30 Years Since Edmund Fitgerald

by "Robert M. Gary" rmg1@[EMAIL PROTECTED] Nov 18, 2005 at 09:22 AM


Didn't they only recently discovered what acutally caused her to go
down? It guess they think that she had a couple hatches not secured and
gained water but that wouldn't have sunk her along. The documentry I
recently saw seemed to think it was bad luck of catching a wave on her
bow and stern at the same time while the middle of the ship was in a
"gully". In otherwords, the middle of the ship was out of water while
the front and back were lifted by giant waves. As a result, she snapped
in two from port to starboard right in the middle. Certainly the
increased weight in the middle due to the flooding hatches contributed
to the snap.

-Robert

There was an excellent documentary on the tradgedy. I watched it on PBS a
few years back. As I recall, the lead theory is that the ship was caught
between two megawaves, which elevated the bow and stern, leaving the
center unsupported. She cracked in two and rapidly submerged, thus
explaining the lack of a mayday. Unsecured hatches may have contributed
to the flooding. But, it is still a mystery.

The sea, like the sky, can be very fickle: friendly and forgiving at one
moment, and then a wicked beast the next. Difficult to decide what was
more frightening: being in the right seat of the Cessna when it got hazy
over Long Island with my VFR friend or suddenly in the soup with 8-10 foot
waves breaking over the bow while trying to find the inlet to Block Island
Harbor -- with radar gone to s___t with all the turbulence and bilge pumps
automatically clicking on and off. GPS came to my rescue both times.

"Skylune" wrote in message
lkaboutaviation.com...
by "Robert M. Gary" rmg1@[EMAIL PROTECTED] Nov 18, 2005 at 09:22 AM


Didn't they only recently discovered what acutally caused her to go
down? It guess they think that she had a couple hatches not secured and
gained water but that wouldn't have sunk her along. The documentry I
recently saw seemed to think it was bad luck of catching a wave on her
bow and stern at the same time while the middle of the ship was in a
"gully". In otherwords, the middle of the ship was out of water while
the front and back were lifted by giant waves. As a result, she snapped
in two from port to starboard right in the middle. Certainly the
increased weight in the middle due to the flooding hatches contributed
to the snap.

-Robert

There was an excellent documentary on the tradgedy. I watched it on PBS a
few years back. As I recall, the lead theory is that the ship was caught
between two megawaves, which elevated the bow and stern, leaving the
center unsupported. She cracked in two and rapidly submerged, thus
explaining the lack of a mayday. Unsecured hatches may have contributed
to the flooding. But, it is still a mystery.

The sea, like the sky, can be very fickle: friendly and forgiving at one
moment, and then a wicked beast the next. Difficult to decide what was
more frightening: being in the right seat of the Cessna when it got hazy
over Long Island with my VFR friend or suddenly in the soup with 8-10 foot
waves breaking over the bow while trying to find the inlet to Block Island
Harbor -- with radar gone to s___t with all the turbulence and bilge pumps
automatically clicking on and off. GPS came to my rescue both times.

8 to 10 feet? Hardeharhar. A mere ripple upon which to play my friend.

"Dave Stadt" wrote in message
. ..

"Skylune" wrote in message
lkaboutaviation.com...
Difficult to decide what was
more frightening: being in the right seat of the Cessna when it got hazy
over Long Island with my VFR friend or suddenly in the soup with 8-10
foot
waves breaking over the bow while trying to find the inlet to Block
Island
Harbor -- with radar gone to s___t with all the turbulence and bilge
pumps
automatically clicking on and off. GPS came to my rescue both times.

8 to 10 feet? Hardeharhar. A mere ripple upon which to play my friend.

Oh, I dunno...I used to get seasick watching McHale's Navy.

by "Matt Barrow" Nov 18, 2005 at 02:23 PM


"Dave Stadt" wrote in message
. ..

"Skylune" wrote in message

lkaboutaviation.com...
Difficult to decide what was
more frightening: being in the right seat of the Cessna when it got
hazy
over Long Island with my VFR friend or suddenly in the soup with 8-10
foot
waves breaking over the bow while trying to find the inlet to Block
Island
Harbor -- with radar gone to s___t with all the turbulence and bilge
pumps
automatically clicking on and off. GPS came to my rescue both times.

8 to 10 feet? Hardeharhar. A mere ripple upon which to play my
friend.

Oh, I dunno...I used to get seasick watching McHale's Navy.

A classic! Nowadays, my sal****er boat (the Double Diamond) sits in a
silly New Hampshire lake. The boaters on that lake are mostly boobs who
are afraid of the ocean. Most don't have radar, GPS, radios, nothing.....
The lake is seriously boring compared to the ocean.

That is why I am considering selling the boat and restarting my flight
training. Anyone interested in buying a boat?? Here she is:

http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listi...oat_id=1412206

That is why I am considering selling the boat and restarting my flight
training. Anyone interested in buying a boat?? Here she is:


Hey, you're not that guy on the Bob and Tom show that's constantly trying to
sell his boat... are you??

Jim

"Dave Stadt" wrote

8 to 10 feet? Hardeharhar. A mere ripple upon which to play my friend.

No doubt; that is when sailing is just starting to get really fun! Plus, I
found the harbor breakwater by ded reckoning, using a compass, only!

Yet another tale, bracketing what makes the loser (Skyloone) quiver. Sad,
real sad.
--
Jim in NC

"Morgans" wrote in message
...

"Dave Stadt" wrote

8 to 10 feet? Hardeharhar. A mere ripple upon which to play my friend.

No doubt; that is when sailing is just starting to get really fun!

The lune is a stinkpotter. End of story.