33 years ago

I was only 7, but I remember clearly.
There have been many wrecks since, many lives lost, but none have moved me to tears the way the SS Edmund Fitzgerald did and still does.
Please, everyone take a moment to remember her crew, and the lost crews of all the other maritime disasters.
SS Edmund Fitzgerald Dedication

And for those of you unfamiliar with her story:
29 die in the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald

And immortalized in the song by Gordon Lightfoot.

...my total respects...

I was 8 at the time and still listen to that somg also.
Time sure goes by fast.
29 years ago today I lost my first female cat I ever had at age 1 also

I was 12 years old when that happened. I remember that too

I remember it as well. One of the best tribute songs ever.

I was on a standby safety ship when they raised the bell for the "Big Fitz". It was one of those moments I'll never forget. It was like a wave of silence fell across the fleet in respect. They replaced the Fitz's original bell with the names of the 29 crewmembers engraved on it. Everytime I sailed past the resting place of the Fitz I always took a minute to remember no matter the date.

Thank you for reminding us of the anniversary. And that song is a great favorite in my family, too -- my father used to play guitar and sing it. Such a beautiful memorial.

Originally Posted by gemlady

And immortalized in the song by Gordon Lightfoot.

Click to expand...

Thank you for posting the song. I was only 6 at the time and don't remember the tradgedy, but I do know the song. The crew and their families have my total respect and rememberences.

From what I understand, there are a lot of ships that have gone lost in the great lakes but this has to be the greatest loss by numbers at least.

Originally Posted by calico2222

From what I understand, there are a lot of ships that have gone lost in the great lakes but this has to be the greatest loss by numbers at least.

Click to expand...

The great lakes have the highest number of ship wrecks than anywhere else on earth. Last I heard it was 10,000 in recorded history. I don't believe the Fitz was the highest loss of life. There are other documented cases in the 100's IIRC. One was a tour boat loading partygoers in the canals in Chicago that capsized resulting in a large loss of life. There were others in the early days of commercial passenger ships that had large loss of life mainly due to fires. One of the greatest mysteries was the loss of LaSalle's "Griffon" which disappeared on it's maiden voyage. The Griffon was the first warship built to sail the upper lakes (above Niagara Falls). To this date it's never been found and no remains of her crew were ever found.

I've sailed (on buoytenders & icebreakers) on all Canadian coats including the arctic and North Sea off of Labrador. I never got seasick till I got to Superior. The waves there are intense, they come quicker and stand higher. I spent many a night in my bunk in my survival suit with my lifejacket wedged under my mattress to keep me pinned to the bulkhead so I wouldn't roll out on the deck!

I was only 4 years old, but my Dad is a Gordon Lightfoot fan. He explained the story to me a long time ago. It's such a tragic story.