I can see how that would be addictive! I'm going to see if I can get it cast to my TV.
SS Edmund Fitzgerald
- Thread starter Claudel Xerxes
- Start date
Owen Bawn
Garden party cupcake scented
Looks like some Coast Guard guys are walking on the ice in the Duluth canal right now.
EDIT: They aren't the USCG. They're just idiots.
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Owen Bawn
Garden party cupcake scented
Lake Superior is the coldest water I have ever been in, and I've been swimming in the ocean on the northeast coast of Maine many times. A hot late June day in 1989, after watching Grandma's Marathon in Duluth. I've never experienced cold water like that before or since.
True. A buddy of mine decided to take a bath in Superior in July, bar of Ivory and all. He had to be drunk as a skunk and he said it still liked to freeze him. I ain't that hung up on bathing.
I'm much more familiar with Lake Michigan, and to a lesser extent (much lesser) with Huron. I BELIEVE those two are much shallower than Superior, with smaller amount of area, further south. Michigan and Huron I have been in enough to know what the locals are talking about when they say the lake "turned over." I've actually felt the water getting colder, playing in the surf. 10°F. is a huge difference! In August Lake Michigan is so nice on the Michigan coast.
I've seen huge waves on Huron and Michigan. I'd imagine Superior is just crazy.
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Owen Bawn
Garden party cupcake scented
I was in Thunder Bay, Ontario for a few weeks some years ago. In January. At the tippity-top of Lake Superior. Never went above 0 degrees F.
I’ve heard that in some ways the waves on Lake Superior are more dangerous than ocean waves. Since the lake is shallower than the ocean, the waves tend to be closer together which can cause problems for the ships.
garyg
B&B membership has its percs
I've heard the same thing about Lake Erie - wave frequency being the fastest because it is the shallowest. Also, like Superior, it is oriented such that the prevailing westerlies travel further than on Huron or Michigan.
I was out there once in 10 footers that kept the Coast Guard in harbor .. scary stuff
Owen Bawn
Garden party cupcake scented
The late Canadian songwriter Stan Rogers released a series of albums in the 80s about the diverse and varied regions of Canada. The album about the lakes, "From Fresh Water" has a dozen or so outstanding songs about the Great Lakes. Here's a taste...
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Owen Bawn
Garden party cupcake scented
Sad that the ports are closing but this will be a terrific few days on the live webcams as all the ships head for their winter docks. The Soo looks like its bumper-to-bumper today, and on the Duluth Canal cam I count at least 4 big ships waiting to get into the harbor. Enjoy it while it lasts!
One heading toward Wisconsin Point as I type...
One heading toward Wisconsin Point as I type...
Thank you Owen for posting the Harbor Cam. I really enjoyed watching.
Owen Bawn
Garden party cupcake scented
Great fun. Here is a link to a list of all the Great Lakes livecams.
Yep. This was Lake Erie in Cleveland during the storm just before Xmas. Just off of downtown and the port.
ylekot
On the lookout for a purse
I had a Seaway Pilot tell me that the biggest difference between the ocean and the lakes is that you can go 100 or more miles out of the way to avoid a storm on the ocean, try it on the lakes and you could end up in a cornfield.
Owen Bawn
Garden party cupcake scented
In 1983 Boston Red Sox pitcher Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd was scheduled to pitch at Cleveland's old Municipal Stadium but the game was called due to fog. Later that night Boyd told a reporter "What do they expect when they build the ballpark right on the ocean."
Oil Can Boyd. Man, I haven't heard that name in years.
Good point. I've been out pretty far in the Saginaw Bay and it's still pretty shallow. I imagine if I were as far out as that on the ocean and it would be a LOT deeper.
The weirdest thing is when you get a blast of a wave up into your sinuses on the Lakes it burns a lot worse than it does in the ocean!
Chandu
I Waxed The Badger.
To put another perspective on .6%. Would you drive your car if you thought there was a 1 in 167 chance you'd never be heard from again?
My wife would offer to bring the car around for me.
Chandu
I Waxed The Badger.
The Duluth canal cam is fun to watch, especially during winter storms.
They have a board walk that runs to the left along the shore. A few years ago a storm completely took it out and there were boulders weighing several thousand pounds just thrown about by the water. It was incredible to see the damage. Would have loved to have been there in one of the hotels overlooking that and watch the storm.
The facts were not known when he wrote the song. Some speculation but wasn't figured out until decades later.
I remember. The story was in many newspapers at the time.
