I was at a marine archaeology event this past weekend where we had various presentations on shipwrecks in the Great Lakes. One talk was about the project to lift the original ship's bell of the Edmund Fitzgerald and replace it with a new one with the names of the crew engraved on it. This task was completed by the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, with the assistance of HMCS Cormorant, a Canadian Navy tender for two submersibles. All are since retired. I got to meet the captain, dive officer and two crew of the Cormorant. They graciously signed copies of DIVER magazine which three of us won, describing the project.
The Fitz is famous here in Ontario, as it sits on the bottom in two pieces about 162 m down, just over 250 m in on the Canadian side of the US-Can border in Lake Superior just outside of Whitefish Bay. Check out Wikipedia for "Edmund Fitzgerald" for all the details. The wreck site is designated "off limits" to divers, because of the known presence of human remains. There are plenty of resources for pictures, data, etc. if anyone wants to try a model. I'm not able, or I would.
Sad shipwreck, still very much remembered here. I thing the "Fitz" would be a real addition to our fleet. JVH
