 minutes. We will ring a replica bell 30 times and have different speakers, and play The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald live. This event is going to be emotional, touching and memorable. No tickets are needed to attend.
Please note: the parking area at Whitefish Point needs to be vacated by 4:30 p.m. to make room for the Fitzgerald family’s private evening event at 7 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. at Whitefish Point inside the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.
A ceremony for family members only will take place at 7 p.m., which will be live-streamed for the public. Under no circumstances will the evening ceremony for the family members of the Edmund Fitzgerald be open to the public. The live-stream link of the evening ceremony will be made available prior to the ceremony via the website and social media channels.
Monday, Nov. 10, 5:30-9 p.m. at the Whitefish Township Community Center put on by the Paradise community.
The Community of Paradise will host the live-stream of the evening Memorial Service at Whitefish Point (which is closed to the public). Seating is limited to 200, first come first-served basis.
[Jim Lehocky]
[Sooleader]
For more information, please call: 800-635-1742, or head to the GLSM website by clicking here.
https://shipwreckmuseum.com/?utm_source=sooleader.com&utm_campaign=sooleader.com%3A%20outbound&utm_medium=referral
Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum Offers 2
Special Edmund Fitzgerald Events
WHITEFISH POINT, MI – Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum has two special events happening before the Fitzgerald memorial on November 10th. One on November 7th and one on the 9th. All our events this fall are free to the public…please read below.
NOVEMBER 7th
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum will host an Edmund Fitzgerald speaker panel to take place on Friday, November 7, 2025 (6:30pm) at the Whitefish Township Community Center in Paradise, MI. Panelists will range from historians and surviving Fitzgerald family members…to Shipwreck Society staff and a former engineer on the Fitzgerald. This is a free event and seating will be on a first-come, first serve basis. The event will last approximately 1.5 hours. The Whitefish Township Community Center is located at: 7052 M-123, Paradise, MI 49768.
ON NOVEMBER 9th
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society will soon release the second edition of its popular Edmund Fitzgerald publication, The Legend Lives On. With an additional 48-pages of content, this richly illustrated book features historic imagery and artwork of “Big Fitz” during its working life and of this ship’s ongoing story across the years since November 10, 1975. The GLSHS official release and book signing of The Legend Lives On will take place at the Shipwreck Coast Museum Store on the Shipwreck Museum campus (Whitefish Point) on Sunday, November 9, 2025 from 1pm-3pm. Authors Bruce Lynn and Christopher Winters will be signing copies of the book at this time
Gales of November Conference Honors Fitzgerald 50th
DULUTH, MN – Lake Superior Marine Museum Association presents Gales of November 2025, a two-day conference Nov 7-8 commemorating the 50th anniversary of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. This special event brings together maritime historians, lighthouse preservationists, and Great Lakes experts for a weekend of reflection, education, and storytelling
Attendees can look forward to in-depth presentations on shipwreck research, lighthouse restoration, and the evolution of theories surrounding the Fitzgerald disaster. The conference also includes updates from the Duluth Seaway Port Authority and the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center, buffet luncheons and a silent auction.
Gales of November offers an opportunity to honor the men lost aboard the Fitzgerald and celebrate those who continue to preserve the legacy of Great Lakes shipping and maritime history.
LEARN MORE & REGISTER AT: destinationduluth.co/GalesOfNovConf
Great Lakes Maritime Institute Marks Fitzgerald Anniversary
National Museum of the Great Lakes Remembers the Fitzgerald
Fifty years after the Edmund Fitzgerald tragically met its demise in Lake Superior, the National Museum of the Great Lakes invites you to Toledo for four powerful days of stories, music and reflection remembering the ship’s 29-man crew-many of whom called Toledo home.
[See the two-page flyer in the gallery.]
Mark 50 years since Edmund Fitzgerald sinking with historic cuisine, wreath laying
DETROIT, MI – From dining on authentic cuisine served on the ill-fated freighter to a solemn laying of wreaths on the water, the Detroit Historical Society is hosting a weekend of events to honor the 29 mariners who died in the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald nearly 50 years ago.
The museum is planning several opportunities, paid and free, to honor the Fitzgerald, which went down in a violent storm on Nov. 10, 1975, and is remembered in the Gordon Lightfoot ballad.
Rebecca Salminen-Witt, a spokeswoman for the Detroit Historical Society, said tickets are expected to sell out fast for a special brunch set for Sunday, Nov. 9, and the solemn wreath-laying ceremony on Nov. 10. Free events also are scheduled at the museum throughout the weekend.
“It’s important for people to learn about this history ― there’s a lot of it. And Detroit played a huge role in the maritime history of the state and in the whole country,” Salminen-Witt said.
Friday Nov. 7
The commemorative weekend kicks off at 11 a.m. with a book talk featuring Thomas Nelson, the author of “Wrecked: the Edmund Fitzgerald and the Sinking of the American Economy.”
Salminen-Witt said Nelson’s book takes a unique perspective on the ship’s sinking and how the loss of thousands of pounds of ore affected Michigan’s manufacturing economy, ultimately impacting the nation’s economy.
Register for the book talk here: https://www.detroithistorical.org/events/book-talk-wrecked
Detroit Free Press
Detroit Historical Society hosts several events for 50th anniversary of Edmund Fitzgerald sinking
By: Max White
(WXYZ) — The Detroit Historical Society is hosting a full weekend of activities to mark the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
According to the society, the activities all take place at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle, and will kick off on Friday, Nov. 7, with a talk by author Thomas Nelson, who wrote the book “WRECKED: the Edmund Fitzgerald and the Sinking of the American Economy.”
On Saturday, Nov. 8, curators and docents will host drop-in tours of the Edmund Fitzgerald exhibit on the lower level of the Dossin Great Lakes Museum. Also, the Great Lakes Maritime Institute will be there for information and merchandise.
Also on Saturday, the Livonia Amateur Radio Club will be in DeRoy Hall for the Edmund Fitzgerald radio broadcast, and a new pop-up exhibit will debut.
Sunday morning, the museum will host its first-ever Maritime Brunch, which will feature a chef-prepared meal directly from the Edmund Fitzgerald’s on-ship menu, along with a video presentation from Ship-to-Shore Chef Catherine Schmuck.
During the brunch, a new film will premiere about the Edmund Fitzgerald with experts from around the Great Lakes. Tickets for the brunch are available now.
Finally, on Monday, the society will host its 26th annual Lost Mariner’s Remembrance, which is a tribute to the sailors who were lost on the Great Lakes. The event takes place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and begins with a lantern vigil at the Fitzgerald’s bow setting. Officials say the event sells out every year, and tickets are available now.
Click to see Full story and videos: https://www.wxyz.com/news/detroit-historical-society-hosts-several-events-for-50th-anniversary-of-edmund-fitzgerald-sinking?sfnsn=mo&fbclid=IwY2xjawMsZ1VleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHi7V_IMl1KDLaV2aLwAgHT9l68-iG1GT4NPz0DBD_7FrGRv3vNimb9LJi74Q_aem_jJq4jLDiDZj4tCbMK3qspw
Split Rock lighthouse on Lake Superior to shine
beacon for Edmund Fitzgerald memorial ceremony
TWO HARBORS, MN – One of the most famous lighthouses on the Great Lakes will again be hosting an Edmund Fitzgerald memorial service this year, and the gathering marking the 50th anniversary of the freighter’s tragic loss is expected to draw thousands to the clifftop site.
Split Rock Lighthouse will host its annual event on Nov. 10, a half-century after the Fitzgerald sank in a violent storm off Whitefish Point at the southern end of Lake Superior.
At the service, all 29 names will be read aloud to the tolling of a bell. Then Split Rock’s beacon will be lit in tribute to those lost.
The Minnesota Historical Society will be hosting the event. The lighthouse, perched atop a high, rocky cliff, sits more than 130 feet above Lake Superior. It is one of the most photographed lighthouses in the United States.
“We’re just trying to provide a little place for memory and for remembrance and to really put into perspective the power of the lake,” site manager Hayes Scriven told Minnesota Public Radio recently. “So that’s why we think it’s very important for us to keep doing this.”
The Split Rock Lighthouse event is one of many taking place across the Great Lakes to honor the memory of the Edmund Fitzgerald’s crew. In Michigan, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point will be holding a public remembrance event on Nov. 10, as well as a private ceremony for the relatives of the Fitzgerald’s crew.
The Mariners’ Church of Detroit also has memorial events planned for November. You can see the lineup here: https://marinerschurchofdetroit.org/edmund-fitzgerald/
[M Live]
Fitzgerald Memorial Plans Announced By
Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society will hold an outdoor public remembrance service for the 50th Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial at Whitefish Point on Monday, November 10th, 2025 at 2 p.m.
PLAN AHEAD – WHAT TO EXPECT:
Outdoor Shelter: NO tent or seating will be setup for the outdoor public ceremony, as November can have volatile weather that would cause more harm than good. Check the weather forecast prior to traveling to Whitefish Point, and know your limits.
*(Seating will be provided for speakers and individuals ringing the bell.)
Parking: LIMITED parking is available at Whitefish Point. No RVs, Campers, or trailers will be allowed to park in the PAVED parking areas. Once paved parking areas are filled, be prepared to park along the shoulder of the road prior to reaching Whitefish Point.
No Shuttle Services: Be prepared to walk the distance from where you parked to get to Whitefish Point. Know your limits!
Museum Closed: The Museum will be closed to the public. Restrooms will be open.
Grounds Cleared: In order to make room (and parking available) for Fitzgerald families driving-in for the evening ceremony, daytime visitors will be asked to leave the grounds by 5PM.
A ceremony for family members only will take place at 7:00 PM, which will be livestreamed for the public. Under no circumstances will the evening ceremony for the family members of the Edmund Fitzgerald be open to the public.
The live stream link of the evening ceremony will be made available prior to the ceremony via our website and social media channels.
[Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society]
Huge crowd expected for 50th anniversary
memorial of sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald
A crowd of about 2,000 people is expected to turn out next month when Split Rock Lighthouse and the Minnesota Historical Society host a memorial to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald on Nov. 10.
The ship left port in Superior, Wis., in 1975 “With a load of iron ore, 26,000 tons more, than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty,” as immortalized in Gordon Lightfoot’s famous song about the wreck. The Fitz would have passed just a few miles off shore from Split Rock.
For the past 40 years, the lighthouse has observed the anniversary with a ceremony in which the names of the 29 crew members who perished in Lake Superior are read aloud to the tolling of a ship’s bell. Then Split Rock’s beacon is lit in their honor.
This year’s event will continue that tradition. In addition, former Split Rock Lighthouse Site Manager Lee Radzak will discuss why he started the annual memorial 40 years ago.
“My first one that I attended was actually the first day I was here on site, back in 2019, and the emotional response that I had was just very striking to me,” recalls current site manager Hayes Scriven.
“Listening to the names and the bell being rung, and all of sudden the light comes on, it’s very moving.”
Scriven said they’ve already sold more tickets in advance this year than they ever have for past events. He advises those interested in attending to arrive a few hours before it starts at 4 pm. Free shuttles will also be available from Silver Bay.
He believes there are a few reasons why the tragedy still resonates so deeply with people today. Many know it through the iconic song “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” There’s also the enduring mystery of what precisely led to the ship and crew’s demise.
Thousands of tourists flock to Duluth and the North Shore of Lake Superior to see up close the giant 1,000-foot freighters that carry iron ore and other materials across the Great Lakes. Scriven says many people have a hard time fathoming how one of those enormous ships could disappear.
“We’re just trying to provide a little place for memory and for remembrance and to really put into perspective the power of the lake,” Scriven says. “So that’s why we think it’s very important for us to keep doing this.”
MPR News
ISMA Milwaukee Lodge, Wisconsin Marine Historical Society
Will Host 50th Anniversary Fitzgerald Commemoration
International Ship Masters Association Milwaukee Lodge and the
Wisconsin Marine Historical Society have partnered to commemorate
the SS Edmund Fitzgerald and her Crew on the 50th anniversary of
her sinking.
Join us on Monday, November 10th, from 5-8 PM, at The
Cooperage (822 S. Water St., Milwaukee). The event will feature a
solemn bell ringing ceremony at 6:10 PM in memory of the 29 lost
crew members, followed by speakers sharing their personal
connections to this historic event.
Admission includes heavy hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. Tickets
are $20 presale, or $40 at the door if space allows. Secure your spot
early – the first 200 tickets sold will receive a commemorative
challenge coin and gift bag. Presale ends November 5, 2025.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to reflect on a solemn and
significant event in Great Lakes history. Space is limited, so purchase
your tickets today at:
http://www.shipmaster.org/lodge-6
This event is a commemoration, not a fund raiser.
Boatnerd News – November 6, 2025
Wind, low water delays vessels at the Soo
A combination of wind and low water brought traffic to a halt on the St. Marys River Wednesday evening. The National Weather Service was forecasting wind gusts up to 35 knots from the northwest and highest waves around 11 feet.
Downbound Lee A. Tregurtha dropped anchor above DeTour due to the weather. Her fleetmate Kaye E. Barker did the same in Goulais Bay on the Canadian side above the locks. After blustery winds lowered the water level in the Rock Cut to unsafe levels, American Spirit dropped the hook in the Hay Lake (Nine Mile) Anchorage. She was followed by the Stewart J. Cort, which tucked into the anchorage behind the Spirit.
In addition, USCG Bristol Bay, Biscayne Bay and Mackinaw were stopped at and near Lime Island.
The Great Lakes Towing Company and Great Lakes Shipyard make leadership promotions
Written by Marine Log Staff
The Cleveland, Ohio-based Great Lakes Group has announced the promotions of two long-time leaders. Gregg Thauvette has been promoted from executive vice president to president at The Great Lakes Towing Company, where he will continue to oversee all harbor towing and fleet operations across more than 40 U.S. ports throughout the Great Lakes. Thomas Rigolo has been promoted from executive vice president to president at Great Lakes Shipyard, where he will continue to oversee all aspects of shipyard operations, including vessel construction, repair,and maintenance.
Great Lakes Group says that, with decades of maritime experience, Thauvette has been a driving force behind the Towing Company’s continued success and growth. He has spearheaded key initiatives such as the fleet renewal program, significantly enhancing the safety, sustainability, and reliability of the Company’s operations. He is also known for fostering strong, long-term customer relationships; working closely with vessel owners, operators, and industry partners to ensure exceptional service and responsiveness across all ports.
Rigolo has been instrumental in the shipyard’s continued modernization and expansion, managing complex commercial and government projects while enhancing the shipyard’s service capabilities to meet the needs of Great Lakes operators. Under his leadership, Great Lakes Shipyard has strengthened its reputation as a trusted, full-service repair and construction facility known for quality, efficiency, and craftsmanship.
“With Gregg leading the Towing division and Tom heading the Shipyard, both companies are well- positioned to continue their long-standing legacy of service, innovation, and leadership throughout the Great Lakes maritime industry,” says the Great Lakes Group.
Algoma Central Corporation
Our 2025 third quarter financial results are now available.
“This quarter marked a milestone for Algoma with the delivery of the Algoma Legacy, the first of three next-generation, methanol-ready self-unloading vessels,” said Gregg Ruhl, President and CEO of Algoma Central Corporation. “The Algoma Legacy underscores our commitment to sustainability and operational excellence and is a symbolic marker as our 100th vessel in our expanding global fleet. We also approved investments in two newbuild 9,500-deadweight mini-bulkers in our global short sea joint venture, NASC, with delivery expected in late 2027. With 100 vessels plus ten now under construction, we are growing our fleet and shaping the next chapter of Algoma’s legacy.”
Visit https://www.algonet.com/investor-relations/ to view our full interim results and www.algonet.com/news-and-media/ to view our press release
ABB books Azipod order for Canada’s first Polar Max icebreaker
Written by Nick Blenkey
ABB has secured a contract with Finland’s Helsinki Shipyard to supply a complete electric power and propulsion solution for the Polar Max icebreaker that is expected to be delivered to the Canadian Coast Guard by 2030.
As we reported earlier, construction of the icebreaker is now underway at the Finnish shipyard and will be completed by its parent, Davie, at its Lévis, Quebec, shipyard, which is currently undergoing a CAD 840 million upgrade.
In addition to icebreaking, the 22,800-tonne, 138.5-meter vessel will also function as a research vessel, while supporting oil spill response operations and emergency towing, responding to maritime emergencies, and supporting northern resupply missions year-round.
“For decades, the Azipod propulsion has consistently demonstrated its capabilities in harsh ice conditions, proving its reliability and performance in the world’s most demanding maritime environments,” said Juha Koskela, division president, ABB Marine & Ports. “It is an honor to contribute to a project that is not only vital for polar operations but also strengthens the shipbuilding industry cooperation between Finland and Canada.”
Importantly, the Polar Max project aligns with the aims of the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort (ICE Pact), a trilateral partnership between Canada, Finland and the United States to coordinate expertise and strengthen the three countries’ abilities to design, build and market best-in-class Arctic and polar vessels.
ABB will integrate the complete power and propulsion solution for the Polar Max, consisting of Azipod electric propulsion units, shaftline propulsion motor, drives, transformers, generators, switchboards, shore connection, LTO batteries, and a power and energy management system. In addition, the vessel will feature ABB’s innovative AX Bridge solution, enabling better situational overview and simplifying the ship maneuvering experience for the bridge crew.
“The Polar Max project is an important milestone in expanding production and design in Helsinki,” said Kim Salmi, CEO of Helsinki Shipyard. “The project is an excellent example of Helsinki Shipyard’s leading Arctic shipbuilding expertise, which is in significant demand internationally. We look forward to collaborating with ABB on this new build.”
“Fostering shipbuilding collaborations with trusted partners is essential to advancing shared goals,” said James Davies, CEO, Davie Shipbuilding. “This contract consolidates the longstanding relationship between ABB and Davie and reflects our mutual commitment to excellence in polar shipbuilding.”
ABB has extensive expertise in systems for vessels navigating ice conditions, with Azipod propulsion systems installed on approximately 100 ice-capable or icebreaking ships. Notable references include the first U.S, Polar Security Cutter Polar Sentinel, under construction at Bollinger Mississippi, and the Finnish icebreaker Polaris constructed at Helsinki Shipyard.
Coast Guard Launches Dual-Track RFIs to Modernize Domestic Icebreaker Fleet
Mike Schuler
Coast Guard Issues Dual RFI for Rapid-Build Domestic Icebreakers
The U.S. Coast Guard has issued two parallel Requests for Information targeting a comprehensive modernization of its aging domestic icebreaking fleet, seeking vessel designs from U.S. and allied ship shipbuilders that can be built and launched within just 24 months of contract award.
The initiative, split between medium and light icebreaker programs, aims to replace the Coast Guard’s aging 140-foot and 65-foot icebreakers with new Homeland Security Cutters designed to keep America’s waterways “open, safe, and secure” while facilitating $5.4 trillion annually in maritime commerce.
Medium Icebreakers for Great Lakes Operations
The Homeland Security Cutter – Medium Icebreakers program seeks to recapitalize the existing 140-foot WTGB fleet, which facilitates safe navigation and commerce on the Great Lakes and in the Northeast. The RFI specifies vessels up to 140 feet in length with a draft of 14 feet or less, capable of independently breaking freshwater ice at least 22 inches thick at a continuous speed of three knots.
These vessels must maintain seven days of unreplenished icebreaking operations with 19 crew members, including fuel, potable water, sewage, greywater, and food.
Light Icebreakers for ATON Support
The companion program targets the 65-foot WYTL fleet replacement, designed specifically to support aids to navigation missions in the Northeast. These smaller vessels, measuring 70 feet or less with a 7-foot draft, must break through 12 inches of freshwater ice at three knots while maintaining three days of endurance with six crewmembers.
Critically, the light icebreakers must also be capable of retrieving, deploying, stowing, transporting, and servicing at least three 5×11-foot buoys with moorings and associated equipment, supported by a crane with 4,500-pound lifting capacity.
Aggressive Timeline, Domestic Focus
The Coast Guard’s RFI emphasizes “recently proven execution and build strategies” while seeking insight into the “capability, capacity, and availability of domestic shipyards” to support construction and launch within 24 months. With potential contract awards targeted for mid-2026, the timeline reflects the urgency of replacing these critical assets.
The initiative extends to both U.S. and allied nation maritime industrial bases, seeking existing or production-ready icebreaking vessel designs.
Broader Arctic Strategy Context
The domestic icebreaker modernization comes amid a broader Coast Guard push to expand Arctic capabilities. Last month, President Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum authorizing construction of up to four Arctic Security Cutters in Finland and seven at domestic shipyards, addressing urgent national security needs in the increasingly contested Arctic region.
That agreement, which invokes presidential authority to permit foreign construction as a national security necessity, includes nearly $9 billion in funding under Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” for building a series of heavy, medium, and light Arctic Security Cutters.
The Act committed $816 million for light and medium Icebreaking Cutters, along with $4.3 billion for Polar Security Cutters and $3.5 billion for three Arctic Security Cutters.
“We need icebreakers in the U.S. And if we can get some inexpensively, I’d like to do that,” President Trump said.
The domestic icebreaker programs were previously consolidated under the Domestic Icebreakers Program but have now been separated into distinct medium and light icebreaker initiatives.
Whitefish Point area prepares for emotional tributes to Edmund Fitzgerald crew
As Nov. 10 marks five decades since the tragic loss of all hands aboard the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, communities near Whitefish Point are preparing heartfelt tributes
According to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS), leading up to the Nov. 10, 7 p.m. private remembrance service for the 50th Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point, there will be other special events in the Paradise/Whitefish Point area that the public is invited to.
Friday, Nov. 7, 6:30 p.m. at the Whitefish Township Community Center at 7052 M-123 in Paradise.
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum (GLSM) will host an Edmund Fitzgerald speaker panel. Panelists will range from historians and surviving Fitzgerald family members to Shipwreck Society staff and a former engineer on the Fitzgerald. This is a free event, and seating will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. The event will last approximately ninety minutes.
Saturday, Nov. 8, 6:30 p.m. at the Whitefish Township Community Center put on by the Paradise community.
A round table discussion will take place. We will hear the accounts of the then-teenagers that were in Paradise and at Whitefish Point, the evening of Nov. 10, 1975. They will undoubtedly reminisce about their parent’s stories handed down over the years as well. We are also asking if you were blessed to be a “Bell Ringer” in the past, please come if you can, if you have a pin please wear it proudly once more.
Seating limited to 200, first come first basis. Public is welcome.
Sunday, Nov. 9 from 1-3 p.m. at Whitefish Point.
The GLSHS will release the second edition of its popular Edmund Fitzgerald publication, The Legend Lives On.
With an additional 48-pages of content, this richly illustrated book features historic imagery and artwork of “Big Fitz” during its working life and of this ship’s ongoing story across the years since Nov. 10, 1975. Authors Bruce Lynn and Christopher Winters will be signing copies of the book at this time.
Monday, Nov. 10 at 2 p.m. at Whitefish Point.
The GLSHS will hold an outdoor public remembrance service for the 50th Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial. The public event will last around 90 minutes. We will ring a replica bell 30 times and have different speakers, and play The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald live. This event is going to be emotional, touching and memorable. No tickets are needed to attend.
Please note: the parking area at Whitefish Point needs to be vacated by 4:30 p.m. to make room for the Fitzgerald family’s private evening event at 7 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. at Whitefish Point inside the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.
A ceremony for family members only will take place at 7 p.m., which will be live-streamed for the public. Under no circumstances will the evening ceremony for the family members of the Edmund Fitzgerald be open to the public. The live-stream link of the evening ceremony will be made available prior to the ceremony via the website and social media channels.
Monday, Nov. 10, 5:30-9 p.m. at the Whitefish Township Community Center put on by the Paradise community.
The Community of Paradise will host the live-stream of the evening Memorial Service at Whitefish Point (which is closed to the public). Seating is limited to 200, first come first-served basis.
[Jim Lehocky]
[Sooleader]
For more information, please call: 800-635-1742, or head to the GLSM website by clicking here.
https://shipwreckmuseum.com/?utm_source=sooleader.com&utm_campaign=sooleader.com%3A%20outbound&utm_medium=referral
Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum Offers 2
Special Edmund Fitzgerald Events
WHITEFISH POINT, MI – Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum has two special events happening before the Fitzgerald memorial on November 10th. One on November 7th and one on the 9th. All our events this fall are free to the public…please read below.
NOVEMBER 7th
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum will host an Edmund Fitzgerald speaker panel to take place on Friday, November 7, 2025 (6:30pm) at the Whitefish Township Community Center in Paradise, MI. Panelists will range from historians and surviving Fitzgerald family members…to Shipwreck Society staff and a former engineer on the Fitzgerald. This is a free event and seating will be on a first-come, first serve basis. The event will last approximately 1.5 hours. The Whitefish Township Community Center is located at: 7052 M-123, Paradise, MI 49768.
ON NOVEMBER 9th
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society will soon release the second edition of its popular Edmund Fitzgerald publication, The Legend Lives On. With an additional 48-pages of content, this richly illustrated book features historic imagery and artwork of “Big Fitz” during its working life and of this ship’s ongoing story across the years since November 10, 1975. The GLSHS official release and book signing of The Legend Lives On will take place at the Shipwreck Coast Museum Store on the Shipwreck Museum campus (Whitefish Point) on Sunday, November 9, 2025 from 1pm-3pm. Authors Bruce Lynn and Christopher Winters will be signing copies of the book at this time
Gales of November Conference Honors Fitzgerald 50th
DULUTH, MN – Lake Superior Marine Museum Association presents Gales of November 2025, a two-day conference Nov 7-8 commemorating the 50th anniversary of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. This special event brings together maritime historians, lighthouse preservationists, and Great Lakes experts for a weekend of reflection, education, and storytelling
Attendees can look forward to in-depth presentations on shipwreck research, lighthouse restoration, and the evolution of theories surrounding the Fitzgerald disaster. The conference also includes updates from the Duluth Seaway Port Authority and the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center, buffet luncheons and a silent auction.
Gales of November offers an opportunity to honor the men lost aboard the Fitzgerald and celebrate those who continue to preserve the legacy of Great Lakes shipping and maritime history.
LEARN MORE & REGISTER AT: destinationduluth.co/GalesOfNovConf
Great Lakes Maritime Institute Marks Fitzgerald Anniversary
National Museum of the Great Lakes Remembers the Fitzgerald
Fifty years after the Edmund Fitzgerald tragically met its demise in Lake Superior, the National Museum of the Great Lakes invites you to Toledo for four powerful days of stories, music and reflection remembering the ship’s 29-man crew-many of whom called Toledo home.
[See the two-page flyer in the gallery.]
Mark 50 years since Edmund Fitzgerald sinking with historic cuisine, wreath laying
DETROIT, MI – From dining on authentic cuisine served on the ill-fated freighter to a solemn laying of wreaths on the water, the Detroit Historical Society is hosting a weekend of events to honor the 29 mariners who died in the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald nearly 50 years ago.
The museum is planning several opportunities, paid and free, to honor the Fitzgerald, which went down in a violent storm on Nov. 10, 1975, and is remembered in the Gordon Lightfoot ballad.
Rebecca Salminen-Witt, a spokeswoman for the Detroit Historical Society, said tickets are expected to sell out fast for a special brunch set for Sunday, Nov. 9, and the solemn wreath-laying ceremony on Nov. 10. Free events also are scheduled at the museum throughout the weekend.
“It’s important for people to learn about this history ― there’s a lot of it. And Detroit played a huge role in the maritime history of the state and in the whole country,” Salminen-Witt said.
Friday Nov. 7
The commemorative weekend kicks off at 11 a.m. with a book talk featuring Thomas Nelson, the author of “Wrecked: the Edmund Fitzgerald and the Sinking of the American Economy.”
Salminen-Witt said Nelson’s book takes a unique perspective on the ship’s sinking and how the loss of thousands of pounds of ore affected Michigan’s manufacturing economy, ultimately impacting the nation’s economy.
Register for the book talk here: https://www.detroithistorical.org/events/book-talk-wrecked
Detroit Free Press
Detroit Historical Society hosts several events for 50th anniversary of Edmund Fitzgerald sinking
By: Max White
(WXYZ) — The Detroit Historical Society is hosting a full weekend of activities to mark the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
According to the society, the activities all take place at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle, and will kick off on Friday, Nov. 7, with a talk by author Thomas Nelson, who wrote the book “WRECKED: the Edmund Fitzgerald and the Sinking of the American Economy.”
On Saturday, Nov. 8, curators and docents will host drop-in tours of the Edmund Fitzgerald exhibit on the lower level of the Dossin Great Lakes Museum. Also, the Great Lakes Maritime Institute will be there for information and merchandise.
Also on Saturday, the Livonia Amateur Radio Club will be in DeRoy Hall for the Edmund Fitzgerald radio broadcast, and a new pop-up exhibit will debut.
Sunday morning, the museum will host its first-ever Maritime Brunch, which will feature a chef-prepared meal directly from the Edmund Fitzgerald’s on-ship menu, along with a video presentation from Ship-to-Shore Chef Catherine Schmuck.
During the brunch, a new film will premiere about the Edmund Fitzgerald with experts from around the Great Lakes. Tickets for the brunch are available now.
Finally, on Monday, the society will host its 26th annual Lost Mariner’s Remembrance, which is a tribute to the sailors who were lost on the Great Lakes. The event takes place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and begins with a lantern vigil at the Fitzgerald’s bow setting. Officials say the event sells out every year, and tickets are available now.
Click to see Full story and videos: https://www.wxyz.com/news/detroit-historical-society-hosts-several-events-for-50th-anniversary-of-edmund-fitzgerald-sinking?sfnsn=mo&fbclid=IwY2xjawMsZ1VleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHi7V_IMl1KDLaV2aLwAgHT9l68-iG1GT4NPz0DBD_7FrGRv3vNimb9LJi74Q_aem_jJq4jLDiDZj4tCbMK3qspw
Split Rock lighthouse on Lake Superior to shine
beacon for Edmund Fitzgerald memorial ceremony
TWO HARBORS, MN – One of the most famous lighthouses on the Great Lakes will again be hosting an Edmund Fitzgerald memorial service this year, and the gathering marking the 50th anniversary of the freighter’s tragic loss is expected to draw thousands to the clifftop site.
Split Rock Lighthouse will host its annual event on Nov. 10, a half-century after the Fitzgerald sank in a violent storm off Whitefish Point at the southern end of Lake Superior.
At the service, all 29 names will be read aloud to the tolling of a bell. Then Split Rock’s beacon will be lit in tribute to those lost.
The Minnesota Historical Society will be hosting the event. The lighthouse, perched atop a high, rocky cliff, sits more than 130 feet above Lake Superior. It is one of the most photographed lighthouses in the United States.
“We’re just trying to provide a little place for memory and for remembrance and to really put into perspective the power of the lake,” site manager Hayes Scriven told Minnesota Public Radio recently. “So that’s why we think it’s very important for us to keep doing this.”
The Split Rock Lighthouse event is one of many taking place across the Great Lakes to honor the memory of the Edmund Fitzgerald’s crew. In Michigan, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point will be holding a public remembrance event on Nov. 10, as well as a private ceremony for the relatives of the Fitzgerald’s crew.
The Mariners’ Church of Detroit also has memorial events planned for November. You can see the lineup here: https://marinerschurchofdetroit.org/edmund-fitzgerald/
[M Live]
Fitzgerald Memorial Plans Announced By
Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society will hold an outdoor public remembrance service for the 50th Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial at Whitefish Point on Monday, November 10th, 2025 at 2 p.m.
PLAN AHEAD – WHAT TO EXPECT:
Outdoor Shelter: NO tent or seating will be setup for the outdoor public ceremony, as November can have volatile weather that would cause more harm than good. Check the weather forecast prior to traveling to Whitefish Point, and know your limits.
*(Seating will be provided for speakers and individuals ringing the bell.)
Parking: LIMITED parking is available at Whitefish Point. No RVs, Campers, or trailers will be allowed to park in the PAVED parking areas. Once paved parking areas are filled, be prepared to park along the shoulder of the road prior to reaching Whitefish Point.
No Shuttle Services: Be prepared to walk the distance from where you parked to get to Whitefish Point. Know your limits!
Museum Closed: The Museum will be closed to the public. Restrooms will be open.
Grounds Cleared: In order to make room (and parking available) for Fitzgerald families driving-in for the evening ceremony, daytime visitors will be asked to leave the grounds by 5PM.
A ceremony for family members only will take place at 7:00 PM, which will be livestreamed for the public. Under no circumstances will the evening ceremony for the family members of the Edmund Fitzgerald be open to the public.
The live stream link of the evening ceremony will be made available prior to the ceremony via our website and social media channels.
[Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society]
Huge crowd expected for 50th anniversary
memorial of sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald
A crowd of about 2,000 people is expected to turn out next month when Split Rock Lighthouse and the Minnesota Historical Society host a memorial to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald on Nov. 10.
The ship left port in Superior, Wis., in 1975 “With a load of iron ore, 26,000 tons more, than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty,” as immortalized in Gordon Lightfoot’s famous song about the wreck. The Fitz would have passed just a few miles off shore from Split Rock.
For the past 40 years, the lighthouse has observed the anniversary with a ceremony in which the names of the 29 crew members who perished in Lake Superior are read aloud to the tolling of a ship’s bell. Then Split Rock’s beacon is lit in their honor.
This year’s event will continue that tradition. In addition, former Split Rock Lighthouse Site Manager Lee Radzak will discuss why he started the annual memorial 40 years ago.
“My first one that I attended was actually the first day I was here on site, back in 2019, and the emotional response that I had was just very striking to me,” recalls current site manager Hayes Scriven.
“Listening to the names and the bell being rung, and all of sudden the light comes on, it’s very moving.”
Scriven said they’ve already sold more tickets in advance this year than they ever have for past events. He advises those interested in attending to arrive a few hours before it starts at 4 pm. Free shuttles will also be available from Silver Bay.
He believes there are a few reasons why the tragedy still resonates so deeply with people today. Many know it through the iconic song “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” There’s also the enduring mystery of what precisely led to the ship and crew’s demise.
Thousands of tourists flock to Duluth and the North Shore of Lake Superior to see up close the giant 1,000-foot freighters that carry iron ore and other materials across the Great Lakes. Scriven says many people have a hard time fathoming how one of those enormous ships could disappear.
“We’re just trying to provide a little place for memory and for remembrance and to really put into perspective the power of the lake,” Scriven says. “So that’s why we think it’s very important for us to keep doing this.”
MPR News
ISMA Milwaukee Lodge, Wisconsin Marine Historical Society
Will Host 50th Anniversary Fitzgerald Commemoration
International Ship Masters Association Milwaukee Lodge and the
Wisconsin Marine Historical Society have partnered to commemorate
the SS Edmund Fitzgerald and her Crew on the 50th anniversary of
her sinking.
Join us on Monday, November 10th, from 5-8 PM, at The
Cooperage (822 S. Water St., Milwaukee). The event will feature a
solemn bell ringing ceremony at 6:10 PM in memory of the 29 lost
crew members, followed by speakers sharing their personal
connections to this historic event.
Admission includes heavy hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. Tickets
are $20 presale, or $40 at the door if space allows. Secure your spot
early – the first 200 tickets sold will receive a commemorative
challenge coin and gift bag. Presale ends November 5, 2025.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to reflect on a solemn and
significant event in Great Lakes history. Space is limited, so purchase
your tickets today at:
http://www.shipmaster.org/lodge-6
This event is a commemoration, not a fund raiser.
Boatnerd News – November 5, 2025
Gales of November Conference Honors Fitzgerald 50th
DULUTH, MN – Lake Superior Marine Museum Association presents Gales of November 2025, a two-day conference Nov 7-8 commemorating the 50th anniversary of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. This special event brings together maritime historians, lighthouse preservationists, and Great Lakes experts for a weekend of reflection, education, and storytelling
Attendees can look forward to in-depth presentations on shipwreck research, lighthouse restoration, and the evolution of theories surrounding the Fitzgerald disaster. The conference also includes updates from the Duluth Seaway Port Authority and the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center, buffet luncheons and a silent auction.
Gales of November offers an opportunity to honor the men lost aboard the Fitzgerald and celebrate those who continue to preserve the legacy of Great Lakes shipping and maritime history.
LEARN MORE & REGISTER AT: destinationduluth.co/GalesOfNovConf
Great Lakes Maritime Institute Marks Fitzgerald Anniversary
Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum Offers 2
Special Edmund Fitzgerald Events
WHITEFISH POINT, MI – Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum has two special events happening before the Fitzgerald memorial on November 10th. One on November 7th and one on the 9th. All our events this fall are free to the public…please read below.
NOVEMBER 7th
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum will host an Edmund Fitzgerald speaker panel to take place on Friday, November 7, 2025 (6:30pm) at the Whitefish Township Community Center in Paradise, MI. Panelists will range from historians and surviving Fitzgerald family members…to Shipwreck Society staff and a former engineer on the Fitzgerald. This is a free event and seating will be on a first-come, first serve basis. The event will last approximately 1.5 hours. The Whitefish Township Community Center is located at: 7052 M-123, Paradise, MI 49768.
ON NOVEMBER 9th
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society will soon release the second edition of its popular Edmund Fitzgerald publication, The Legend Lives On. With an additional 48-pages of content, this richly illustrated book features historic imagery and artwork of “Big Fitz” during its working life and of this ship’s ongoing story across the years since November 10, 1975. The GLSHS official release and book signing of The Legend Lives On will take place at the Shipwreck Coast Museum Store on the Shipwreck Museum campus (Whitefish Point) on Sunday, November 9, 2025 from 1pm-3pm. Authors Bruce Lynn and Christopher Winters will be signing copies of the book at this time
National Museum of the Great Lakes Remembers the Fitzgerald
Fifty years after the Edmund Fitzgerald tragically met its demise in Lake Superior, the National Museum of the Great Lakes invites you to Toledo for four powerful days of stories, music and reflection remembering the ship’s 29-man crew-many of whom called Toledo home.
[See the two-page flyer in the gallery.]
Mark 50 years since Edmund Fitzgerald sinking with historic cuisine, wreath laying
DETROIT, MI – From dining on authentic cuisine served on the ill-fated freighter to a solemn laying of wreaths on the water, the Detroit Historical Society is hosting a weekend of events to honor the 29 mariners who died in the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald nearly 50 years ago.
The museum is planning several opportunities, paid and free, to honor the Fitzgerald, which went down in a violent storm on Nov. 10, 1975, and is remembered in the Gordon Lightfoot ballad.
Rebecca Salminen-Witt, a spokeswoman for the Detroit Historical Society, said tickets are expected to sell out fast for a special brunch set for Sunday, Nov. 9, and the solemn wreath-laying ceremony on Nov. 10. Free events also are scheduled at the museum throughout the weekend.
“It’s important for people to learn about this history ― there’s a lot of it. And Detroit played a huge role in the maritime history of the state and in the whole country,” Salminen-Witt said.
Friday Nov. 7
The commemorative weekend kicks off at 11 a.m. with a book talk featuring Thomas Nelson, the author of “Wrecked: the Edmund Fitzgerald and the Sinking of the American Economy.”
Salminen-Witt said Nelson’s book takes a unique perspective on the ship’s sinking and how the loss of thousands of pounds of ore affected Michigan’s manufacturing economy, ultimately impacting the nation’s economy.
Register for the book talk here: https://www.detroithistorical.org/events/book-talk-wrecked
Detroit Free Press
Detroit Historical Society hosts several events for 50th anniversary of Edmund Fitzgerald sinking
By: Max White
(WXYZ) — The Detroit Historical Society is hosting a full weekend of activities to mark the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
According to the society, the activities all take place at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle, and will kick off on Friday, Nov. 7, with a talk by author Thomas Nelson, who wrote the book “WRECKED: the Edmund Fitzgerald and the Sinking of the American Economy.”
On Saturday, Nov. 8, curators and docents will host drop-in tours of the Edmund Fitzgerald exhibit on the lower level of the Dossin Great Lakes Museum. Also, the Great Lakes Maritime Institute will be there for information and merchandise.
Also on Saturday, the Livonia Amateur Radio Club will be in DeRoy Hall for the Edmund Fitzgerald radio broadcast, and a new pop-up exhibit will debut.
Sunday morning, the museum will host its first-ever Maritime Brunch, which will feature a chef-prepared meal directly from the Edmund Fitzgerald’s on-ship menu, along with a video presentation from Ship-to-Shore Chef Catherine Schmuck.
During the brunch, a new film will premiere about the Edmund Fitzgerald with experts from around the Great Lakes. Tickets for the brunch are available now.
Finally, on Monday, the society will host its 26th annual Lost Mariner’s Remembrance, which is a tribute to the sailors who were lost on the Great Lakes. The event takes place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and begins with a lantern vigil at the Fitzgerald’s bow setting. Officials say the event sells out every year, and tickets are available now.
Click to see Full story and videos: https://www.wxyz.com/news/detroit-historical-society-hosts-several-events-for-50th-anniversary-of-edmund-fitzgerald-sinking?sfnsn=mo&fbclid=IwY2xjawMsZ1VleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHi7V_IMl1KDLaV2aLwAgHT9l68-iG1GT4NPz0DBD_7FrGRv3vNimb9LJi74Q_aem_jJq4jLDiDZj4tCbMK3qspw
Split Rock lighthouse on Lake Superior to shine
beacon for Edmund Fitzgerald memorial ceremony
TWO HARBORS, MN – One of the most famous lighthouses on the Great Lakes will again be hosting an Edmund Fitzgerald memorial service this year, and the gathering marking the 50th anniversary of the freighter’s tragic loss is expected to draw thousands to the clifftop site.
Split Rock Lighthouse will host its annual event on Nov. 10, a half-century after the Fitzgerald sank in a violent storm off Whitefish Point at the southern end of Lake Superior.
At the service, all 29 names will be read aloud to the tolling of a bell. Then Split Rock’s beacon will be lit in tribute to those lost.
The Minnesota Historical Society will be hosting the event. The lighthouse, perched atop a high, rocky cliff, sits more than 130 feet above Lake Superior. It is one of the most photographed lighthouses in the United States.
“We’re just trying to provide a little place for memory and for remembrance and to really put into perspective the power of the lake,” site manager Hayes Scriven told Minnesota Public Radio recently. “So that’s why we think it’s very important for us to keep doing this.”
The Split Rock Lighthouse event is one of many taking place across the Great Lakes to honor the memory of the Edmund Fitzgerald’s crew. In Michigan, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point will be holding a public remembrance event on Nov. 10, as well as a private ceremony for the relatives of the Fitzgerald’s crew.
The Mariners’ Church of Detroit also has memorial events planned for November. You can see the lineup here: https://marinerschurchofdetroit.org/edmund-fitzgerald/
[M Live]
Fitzgerald Memorial Plans Announced By
Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society will hold an outdoor public remembrance service for the 50th Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial at Whitefish Point on Monday, November 10th, 2025 at 2 p.m.
PLAN AHEAD – WHAT TO EXPECT:
Outdoor Shelter: NO tent or seating will be setup for the outdoor public ceremony, as November can have volatile weather that would cause more harm than good. Check the weather forecast prior to traveling to Whitefish Point, and know your limits.
*(Seating will be provided for speakers and individuals ringing the bell.)
Parking: LIMITED parking is available at Whitefish Point. No RVs, Campers, or trailers will be allowed to park in the PAVED parking areas. Once paved parking areas are filled, be prepared to park along the shoulder of the road prior to reaching Whitefish Point.
No Shuttle Services: Be prepared to walk the distance from where you parked to get to Whitefish Point. Know your limits!
Museum Closed: The Museum will be closed to the public. Restrooms will be open.
Grounds Cleared: In order to make room (and parking available) for Fitzgerald families driving-in for the evening ceremony, daytime visitors will be asked to leave the grounds by 5PM.
A ceremony for family members only will take place at 7:00 PM, which will be livestreamed for the public. Under no circumstances will the evening ceremony for the family members of the Edmund Fitzgerald be open to the public.
The live stream link of the evening ceremony will be made available prior to the ceremony via our website and social media channels.
[Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society]
Huge crowd expected for 50th anniversary
memorial of sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald
A crowd of about 2,000 people is expected to turn out next month when Split Rock Lighthouse and the Minnesota Historical Society host a memorial to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald on Nov. 10.
The ship left port in Superior, Wis., in 1975 “With a load of iron ore, 26,000 tons more, than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty,” as immortalized in Gordon Lightfoot’s famous song about the wreck. The Fitz would have passed just a few miles off shore from Split Rock.
For the past 40 years, the lighthouse has observed the anniversary with a ceremony in which the names of the 29 crew members who perished in Lake Superior are read aloud to the tolling of a ship’s bell. Then Split Rock’s beacon is lit in their honor.
This year’s event will continue that tradition. In addition, former Split Rock Lighthouse Site Manager Lee Radzak will discuss why he started the annual memorial 40 years ago.
“My first one that I attended was actually the first day I was here on site, back in 2019, and the emotional response that I had was just very striking to me,” recalls current site manager Hayes Scriven.
“Listening to the names and the bell being rung, and all of sudden the light comes on, it’s very moving.”
Scriven said they’ve already sold more tickets in advance this year than they ever have for past events. He advises those interested in attending to arrive a few hours before it starts at 4 pm. Free shuttles will also be available from Silver Bay.
He believes there are a few reasons why the tragedy still resonates so deeply with people today. Many know it through the iconic song “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” There’s also the enduring mystery of what precisely led to the ship and crew’s demise.
Thousands of tourists flock to Duluth and the North Shore of Lake Superior to see up close the giant 1,000-foot freighters that carry iron ore and other materials across the Great Lakes. Scriven says many people have a hard time fathoming how one of those enormous ships could disappear.
“We’re just trying to provide a little place for memory and for remembrance and to really put into perspective the power of the lake,” Scriven says. “So that’s why we think it’s very important for us to keep doing this.”
MPR News
ISMA Milwaukee Lodge, Wisconsin Marine Historical Society
Will Host 50th Anniversary Fitzgerald Commemoration
International Ship Masters Association Milwaukee Lodge and the
Wisconsin Marine Historical Society have partnered to commemorate
the SS Edmund Fitzgerald and her Crew on the 50th anniversary of
her sinking.
Join us on Monday, November 10th, from 5-8 PM, at The
Cooperage (822 S. Water St., Milwaukee). The event will feature a
solemn bell ringing ceremony at 6:10 PM in memory of the 29 lost
crew members, followed by speakers sharing their personal
connections to this historic event.
Admission includes heavy hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. Tickets
are $20 presale, or $40 at the door if space allows. Secure your spot
early – the first 200 tickets sold will receive a commemorative
challenge coin and gift bag. Presale ends November 5, 2025.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to reflect on a solemn and
significant event in Great Lakes history. Space is limited, so purchase
your tickets today at:
http://www.shipmaster.org/lodge-6
This event is a commemoration, not a fund raiser.
Boatnerd News – November 4, 2025
Saginaw River Report
There was a total of 23 commercial vessel passages on the Saginaw River for the month of October 2025, with 13 different docks receiving 33 separate deliveries of product. This accounts for split cargo loads, delivered by one vessel to more than one dock during a visit. These 23 vessel passages represent one more load than recorded during October 2024.
Looking at long-term averages, October 2025, was higher than all of them, with the 5-year average at 21 passages, the 10-year average at 20 passages, the 15-year average at 18 passages, and the 20-year average at 20 commercial vessel passages for the month of October.
The total number of commercial vessel passages for the year-to-date is 161, which is one fewer passage than last year at this point. Looking at the averages, the 161 passages for the year to date are again higher than all the long-terms with the 5-year average at 149, the 10-year average at 140, the 15-year average at 129, and the 20-year average at 141 vessel passages through the end of October.
During the month of October, there were 17 deliveries to the docks on the lower half of the Saginaw River, located in Essexville and Bay City, and 16 deliveries to upper river docks, located in Zilwaukee, Carrollton, and Saginaw. 10 vessels carried split loads with cargo unloaded at more than one dock. These numbers for October are exactly the same as for September. For the year-to-date, there have been 110 lower river deliveries and 84 upper river deliveries, with 54 split loads.
Vessels making deliveries to the Saginaw River in October were Olive L Moore/Menominee with 4, Defiance/Ashtabula, Alpena, American Courage, and Algoma Compass with 3 each, Northern Venture and Algoma Buffalo with 2, American Mariner, Algoma Innovator, and Iver Bright each with 1.
Todd Shorkey, Saginaw River Images
Another New Polsteam Bulker On the Way
Another new Polsteam ship is on her way into the Seaway. She’s the Polsteam Insko, a dry bulk/Handysize ship built in 2025 and is sailing under the flag of Portugal. She has an overall length (LOA) of 200 meters and a width (beam) of 24 meters. Her summer deadweight capacity is 36,880 tonnes. Her destination is Trois-Rivières, QC, ETA Nov.7, from Inchon, Korea.
[Janey Anderson, Rene Beauchamp]
Why disasters like the Edmund Fitzgerald are far less likely on the Great Lakes today
Keith Matheny
Detroit Free Press
So long as bulk carrier freighters move goods through the Great Lakes — and through the severe storms that can pop up in November and other months — the risk of an Edmund Fitzgerald-type disaster is never zero. But improvements in weather forecasting, Great Lakes bottom mapping and other safety technology make such a disaster far less likely, experts said.
In the 1970s, Great Lakes freighters primarily received weather information through voice radio broadcasts from the U.S. Coast Guard and other marine reports by radio. Mariners would use this information to manually create their own weather charts. Observation technology at the time was much less sophisticated than it is today, relying on reports from shore stations and other vessels.
With the weather forecasting capabilities of today, better knowing the storm that was coming, the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald may not have even embarked from port in Superior, Wisconsin, on the far western shore of Lake Superior, as they did on Nov. 9, 1975, said Thomas Hultquist, technical program lead for the analysis and forecast branch for the National Weather Service in Minneapolis.
“The biggest difference now is even before leaving Superior, they would have had a pretty good forecast a good 24 hours before even their planned departure,” he said.
Such a forecast today would have predicted a storm warning — a step above a gale warning in maritime weather forecasting, with winds between 48 and 63 knots, or 55 to 72 mph, Hultquist said, and wave heights of 20 feet or more.
“They would have had information well in advance that they probably would have made a different decision, obviously, if it were to happen today,” he said.
According to the National Weather Service, in 1975, there were no data buoys on the Great Lakes, nor any data from automated stations. The only real-time observations available to the mariner were shore and ship reports. As a direct result of the Edmund Fitzgerald disaster, eight data buoys measuring the direction and speed of winds, as well as wave heights, were dispersed on Lake Superior in 1979.
The number of buoys reporting real-time weather observations on the Great Lakes more than tripled, from 20 in 2009 to nearly 60 in 2019, with about a dozen universities, government researchers and specialized water technology companies facilitating the increase, the International Joint Commission reported.
In addition to the buoys, the tremendous expansion of shoreline weather observations and the use of satellites to track storms and their severity have also transformed the information that’s available to freighter captains and crew, Hultquist said.
“So it’s both forecast and observational data now that have really advanced and hopefully will keep these kinds of things from happening again,” he said.
Robert Thibaudeau spent 45 years as a mariner on the Great Lakes, the last 18 years as a captain of freighters. His last ship was the MV Paul R. Tregurtha, the longest bulk carrier freighter on the Great Lakes at more than 1,013 feet. He retired as a captain in 2021. Thibaudeau concurred that modern weather forecasting and observation technology of today could have made a difference on that ill-fated Edmund Fitzgerald voyage in November 1975.
“You could certainly see a lot of things coming at you that they couldn’t have seen back then,” he said.
Redundant location systems now show exactly where ships are
At about 3:30 p.m. on the fateful day of Nov. 10, 1975, as the Edmund Fitzgerald and other ships on Lake Superior battled the raging storm, the Fitz radioed two other nearby ships, the Arthur M. Anderson and the Avafors, that, among other problems, both of the Fitzgerald’s radars were out. The Anderson was asked to keep plotting the Fitzgerald’s position and help steer it to expected safe harbor in Lake Superior’s Whitefish Bay northwest of Sault Ste. Marie.
After 7:10 p.m., all radar and radio contact was lost with the Edmund Fitzgerald. By 9 p.m., the Coast Guard radioed Anderson Capt. Bernie Cooper, asking that he leave the relative safety of Whitefish Bay to go back out and look for survivors of the suspected sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Cooper searched in the area where he’d last seen the Fitz on radar, and eventually found a life raft, life vests and other debris from the sunken vessel.
The National Transportation Safety Board, in its 1978 report from its investigation of the Edmund Fitzgerald sinking, noted that large Great Lakes ships at the time were not required to have onboard emergency position-indicating radio beacons, or EPIRBs, battery-operated radio transmitters that send an emergency signal when manually turned on or through automatic activation when floating. The Edmund Fitzgerald did not have these devices.
“Although the Anderson lost visual and radar contact with the Fitzgerald around (7:15 p.m.), the Anderson was not convinced that the Fitzgerald had sunk for more than an hour,” the NTSB report states. “When the Anderson became convinced that the Fitzgerald was lost, she advised the U.S. Coast Guard by VHF-FM radio-telephone of her concern. The reason for this delay was that there was no distress call from the Fitzgerald. If the Fitzgerald had been fitted with an EPIRB, a distress signal would have been transmitted immediately when the Fitzgerald sank. The EPIRB would have alerted rescue units sooner and reduced the search area.”
The report noted that as with many catastrophic maritime accidents, the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald had no time to radio a distress call.
“Had the Anderson not been in contact with the Fitzgerald by radio and radar, the loss of the Fitzgerald and a good estimate of her position would not have been known for many hours, and the search area for possible survivors would have been greatly expanded,” the report stated.
Under a law passed by Congress in 1988, EPIRBs were mandated for Great Lakes bulk carriers and other commercial vessels operating more than 3 miles from shore.
Other technological advancements have also improved Great Lakes shipping safety, said Lt. Joseph Snyder, public affairs officer and incident management division chief at Coast Guard Sector Northern Great Lakes in Sault Ste. Marie.
With the VHF radio systems on Great Lakes ships in the mid-1970s, no direction-finding technologies existed off shoreline radio towers, Snyder said. So if a ship didn’t know or couldn’t broadcast where it was, “the Coast Guard wouldn’t really have any way of being able to try and triangulate where that call was coming from,” he said.
That changed with the installation of the Coast Guard’s Rescue 21 system on the Great Lakes, completed over the years by 2015. Radio towers now include direction-finding capabilities for radio signals that allow emergency responders to much more quickly and accurately triangulate the location of a ship in distress, Snyder said.
An augmentation to marine radar, automatic identification systems, or AIS, became commonly used by the early 2000s, continually broadcasting a ship’s identification, position, course, and speed to maritime officials and other ships. Many ship enthusiast websites use these signals to track the journeys of their ships of interest. The AIS systems most often today are coordinated with satellite GPS systems.
“This just transmits the ship’s live position at all times, and that’s publicly available information,” Snyder said.
Between EPIRB and AIS systems, there are now multiple ways of locating a ship in distress, he said.
“Back in 1975, you were relying pretty much completely on the vessel telling you where they are, on them to broadcast their own position or communicate with other ships; or have another ship tell you, ‘I see them on my radar; this is where they are,’ ” Snyder said. “And now we just have a lot more redundancy in terms of a vessel’s ability to broadcast their location and also issue a distress notification in the event they find themselves in trouble.”
Better mapping, maintenance and more safety measures
An enduring possible factor in the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald was that it may have grounded and caused hull damage on shoals as it passed Michipicoten and Caribou islands in Lake Superior. The 1977 U.S. Coast Guard Marine Board of Inquiry investigation report on the sinking noted that mariners at the time of the Fitzgerald disaster were using bathymetric maps of the Lake Superior bottom features in those areas, created in 1916.
Such mapping in that time would have been done by “soundings,” dropping a weight on a measured piece of rope from a drifting boat and measuring at what point the weight touched bottom — a far from comprehensive method. In light of the Edmund Fitzgerald tragedy, the U.S. Coast Guard asked Canadian counterparts to conduct updated hydrographic studies of the Lake Superior bottom between Michipicoten and Caribou islands, work that was completed in 1977.
The understanding of underwater terrain features is much more accurately understood now, with the extensive technology involved today, Snyder said.
“You’re definitely going to have a much higher fidelity in terms of charting the subsurface, the terrain at the bottom of the lake, the depths, and it’s just much easier for mariners to access as well,” he said.
Even at the time the Edmund Fitzgerald sank, many ships still relied on a library of paper charts carried on board, Snyder said. Now it’s all electronic, and can be updated automatically or via CD-ROM or other inputs every month or so, Snyder said.
“So they are always using the most up-to-date charts, and you’re no longer having to go and manually pencil in any changes if a new survey is done and new information comes in,” he said.
The Coast Guard in the immediate years after the Fitzgerald sank rescinded a 1973 amendment to Great Lakes bulk carrier load lines that was allowing the ships to carry more cargo in their holds, with the effect of riding lower in the water. This change was part of broader safety improvements, including mandatory inspections of hatch and vent closures.
Although it didn’t contribute to the loss of life in the very rapid sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, the NTSB report noted that the Coast Guard’s search and rescue capability was “extremely limited” on Nov. 10, 1975.
“The only Coast Guard surface unit that was large enough to cope with the weather and sea conditions, that was not under repair, and that was close enough to respond within a reasonable time was the Woodrush,” a Coast Guard buoy tender and icebreaker at port in Duluth, Minnesota, 300 miles west of Whitefish Bay.
“The small craft designed for coastal operations, which were available in Lake Superior, were unsuitable for searching 15 miles offshore under the prevailing sea conditions,” the NTSB report states. “Additional surface search and rescue units on the Great Lakes that are capable of operation in severe weather conditions are needed.”
That has changed in the years since, Snyder said. On Lake Superior, the Coast Guard has boat stations in Duluth, Bayfield, Wisconsin, Houghton-Hancock, Marquette, and Sault Ste. Marie. “All of those stations are equipped with our 45-foot response boats, which are capable of going out in some pretty snotty weather,” he said.
The Coast Guard uses MH-60T Jayhawk helicopters from Air Station Traverse City to cover Lake Superior for search and rescue operations. These long-range, all-weather helicopters are capable of extended flight times and can fly in gale-force winds.
Thibaudeau said self-inspections of Great Lakes bulk carriers by the crews and companies, as well as by the Coast Guard, increased and improved in the 50 years since the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Onboard survival suits became mandatory on bulk carriers after the ship sank, as well.
“Thank God we haven’t had another tragedy like that,” Thibaudeau said. “We’ve had fires and so on, but we haven’t had a ship go down, which is amazing when you are going back 50 years.”
What caused the Edmund Fitzgerald to sink 50 years ago is still a mystery
Keith Matheny
Detroit Free Press
What caused the SS Edmund Fitzgerald freighter to sink amid a violent storm on Lake Superior on Nov. 10, 1975, killing its 29 crew members, remains a point of debate and mystery a half-century later.
Theories range from the Edmund Fitzgerald striking a shoal and suffering bottom damage to flooding through the freighter’s hatch covers, which filled the ship with water and sank it, to rogue waves, to structural flaws in the ship that the 1975 storm made deadly.
Fed investigations: Ship likely sank due to faulty, failing hatch covers
Two major federal investigations were conducted after the Fitzgerald’s 1975 sinking: the U.S. Coast Guard’s Marine Board of Investigation, which released its report in July 1977; and the National Transportation Safety Board, whose findings and recommendations were released in May 1978.
The Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation, in its conclusions, noted that the lack of survivors and witnesses, and the incomplete information on all that the Edmund Fitzgerald was facing on Lake Superior that day and evening, meant “the proximate cause of the loss of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald cannot be determined.”
But the board goes on to list a suspected cause: flooding through the ship’s topside hatches.
“The most probable cause of the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald was the loss of buoyancy and stability which resulted from massive flooding of the cargo hold,” its report states. “The flooding of the cargo hold took place through ineffective hatch closures as boarding seas rolled along the Spar Deck,” the deck that covers a ship’s cargo holds.
The report states that the Edmund Fitzgerald’s flooding began early on Nov. 10 and worsened throughout the day and evening as the violent storm on Lake Superior gained strength. The taking on of water reduced the ship’s freeboard, making it ride lower and lower in the raging water. The Coast Guard report notes that Edmund Fitzgerald Capt. Ernest McSorley reported being in some of the worst seas he had ever seen.
“It is probable that, at the time he reported this, Fitzgerald had lost so much freeboard from the flooding of the cargo hold that the effect of the sea was much greater than he would have ordinarily experienced,” the report states.
The Coast Guard report noted that the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald happened so quickly, no deployment of lifeboats occurred, nor a mayday distress call sent over the ship’s radio — despite the ship’s crew having been on the radio with the nearby freighter Arthur M. Anderson just minutes before on the evening of Nov. 10.
The report further noted that the Fitzgerald’s positioning on the Lake Superior bottom — its front section upright and looking as if it collided with the muddy bottom at speed; the middle section of the ship disintegrated and the rear section capsized and nearly perpendicular but less than 200 feet from the front section on the lake bottom — tend to indicate the ship didn’t suffer a structural breaking apart on the lake surface, as the ship halves would have likely remained buoyant for at least a brief time and the raging, 50-knot winds would have taken the two ship halves farther from one another.
The marine board walked through how a loss of buoyancy due to severe topside flooding through the ship’s faulty or failing hatches potentially unfolded on the fateful night of Nov. 10, 1975.
“Finally, as the storm reached its peak intensity, so much freeboard was lost that the bow pitched down and dove into a wall of water, and the vessel was unable to recover,” the report states. “Within a matter of seconds, the cargo (26,000 tons of iron ore taconite pellets) rushed forward, the bow plowed into the bottom of the lake, and the midships structure disintegrated, allowing the submerged stern section, now emptied of cargo, to roll over and override the other structure, finally coming to rest upside-down atop the disintegrated middle portion of the ship.”
The NTSB final report from its investigation reached a similar conclusion.
“The probable cause of this accident was the sudden massive flooding of the cargo hold due to the collapse of one or more hatch covers,” its report stated.
George “Red” Burgner was a Great Lakes mariner for decades and served as a steward or cook on the Edmund Fitzgerald for 10 years. Burgner left the Fitzgerald earlier in 1975 to have surgery on chronic bone spurs in his feet — and turned down a company invite to return to the ship just days before its fateful voyage.
In a January 1978 deposition, Burgner stated that the Fitzgerald frequently left port without yet fully securing the approximately 68 clamps that went around the ship’s hatch covers. It has contributed to some speculating that the ship’s hatches may not have been perfectly secured when the fierce storm hammered the boat.
Could the Fitzgerald have bottomed out on a shoal?
The captain of a Great Lakes freighter that also endured the storm of Nov. 10, 1975, on Lake Superior, and was the nearest ship to the Edmund Fitzgerald at the time it sank, speculated that the Fitz may have sunk from damage to its hull from bottoming out on a shoal, a shallower area in the lake due to rocks and sandbars.
“(T)he Fitz was to the west of our course line. Maybe too close to Caribou Island,” said Capt. Jesse “Bernie” Cooper of the bulk carrier Arthur M. Anderson, in a handwritten recounting of the Fitzgerald’s sinking about 10 years after the event.
“(The time was) 15:20 — 3:20 p.m. The Fitzgerald called with the information that she had a fence rail down, two vents damaged, plus a starboard list. He (Fitzgerald Captain McSorley) also had his pumps going, so that means that the Fitz had to have water in one or two of her side tanks. Probably a stress fracture of the hull.
“At this time the Fitz was mortally wounded. How bad we wouldn’t know until later. My own opinion is that she bottomed out on a shoal. This area had not been surveyed since the 1915 era.”
Robert Thibaudeau spent 45 years as a mariner on the Great Lakes, the last 18 years as a captain of freighters. His last ship was the MV Paul R. Tregurtha, the longest bulk carrier freighter on the Great Lakes at more than 1,013 feet. He retired as a captain in 2021.
He, too, speculates that the Fitz grounded on a shoal, and suspects it’s one known as Six Fathom Shoal, on the north end of Caribou Island in northeastern Lake Superior. Bedrock ridges there take lake levels to 36 feet or even shallower in places, a potential problem for a deep-drafting vessel like a Great Lakes bulk carrier. In the aftermath of the Fitzgerald sinking, the Canadian government in 1976 updated its bathymetric maps near Caribou Island from those created in the early 1900s, and mapped the shoal about a mile farther east from the island than had been previously mapped.
“If you look at where they went, the track line, there is a 36-foot (deep) shoal area they potentially could have got close to just off Caribou in that area,” Thibaudeau said. “I believe they could have gotten close to that 36-foot (shoal) spot.”
The captain added that even if the ship was in navigable water near the shoal, the heavy seas from the storm could have thrusted the ship’s bottom into the bedrock.
Officials with the Lake Carriers Association, a Westlake, Ohio-based trade organization representing the Great Lakes freighter shipping industry, also concluded that the Edmund Fitzgerald bottomed out on a shoal in the immediate years after the sinking.
But some dispute the possibility.
Sean Kery, a senior principal engineer and naval architect for CACI, a Virginia-based government contractor that works with the U.S. Navy and other clients; and Ben Fisher, with Bremerton, Washington-based SAFE Boats International, a company that designs boats for military, law enforcement and first responders, in a 2012 presentation of a forensic examination of the Edmund Fitzgerald’s sinking, rejected the shoal damage theory.
“There is no sign of grounding damage to the exposed stern section, which would be the deepest in the water under normal conditions,” Kerry and Fisher’s research paper stated.
Ric Mixter agrees. The Wixom resident is a diver, documentary filmmaker, Great Lakes shipwreck historian and author of the 2022 book “Tattletale Sounds: The Edmund Fitzgerald investigations.” He is among the few who have dived the Edmund Fitzgerald shipwreck, in a submersible in 1994.
“I’ve totally ruled out running aground,” he said. “I’ve got lots of people who tell me that Six Fathom Shoal doesn’t exist.”
In addition to McSorley, three other crew members on the Fitzgerald that fateful night — First Mate John H. McCarthy, Second Mate James A. Pratt, and Third Mate Michael E. Armagost — had attained the designation of Master from the U.S. Coast Guard, meaning they had passed through a rigorous licensing and endorsement process showing their experience and proficiency to safely and efficiently operate a ship such as a Great Lakes bulk carrier.
“They had made that turn (by Michipicoten and Caribou islands) more than a hundred times,” said Mixter. “John Simmons, the wheelsman, had been on the Fitzgerald since 1959. He was the longest-serving employee on board that ship.
“To insult those guys to say … they cut that corner and ran aground, it’s absolutely silly.”
A faulty ‘backbone’ and rogue waves could have doomed the Fitz
In addition to serving as a cook on the Edmund Fitzgerald for a decade, Red Burgner was also the ship’s winter “keeper” for seven years, an employee who stays on the ship at dock or drydock overwinter, helping coordinate maintenance and keeping the ship operational, and serving as a point of contact with contractors coming to the ship.
In his January 1978 deposition, Burgner stated that the Edmund Fitzgerald had recurring problems with a loose keel, the steel backbone of the ship along its bottom, from which the hull is constructed. Burgner said he observed the loose keel, with sections receiving only spots of “tack welds” instead of solid welds along the length of the keel to reattach it to the ship, as recently as overwinter 1973-74.
Burgner also testified that the ship would move and heave with large waves in a way that he didn’t experience on other boats, and take longer to straighten out after such waves. The Fitzgerald also made “groaning” noises that Burgner said he’d never heard on any other boat he’d served on.
Burgner stated he was present for a conversation where maintenance men working on the lower decks of the boat told McSorley the problem had arisen again earlier in 1975, as the Edmund Fitzgerald was being prepared for the upcoming shipping season.
“They came in the mess room door, had coffee, sat down and started talking,” Burgner stated. “And they said, ‘Captain, the keel’s loose on this son of a bitch again.’ “Burgner said McSorley replied, “‘I don’t give a (expletive). All this son of a bitch has got to do is stay together one more year. After that, I don’t give a shit what happens to it.'”
Burgner’s account of keel problems on the Edmund Fitzgerald is corroborated by marine engineer and naval architect Joseph E. Fischer, then president of Bay Engineering Inc., who, in a recollection years after the Fitzgerald sank, recalled that a company he was with in 1969, R.A. Steam in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, “was asked to investigate the continuing failure of the longitudinal keelsons attachment to the bottom shell plate” of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
“Each year, a survey would show cracks in the weld of the center vertical keel to the bottom shell,” Fischer said. “These cracks would be gouged out and rewelded only to show the same cracks in the following years.”
Mixter thinks it’s a key to the Fitzgerald’s demise. With Burgner’s testimony, “there is a clear indication (McSorley) knew there was an issue, but he still pushed through five gale-force winds in that season, one on Lake Huron and the rest on Superior,” Mixter said. “So each time that keel was getting loose.”
Cooper, the captain aboard the Anderson on the same Nov. 10, only miles away from the Fitzgerald, recalled seas of “25 to 35 feet” that evening on eastern Lake Superior.
“Sometime before 7 p.m. we took two of the largest seas of the trip,” Cooper recounted in his handwritten retelling of that night. “The first one flooded our boat deck. It had enough force to come down on the starboard lifeboat, pushing it into the saddles with a force strong enough to damage the bottom of the lifeboat … the second large sea put green water on our bridge deck! This is about 35 feet above the waterline!
“Did these two large seas reach the Fitzgerald at 7:10 p.m.?”
The Fitzgerald had already reported a fence rail down, vents damaged and a starboard list, with two pumps activated — signs the ship was already taking on water. The ship was riding lower above the waterline. The large waves might have meant its death knell.
“It collapsed Hatches 1 and 5, and the ship couldn’t recover,” Mixter speculated. “It broke its back on the surface. It dove underneath the water, and the stern section ripped off and flipped upside-down.”
That more or less coincides with the conclusions of the 2012 analysis by Kery and Fisher: a cascading disaster of two smashed vents, flooding ballast tanks, the Fitzgerald’s forward house flooding, the forward two hatch covers blown in, allowing yet more water to rush in and weigh down the ship, and a hull girder failure.
Mixter believes what exactly caused the Edmund Fitzgerald to sink on the night of Nov. 10, 1975, leaving its crew of 29 dead, is possible to know. But it would take more dives and further research on the ship’s remains on the Lake Superior bottom to understand. It’s time to overcome reservations about it, he said.
“There are so many questions that could be solved with a quick sonar scan with the newest technology we have,” Mixter said. “Many of the voices that were so vocally opposed to us (shipwreck divers) have faded since they have passed away.
“Fifty years later now, we are sitting at the point where there is better technology, and we could figure it out.”
Gales of November Conference Honors Fitzgerald 50th
DULUTH, MN – Lake Superior Marine Museum Association presents Gales of November 2025, a two-day conference Nov 7-8 commemorating the 50th anniversary of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. This special event brings together maritime historians, lighthouse preservationists, and Great Lakes experts for a weekend of reflection, education, and storytelling
Attendees can look forward to in-depth presentations on shipwreck research, lighthouse restoration, and the evolution of theories surrounding the Fitzgerald disaster. The conference also includes updates from the Duluth Seaway Port Authority and the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center, buffet luncheons and a silent auction.
Gales of November offers an opportunity to honor the men lost aboard the Fitzgerald and celebrate those who continue to preserve the legacy of Great Lakes shipping and maritime history.
LEARN MORE & REGISTER AT: destinationduluth.co/GalesOfNovConf
Great Lakes Maritime Institute Marks Fitzgerald Anniversary
Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum Offers 2
Special Edmund Fitzgerald Events
WHITEFISH POINT, MI – Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum has two special events happening before the Fitzgerald memorial on November 10th. One on November 7th and one on the 9th. All our events this fall are free to the public…please read below.
NOVEMBER 7th
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum will host an Edmund Fitzgerald speaker panel to take place on Friday, November 7, 2025 (6:30pm) at the Whitefish Township Community Center in Paradise, MI. Panelists will range from historians and surviving Fitzgerald family members…to Shipwreck Society staff and a former engineer on the Fitzgerald. This is a free event and seating will be on a first-come, first serve basis. The event will last approximately 1.5 hours. The Whitefish Township Community Center is located at: 7052 M-123, Paradise, MI 49768.
ON NOVEMBER 9th
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society will soon release the second edition of its popular Edmund Fitzgerald publication, The Legend Lives On. With an additional 48-pages of content, this richly illustrated book features historic imagery and artwork of “Big Fitz” during its working life and of this ship’s ongoing story across the years since November 10, 1975. The GLSHS official release and book signing of The Legend Lives On will take place at the Shipwreck Coast Museum Store on the Shipwreck Museum campus (Whitefish Point) on Sunday, November 9, 2025 from 1pm-3pm. Authors Bruce Lynn and Christopher Winters will be signing copies of the book at this time
National Museum of the Great Lakes Remembers the Fitzgerald
Fifty years after the Edmund Fitzgerald tragically met its demise in Lake Superior, the National Museum of the Great Lakes invites you to Toledo for four powerful days of stories, music and reflection remembering the ship’s 29-man crew-many of whom called Toledo home.
[See the two-page flyer in the gallery.]
Mark 50 years since Edmund Fitzgerald sinking with historic cuisine, wreath laying
DETROIT, MI – From dining on authentic cuisine served on the ill-fated freighter to a solemn laying of wreaths on the water, the Detroit Historical Society is hosting a weekend of events to honor the 29 mariners who died in the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald nearly 50 years ago.
The museum is planning several opportunities, paid and free, to honor the Fitzgerald, which went down in a violent storm on Nov. 10, 1975, and is remembered in the Gordon Lightfoot ballad.
Rebecca Salminen-Witt, a spokeswoman for the Detroit Historical Society, said tickets are expected to sell out fast for a special brunch set for Sunday, Nov. 9, and the solemn wreath-laying ceremony on Nov. 10. Free events also are scheduled at the museum throughout the weekend.
“It’s important for people to learn about this history ― there’s a lot of it. And Detroit played a huge role in the maritime history of the state and in the whole country,” Salminen-Witt said.
Friday Nov. 7
The commemorative weekend kicks off at 11 a.m. with a book talk featuring Thomas Nelson, the author of “Wrecked: the Edmund Fitzgerald and the Sinking of the American Economy.”
Salminen-Witt said Nelson’s book takes a unique perspective on the ship’s sinking and how the loss of thousands of pounds of ore affected Michigan’s manufacturing economy, ultimately impacting the nation’s economy.
Register for the book talk here: https://www.detroithistorical.org/events/book-talk-wrecked
Detroit Free Press
Detroit Historical Society hosts several events for 50th anniversary of Edmund Fitzgerald sinking
By: Max White
(WXYZ) — The Detroit Historical Society is hosting a full weekend of activities to mark the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
According to the society, the activities all take place at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle, and will kick off on Friday, Nov. 7, with a talk by author Thomas Nelson, who wrote the book “WRECKED: the Edmund Fitzgerald and the Sinking of the American Economy.”
On Saturday, Nov. 8, curators and docents will host drop-in tours of the Edmund Fitzgerald exhibit on the lower level of the Dossin Great Lakes Museum. Also, the Great Lakes Maritime Institute will be there for information and merchandise.
Also on Saturday, the Livonia Amateur Radio Club will be in DeRoy Hall for the Edmund Fitzgerald radio broadcast, and a new pop-up exhibit will debut.
Sunday morning, the museum will host its first-ever Maritime Brunch, which will feature a chef-prepared meal directly from the Edmund Fitzgerald’s on-ship menu, along with a video presentation from Ship-to-Shore Chef Catherine Schmuck.
During the brunch, a new film will premiere about the Edmund Fitzgerald with experts from around the Great Lakes. Tickets for the brunch are available now.
Finally, on Monday, the society will host its 26th annual Lost Mariner’s Remembrance, which is a tribute to the sailors who were lost on the Great Lakes. The event takes place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and begins with a lantern vigil at the Fitzgerald’s bow setting. Officials say the event sells out every year, and tickets are available now.
Click to see Full story and videos: https://www.wxyz.com/news/detroit-historical-society-hosts-several-events-for-50th-anniversary-of-edmund-fitzgerald-sinking?sfnsn=mo&fbclid=IwY2xjawMsZ1VleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHi7V_IMl1KDLaV2aLwAgHT9l68-iG1GT4NPz0DBD_7FrGRv3vNimb9LJi74Q_aem_jJq4jLDiDZj4tCbMK3qspw
Split Rock lighthouse on Lake Superior to shine
beacon for Edmund Fitzgerald memorial ceremony
TWO HARBORS, MN – One of the most famous lighthouses on the Great Lakes will again be hosting an Edmund Fitzgerald memorial service this year, and the gathering marking the 50th anniversary of the freighter’s tragic loss is expected to draw thousands to the clifftop site.
Split Rock Lighthouse will host its annual event on Nov. 10, a half-century after the Fitzgerald sank in a violent storm off Whitefish Point at the southern end of Lake Superior.
At the service, all 29 names will be read aloud to the tolling of a bell. Then Split Rock’s beacon will be lit in tribute to those lost.
The Minnesota Historical Society will be hosting the event. The lighthouse, perched atop a high, rocky cliff, sits more than 130 feet above Lake Superior. It is one of the most photographed lighthouses in the United States.
“We’re just trying to provide a little place for memory and for remembrance and to really put into perspective the power of the lake,” site manager Hayes Scriven told Minnesota Public Radio recently. “So that’s why we think it’s very important for us to keep doing this.”
The Split Rock Lighthouse event is one of many taking place across the Great Lakes to honor the memory of the Edmund Fitzgerald’s crew. In Michigan, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point will be holding a public remembrance event on Nov. 10, as well as a private ceremony for the relatives of the Fitzgerald’s crew.
The Mariners’ Church of Detroit also has memorial events planned for November. You can see the lineup here: https://marinerschurchofdetroit.org/edmund-fitzgerald/
[M Live]
Fitzgerald Memorial Plans Announced By
Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society will hold an outdoor public remembrance service for the 50th Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial at Whitefish Point on Monday, November 10th, 2025 at 2 p.m.
PLAN AHEAD – WHAT TO EXPECT:
Outdoor Shelter: NO tent or seating will be setup for the outdoor public ceremony, as November can have volatile weather that would cause more harm than good. Check the weather forecast prior to traveling to Whitefish Point, and know your limits.
*(Seating will be provided for speakers and individuals ringing the bell.)
Parking: LIMITED parking is available at Whitefish Point. No RVs, Campers, or trailers will be allowed to park in the PAVED parking areas. Once paved parking areas are filled, be prepared to park along the shoulder of the road prior to reaching Whitefish Point.
No Shuttle Services: Be prepared to walk the distance from where you parked to get to Whitefish Point. Know your limits!
Museum Closed: The Museum will be closed to the public. Restrooms will be open.
Grounds Cleared: In order to make room (and parking available) for Fitzgerald families driving-in for the evening ceremony, daytime visitors will be asked to leave the grounds by 5PM.
A ceremony for family members only will take place at 7:00 PM, which will be livestreamed for the public. Under no circumstances will the evening ceremony for the family members of the Edmund Fitzgerald be open to the public.
The live stream link of the evening ceremony will be made available prior to the ceremony via our website and social media channels.
[Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society]
Huge crowd expected for 50th anniversary
memorial of sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald
A crowd of about 2,000 people is expected to turn out next month when Split Rock Lighthouse and the Minnesota Historical Society host a memorial to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald on Nov. 10.
The ship left port in Superior, Wis., in 1975 “With a load of iron ore, 26,000 tons more, than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty,” as immortalized in Gordon Lightfoot’s famous song about the wreck. The Fitz would have passed just a few miles off shore from Split Rock.
For the past 40 years, the lighthouse has observed the anniversary with a ceremony in which the names of the 29 crew members who perished in Lake Superior are read aloud to the tolling of a ship’s bell. Then Split Rock’s beacon is lit in their honor.
This year’s event will continue that tradition. In addition, former Split Rock Lighthouse Site Manager Lee Radzak will discuss why he started the annual memorial 40 years ago.
“My first one that I attended was actually the first day I was here on site, back in 2019, and the emotional response that I had was just very striking to me,” recalls current site manager Hayes Scriven.
“Listening to the names and the bell being rung, and all of sudden the light comes on, it’s very moving.”
Scriven said they’ve already sold more tickets in advance this year than they ever have for past events. He advises those interested in attending to arrive a few hours before it starts at 4 pm. Free shuttles will also be available from Silver Bay.
He believes there are a few reasons why the tragedy still resonates so deeply with people today. Many know it through the iconic song “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” There’s also the enduring mystery of what precisely led to the ship and crew’s demise.
Thousands of tourists flock to Duluth and the North Shore of Lake Superior to see up close the giant 1,000-foot freighters that carry iron ore and other materials across the Great Lakes. Scriven says many people have a hard time fathoming how one of those enormous ships could disappear.
“We’re just trying to provide a little place for memory and for remembrance and to really put into perspective the power of the lake,” Scriven says. “So that’s why we think it’s very important for us to keep doing this.”
MPR News
ISMA Milwaukee Lodge, Wisconsin Marine Historical Society
Will Host 50th Anniversary Fitzgerald Commemoration
International Ship Masters Association Milwaukee Lodge and the
Wisconsin Marine Historical Society have partnered to commemorate
the SS Edmund Fitzgerald and her Crew on the 50th anniversary of
her sinking.
Join us on Monday, November 10th, from 5-8 PM, at The
Cooperage (822 S. Water St., Milwaukee). The event will feature a
solemn bell ringing ceremony at 6:10 PM in memory of the 29 lost
crew members, followed by speakers sharing their personal
connections to this historic event.
Admission includes heavy hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. Tickets
are $20 presale, or $40 at the door if space allows. Secure your spot
early – the first 200 tickets sold will receive a commemorative
challenge coin and gift bag. Presale ends November 5, 2025.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to reflect on a solemn and
significant event in Great Lakes history. Space is limited, so purchase
your tickets today at:
http://www.shipmaster.org/lodge-6
This event is a commemoration, not a fund raiser.
Boatnerd News – November 3, 2025
November Storm Sends Vessels to Anchor
Stormy weather has sent several vessels to anchor, with wind gusts up to 45 knots and wave heights as high as 14 feet in the forecast.Algoma Niagara, John J. Munson, Burns Harbor, Mesabi Miner and the saltie Verila were all on the hook above DeTour, MI, on the lower St. Marys River, Monday morning.
On Lake Superior, Stewart J. Cort was taking the scenic route through the Apostle Islands, with the Paul R. Tregurtha and Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin anchored to the east of Ashland, WI. On Lake Huron, Algoma Strongfield and Kaye E. Barker, both upbound, anchored north of Port Huron, while Great Republic anchored south of Tawas.
Lake Superior’s Monday forecast calls for west gales to 45 knots. A slight chance of showers in the morning. Waves building to 8 to 11 feet occasionally to 14 feet, then subsiding to 6 to 9 feet occasionally to 11 feet.
Gales of November Conference Honors Fitzgerald 50th
DULUTH, MN – Lake Superior Marine Museum Association presents Gales of November 2025, a two-day conference Nov 7-8 commemorating the 50th anniversary of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. This special event brings together maritime historians, lighthouse preservationists, and Great Lakes experts for a weekend of reflection, education, and storytelling
Attendees can look forward to in-depth presentations on shipwreck research, lighthouse restoration, and the evolution of theories surrounding the Fitzgerald disaster. The conference also includes updates from the Duluth Seaway Port Authority and the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center, buffet luncheons and a silent auction.
Gales of November offers an opportunity to honor the men lost aboard the Fitzgerald and celebrate those who continue to preserve the legacy of Great Lakes shipping and maritime history.
LEARN MORE & REGISTER AT: destinationduluth.co/GalesOfNovConf
Great Lakes Maritime Institute Marks Fitzgerald Anniversary
Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum Offers 2
Special Edmund Fitzgerald Events
WHITEFISH POINT, MI – Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum has two special events happening before the Fitzgerald memorial on November 10th. One on November 7th and one on the 9th. All our events this fall are free to the public…please read below.
NOVEMBER 7th
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum will host an Edmund Fitzgerald speaker panel to take place on Friday, November 7, 2025 (6:30pm) at the Whitefish Township Community Center in Paradise, MI. Panelists will range from historians and surviving Fitzgerald family members…to Shipwreck Society staff and a former engineer on the Fitzgerald. This is a free event and seating will be on a first-come, first serve basis. The event will last approximately 1.5 hours. The Whitefish Township Community Center is located at: 7052 M-123, Paradise, MI 49768.
ON NOVEMBER 9th
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society will soon release the second edition of its popular Edmund Fitzgerald publication, The Legend Lives On. With an additional 48-pages of content, this richly illustrated book features historic imagery and artwork of “Big Fitz” during its working life and of this ship’s ongoing story across the years since November 10, 1975. The GLSHS official release and book signing of The Legend Lives On will take place at the Shipwreck Coast Museum Store on the Shipwreck Museum campus (Whitefish Point) on Sunday, November 9, 2025 from 1pm-3pm. Authors Bruce Lynn and Christopher Winters will be signing copies of the book at this time
National Museum of the Great Lakes Remembers the Fitzgerald
Fifty years after the Edmund Fitzgerald tragically met its demise in Lake Superior, the National Museum of the Great Lakes invites you to Toledo for four powerful days of stories, music and reflection remembering the ship’s 29-man crew-many of whom called Toledo home.
[See the two-page flyer in the gallery.]
Mark 50 years since Edmund Fitzgerald sinking with historic cuisine, wreath laying
DETROIT, MI – From dining on authentic cuisine served on the ill-fated freighter to a solemn laying of wreaths on the water, the Detroit Historical Society is hosting a weekend of events to honor the 29 mariners who died in the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald nearly 50 years ago.
The museum is planning several opportunities, paid and free, to honor the Fitzgerald, which went down in a violent storm on Nov. 10, 1975, and is remembered in the Gordon Lightfoot ballad.
Rebecca Salminen-Witt, a spokeswoman for the Detroit Historical Society, said tickets are expected to sell out fast for a special brunch set for Sunday, Nov. 9, and the solemn wreath-laying ceremony on Nov. 10. Free events also are scheduled at the museum throughout the weekend.
“It’s important for people to learn about this history ― there’s a lot of it. And Detroit played a huge role in the maritime history of the state and in the whole country,” Salminen-Witt said.
Friday Nov. 7
The commemorative weekend kicks off at 11 a.m. with a book talk featuring Thomas Nelson, the author of “Wrecked: the Edmund Fitzgerald and the Sinking of the American Economy.”
Salminen-Witt said Nelson’s book takes a unique perspective on the ship’s sinking and how the loss of thousands of pounds of ore affected Michigan’s manufacturing economy, ultimately impacting the nation’s economy.
Register for the book talk here: https://www.detroithistorical.org/events/book-talk-wrecked
Detroit Free Press
Detroit Historical Society hosts several events for 50th anniversary of Edmund Fitzgerald sinking
By: Max White
(WXYZ) — The Detroit Historical Society is hosting a full weekend of activities to mark the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
According to the society, the activities all take place at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle, and will kick off on Friday, Nov. 7, with a talk by author Thomas Nelson, who wrote the book “WRECKED: the Edmund Fitzgerald and the Sinking of the American Economy.”
On Saturday, Nov. 8, curators and docents will host drop-in tours of the Edmund Fitzgerald exhibit on the lower level of the Dossin Great Lakes Museum. Also, the Great Lakes Maritime Institute will be there for information and merchandise.
Also on Saturday, the Livonia Amateur Radio Club will be in DeRoy Hall for the Edmund Fitzgerald radio broadcast, and a new pop-up exhibit will debut.
Sunday morning, the museum will host its first-ever Maritime Brunch, which will feature a chef-prepared meal directly from the Edmund Fitzgerald’s on-ship menu, along with a video presentation from Ship-to-Shore Chef Catherine Schmuck.
During the brunch, a new film will premiere about the Edmund Fitzgerald with experts from around the Great Lakes. Tickets for the brunch are available now.
Finally, on Monday, the society will host its 26th annual Lost Mariner’s Remembrance, which is a tribute to the sailors who were lost on the Great Lakes. The event takes place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and begins with a lantern vigil at the Fitzgerald’s bow setting. Officials say the event sells out every year, and tickets are available now.
Click to see Full story and videos: https://www.wxyz.com/news/detroit-historical-society-hosts-several-events-for-50th-anniversary-of-edmund-fitzgerald-sinking?sfnsn=mo&fbclid=IwY2xjawMsZ1VleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHi7V_IMl1KDLaV2aLwAgHT9l68-iG1GT4NPz0DBD_7FrGRv3vNimb9LJi74Q_aem_jJq4jLDiDZj4tCbMK3qspw
Split Rock lighthouse on Lake Superior to shine
beacon for Edmund Fitzgerald memorial ceremony
TWO HARBORS, MN – One of the most famous lighthouses on the Great Lakes will again be hosting an Edmund Fitzgerald memorial service this year, and the gathering marking the 50th anniversary of the freighter’s tragic loss is expected to draw thousands to the clifftop site.
Split Rock Lighthouse will host its annual event on Nov. 10, a half-century after the Fitzgerald sank in a violent storm off Whitefish Point at the southern end of Lake Superior.
At the service, all 29 names will be read aloud to the tolling of a bell. Then Split Rock’s beacon will be lit in tribute to those lost.
The Minnesota Historical Society will be hosting the event. The lighthouse, perched atop a high, rocky cliff, sits more than 130 feet above Lake Superior. It is one of the most photographed lighthouses in the United States.
“We’re just trying to provide a little place for memory and for remembrance and to really put into perspective the power of the lake,” site manager Hayes Scriven told Minnesota Public Radio recently. “So that’s why we think it’s very important for us to keep doing this.”
The Split Rock Lighthouse event is one of many taking place across the Great Lakes to honor the memory of the Edmund Fitzgerald’s crew. In Michigan, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point will be holding a public remembrance event on Nov. 10, as well as a private ceremony for the relatives of the Fitzgerald’s crew.
The Mariners’ Church of Detroit also has memorial events planned for November. You can see the lineup here: https://marinerschurchofdetroit.org/edmund-fitzgerald/
[M Live]
Fitzgerald Memorial Plans Announced By
Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society will hold an outdoor public remembrance service for the 50th Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial at Whitefish Point on Monday, November 10th, 2025 at 2 p.m.
PLAN AHEAD – WHAT TO EXPECT:
Outdoor Shelter: NO tent or seating will be setup for the outdoor public ceremony, as November can have volatile weather that would cause more harm than good. Check the weather forecast prior to traveling to Whitefish Point, and know your limits.
*(Seating will be provided for speakers and individuals ringing the bell.)
Parking: LIMITED parking is available at Whitefish Point. No RVs, Campers, or trailers will be allowed to park in the PAVED parking areas. Once paved parking areas are filled, be prepared to park along the shoulder of the road prior to reaching Whitefish Point.
No Shuttle Services: Be prepared to walk the distance from where you parked to get to Whitefish Point. Know your limits!
Museum Closed: The Museum will be closed to the public. Restrooms will be open.
Grounds Cleared: In order to make room (and parking available) for Fitzgerald families driving-in for the evening ceremony, daytime visitors will be asked to leave the grounds by 5PM.
A ceremony for family members only will take place at 7:00 PM, which will be livestreamed for the public. Under no circumstances will the evening ceremony for the family members of the Edmund Fitzgerald be open to the public.
The live stream link of the evening ceremony will be made available prior to the ceremony via our website and social media channels.
[Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society]
Huge crowd expected for 50th anniversary
memorial of sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald
A crowd of about 2,000 people is expected to turn out next month when Split Rock Lighthouse and the Minnesota Historical Society host a memorial to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald on Nov. 10.
The ship left port in Superior, Wis., in 1975 “With a load of iron ore, 26,000 tons more, than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty,” as immortalized in Gordon Lightfoot’s famous song about the wreck. The Fitz would have passed just a few miles off shore from Split Rock.
For the past 40 years, the lighthouse has observed the anniversary with a ceremony in which the names of the 29 crew members who perished in Lake Superior are read aloud to the tolling of a ship’s bell. Then Split Rock’s beacon is lit in their honor.
This year’s event will continue that tradition. In addition, former Split Rock Lighthouse Site Manager Lee Radzak will discuss why he started the annual memorial 40 years ago.
“My first one that I attended was actually the first day I was here on site, back in 2019, and the emotional response that I had was just very striking to me,” recalls current site manager Hayes Scriven.
“Listening to the names and the bell being rung, and all of sudden the light comes on, it’s very moving.”
Scriven said they’ve already sold more tickets in advance this year than they ever have for past events. He advises those interested in attending to arrive a few hours before it starts at 4 pm. Free shuttles will also be available from Silver Bay.
He believes there are a few reasons why the tragedy still resonates so deeply with people today. Many know it through the iconic song “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” There’s also the enduring mystery of what precisely led to the ship and crew’s demise.
Thousands of tourists flock to Duluth and the North Shore of Lake Superior to see up close the giant 1,000-foot freighters that carry iron ore and other materials across the Great Lakes. Scriven says many people have a hard time fathoming how one of those enormous ships could disappear.
“We’re just trying to provide a little place for memory and for remembrance and to really put into perspective the power of the lake,” Scriven says. “So that’s why we think it’s very important for us to keep doing this.”
MPR News
ISMA Milwaukee Lodge, Wisconsin Marine Historical Society
Will Host 50th Anniversary Fitzgerald Commemoration
International Ship Masters Association Milwaukee Lodge and the
Wisconsin Marine Historical Society have partnered to commemorate
the SS Edmund Fitzgerald and her Crew on the 50th anniversary of
her sinking.
Join us on Monday, November 10th, from 5-8 PM, at The
Cooperage (822 S. Water St., Milwaukee). The event will feature a
solemn bell ringing ceremony at 6:10 PM in memory of the 29 lost
crew members, followed by speakers sharing their personal
connections to this historic event.
Admission includes heavy hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. Tickets
are $20 presale, or $40 at the door if space allows. Secure your spot
early – the first 200 tickets sold will receive a commemorative
challenge coin and gift bag. Presale ends November 5, 2025.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to reflect on a solemn and
significant event in Great Lakes history. Space is limited, so purchase
your tickets today at:
http://www.shipmaster.org/lodge-6
This event is a commemoration, not a fund raiser.
Boatnerd News – November 2, 2025
Gales of November Conference Honors Fitzgerald 50th
DULUTH, MN – Lake Superior Marine Museum Association presents Gales of November2025, a two-day conference Nov 7-8 commemorating the 50th anniversary of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. This special event brings together maritime historians, lighthouse preservationists, and Great Lakes experts for a weekend of reflection, education, and storytelling
Attendees can look forward to in-depth presentations on shipwreck research, lighthouse restoration, and the evolution of theories surrounding the Fitzgerald disaster. The conference also includes updates from the Duluth Seaway Port Authority and the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center, buffet luncheons and a silent auction.
Gales of November offers an opportunity to honor the men lost aboard the Fitzgerald and celebrate those who continue to preserve the legacy of Great Lakes shipping and maritime history.
LEARN MORE & REGISTER AT: destinationduluth.co/GalesOfNovConf
Great Lakes Maritime Institute Marks Fitzgerald Anniversary
Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum Offers 2
Special Edmund Fitzgerald Events
WHITEFISH POINT, MI – Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum has two special events happening before the Fitzgerald memorial on November 10th. One on November 7th and one on the 9th. All our events this fall are free to the public…please read below.
NOVEMBER 7th
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum will host an Edmund Fitzgerald speaker panel to take place on Friday, November 7, 2025 (6:30pm) at the Whitefish Township Community Center in Paradise, MI. Panelists will range from historians and surviving Fitzgerald family members…to Shipwreck Society staff and a former engineer on the Fitzgerald. This is a free event and seating will be on a first-come, first serve basis. The event will last approximately 1.5 hours. The Whitefish Township Community Center is located at: 7052 M-123, Paradise, MI 49768.
ON NOVEMBER 9th
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society will soon release the second edition of its popular Edmund Fitzgerald publication, The Legend Lives On. With an additional 48-pages of content, this richly illustrated book features historic imagery and artwork of “Big Fitz” during its working life and of this ship’s ongoing story across the years since November 10, 1975. The GLSHS official release and book signing of The Legend Lives On will take place at the Shipwreck Coast Museum Store on the Shipwreck Museum campus (Whitefish Point) on Sunday, November 9, 2025 from 1pm-3pm. Authors Bruce Lynn and Christopher Winters will be signing copies of the book at this time
Split Rock lighthouse on Lake Superior to shine
beacon for Edmund Fitzgerald memorial ceremony
TWO HARBORS, MN – One of the most famous lighthouses on the Great Lakes will again be hosting an Edmund Fitzgerald memorial service this year, and the gathering marking the 50th anniversary of the freighter’s tragic loss is expected to draw thousands to the clifftop site.
Split Rock Lighthouse will host its annual event on Nov. 10, a half-century after the Fitzgerald sank in a violent storm off Whitefish Point at the southern end of Lake Superior.
At the service, all 29 names will be read aloud to the tolling of a bell. Then Split Rock’s beacon will be lit in tribute to those lost.
The Minnesota Historical Society will be hosting the event. The lighthouse, perched atop a high, rocky cliff, sits more than 130 feet above Lake Superior. It is one of the most photographed lighthouses in the United States.
“We’re just trying to provide a little place for memory and for remembrance and to really put into perspective the power of the lake,” site manager Hayes Scriven told Minnesota Public Radio recently. “So that’s why we think it’s very important for us to keep doing this.”
The Split Rock Lighthouse event is one of many taking place across the Great Lakes to honor the memory of the Edmund Fitzgerald’s crew. In Michigan, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point will be holding a public remembrance event on Nov. 10, as well as a private ceremony for the relatives of the Fitzgerald’s crew.
The Mariners’ Church of Detroit also has memorial events planned for November. You can see the lineup here: https://marinerschurchofdetroit.org/edmund-fitzgerald/
[M Live]
Fitzgerald Memorial Plans Announced By
Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society will hold an outdoor public remembrance service for the 50th Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial at Whitefish Point on Monday, November 10th, 2025 at 2 p.m.
PLAN AHEAD – WHAT TO EXPECT:
Outdoor Shelter: NO tent or seating will be setup for the outdoor public ceremony, as November can have volatile weather that would cause more harm than good. Check the weather forecast prior to traveling to Whitefish Point, and know your limits.
*(Seating will be provided for speakers and individuals ringing the bell.)
Parking: LIMITED parking is available at Whitefish Point. No RVs, Campers, or trailers will be allowed to park in the PAVED parking areas. Once paved parking areas are filled, be prepared to park along the shoulder of the road prior to reaching Whitefish Point.
No Shuttle Services: Be prepared to walk the distance from where you parked to get to Whitefish Point. Know your limits!
Museum Closed: The Museum will be closed to the public. Restrooms will be open.
Grounds Cleared: In order to make room (and parking available) for Fitzgerald families driving-in for the evening ceremony, daytime visitors will be asked to leave the grounds by 5PM.
A ceremony for family members only will take place at 7:00 PM, which will be livestreamed for the public. Under no circumstances will the evening ceremony for the family members of the Edmund Fitzgerald be open to the public.
The live stream link of the evening ceremony will be made available prior to the ceremony via our website and social media channels.
[Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society]
National Museum of the Great Lakes Remembers the Fitzgerald
Fifty years after the Edmund Fitzgerald tragically met its demise in Lake Superior, the National Museum of the Great Lakes invites you to Toledo for four powerful days of stories, music and reflection remembering the ship’s 29-man crew-many of whom called Toledo home.
[See the two-page flyer in the gallery.]
Mark 50 years since Edmund Fitzgerald sinking with historic cuisine, wreath laying
DETROIT, MI – From dining on authentic cuisine served on the ill-fated freighter to a solemn laying of wreaths on the water, the Detroit Historical Society is hosting a weekend of events to honor the 29 mariners who died in the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald nearly 50 years ago.
The museum is planning several opportunities, paid and free, to honor the Fitzgerald, which went down in a violent storm on Nov. 10, 1975, and is remembered in the Gordon Lightfoot ballad.
Rebecca Salminen-Witt, a spokeswoman for the Detroit Historical Society, said tickets are expected to sell out fast for a special brunch set for Sunday, Nov. 9, and the solemn wreath-laying ceremony on Nov. 10. Free events also are scheduled at the museum throughout the weekend.
“It’s important for people to learn about this history ― there’s a lot of it. And Detroit played a huge role in the maritime history of the state and in the whole country,” Salminen-Witt said.
Friday Nov. 7
The commemorative weekend kicks off at 11 a.m. with a book talk featuring Thomas Nelson, the author of “Wrecked: the Edmund Fitzgerald and the Sinking of the American Economy.”
Salminen-Witt said Nelson’s book takes a unique perspective on the ship’s sinking and how the loss of thousands of pounds of ore affected Michigan’s manufacturing economy, ultimately impacting the nation’s economy.
Register for the book talk here: https://www.detroithistorical.org/events/book-talk-wrecked
Detroit Free Press
Huge crowd expected for 50th anniversary
memorial of sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald
A crowd of about 2,000 people is expected to turn out next month when Split Rock Lighthouse and the Minnesota Historical Society host a memorial to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald on Nov. 10.
The ship left port in Superior, Wis., in 1975 “With a load of iron ore, 26,000 tons more, than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty,” as immortalized in Gordon Lightfoot’s famous song about the wreck. The Fitz would have passed just a few miles off shore from Split Rock.
For the past 40 years, the lighthouse has observed the anniversary with a ceremony in which the names of the 29 crew members who perished in Lake Superior are read aloud to the tolling of a ship’s bell. Then Split Rock’s beacon is lit in their honor.
This year’s event will continue that tradition. In addition, former Split Rock Lighthouse Site Manager Lee Radzak will discuss why he started the annual memorial 40 years ago.
“My first one that I attended was actually the first day I was here on site, back in 2019, and the emotional response that I had was just very striking to me,” recalls current site manager Hayes Scriven.
“Listening to the names and the bell being rung, and all of sudden the light comes on, it’s very moving.”
Scriven said they’ve already sold more tickets in advance this year than they ever have for past events. He advises those interested in attending to arrive a few hours before it starts at 4 pm. Free shuttles will also be available from Silver Bay.
He believes there are a few reasons why the tragedy still resonates so deeply with people today. Many know it through the iconic song “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” There’s also the enduring mystery of what precisely led to the ship and crew’s demise.
Thousands of tourists flock to Duluth and the North Shore of Lake Superior to see up close the giant 1,000-foot freighters that carry iron ore and other materials across the Great Lakes. Scriven says many people have a hard time fathoming how one of those enormous ships could disappear.
“We’re just trying to provide a little place for memory and for remembrance and to really put into perspective the power of the lake,” Scriven says. “So that’s why we think it’s very important for us to keep doing this.”
MPR News
Detroit Historical Society hosts several events for 50th anniversary of Edmund Fitzgerald sinking
By: Max White
(WXYZ) — The Detroit Historical Society is hosting a full weekend of activities to mark the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
According to the society, the activities all take place at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle, and will kick off on Friday, Nov. 7, with a talk by author Thomas Nelson, who wrote the book “WRECKED: the Edmund Fitzgerald and the Sinking of the American Economy.”
On Saturday, Nov. 8, curators and docents will host drop-in tours of the Edmund Fitzgerald exhibit on the lower level of the Dossin Great Lakes Museum. Also, the Great Lakes Maritime Institute will be there for information and merchandise.
Also on Saturday, the Livonia Amateur Radio Club will be in DeRoy Hall for the Edmund Fitzgerald radio broadcast, and a new pop-up exhibit will debut.
Sunday morning, the museum will host its first-ever Maritime Brunch, which will feature a chef-prepared meal directly from the Edmund Fitzgerald’s on-ship menu, along with a video presentation from Ship-to-Shore Chef Catherine Schmuck.
During the brunch, a new film will premiere about the Edmund Fitzgerald with experts from around the Great Lakes. Tickets for the brunch are available now.
Finally, on Monday, the society will host its 26th annual Lost Mariner’s Remembrance, which is a tribute to the sailors who were lost on the Great Lakes. The event takes place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and begins with a lantern vigil at the Fitzgerald’s bow setting. Officials say the event sells out every year, and tickets are available now.
Click to see Full story and videos: https://www.wxyz.com/news/detroit-historical-society-hosts-several-events-for-50th-anniversary-of-edmund-fitzgerald-sinking?sfnsn=mo&fbclid=IwY2xjawMsZ1VleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHi7V_IMl1KDLaV2aLwAgHT9l68-iG1GT4NPz0DBD_7FrGRv3vNimb9LJi74Q_aem_jJq4jLDiDZj4tCbMK3qspw
ISMA Milwaukee Lodge, Wisconsin Marine Historical Society
Will Host 50th Anniversary Fitzgerald Commemoration
International Ship Masters Association Milwaukee Lodge and the
Wisconsin Marine Historical Society have partnered to commemorate
the SS Edmund Fitzgerald and her Crew on the 50th anniversary of
her sinking.
Join us on Monday, November 10th, from 5-8 PM, at The
Cooperage (822 S. Water St., Milwaukee). The event will feature a
solemn bell ringing ceremony at 6:10 PM in memory of the 29 lost
crew members, followed by speakers sharing their personal
connections to this historic event.
Admission includes heavy hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. Tickets
are $20 presale, or $40 at the door if space allows. Secure your spot
early – the first 200 tickets sold will receive a commemorative
challenge coin and gift bag. Presale ends November 5, 2025.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to reflect on a solemn and
significant event in Great Lakes history. Space is limited, so purchase
your tickets today at:
http://www.shipmaster.org/lodge-6
This event is a commemoration, not a fund raiser.
No Results Found
The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.