Changes

''Fitzgerald'' began Sunday, November 9, 1975, loading 26,116 tons of taconite at the Burlington Northern Railroad Dock #1 in Superior, Wisconsin. On this 40th voyage in her 17th season, ''Fitzgerald's'' destination was a steel plant on Zug Island in the Detroit River. The weather that morning was cloudy and cool with a light northeast wind. However, a deepening storm system was already taking shape in the central Plains.

''Fitzgerald'' began Sunday, November 9, 1975, loading 26,116 tons of taconite at the Burlington Northern Railroad Dock #1 in Superior, Wisconsin. On this 40th voyage in her 17th season, ''Fitzgerald's'' destination was a steel plant on Zug Island in the Detroit River. The weather that morning was cloudy and cool with a light northeast wind. However, a deepening storm system was already taking shape in the central Plains.

====Deteriorating weather====

====Deteriorating weather====

By early afternoon, she was loaded and ready to depart. At 2:19 PM, ''Fitzgerald'' left Superior and soon entered the open waters of western Lake Superior. The [[National Weather Service]] forecast at that time called for east to northeast winds increasing to 25 to 37 knots during the night, then shifting to north or northwest 24 to 40 knots on the afternoon of the 10th. Soon after she left, the National Weather Service issued a [[gale]] warning for Lake Superior, forecasting sustained east winds between 34 and 48 knots beginning that night ahead of the intensifying storm in the central Plains then moving into Iowa. Captain McSorley acknowledged receipt of the warning in a radio communication with Captain Bernie Cooper of the ''Arthur M. Anderson'', another ore carrier that had steamed out of Two Harbors, Minnesota at almost the same time the ''Fitzgerald'' had left Superior. After reading the updated weather forecast, the two captains decided to travel closely together across northern Lake Superior and then southeast along the east shore of the Lake to the Soo Locks. By doing so, they could monitor each other and possibly avoid the higher waves that would be generated over southern Lake Superior on the 10th by the expected north to northwest winds.

By early afternoon, she was loaded and ready to depart. At 2:19 PM, ''Fitzgerald'' left Superior and soon entered the open waters of western Lake Superior. The [[National Weather Service]] forecast at that time called for east to northeast winds increasing to 25 to 37 knots during the night, then shifting to north or northwest 24 to 40 knots on the afternoon of the 10th. Soon after she left, the National Weather Service issued a [[gale]] warning for Lake Superior, forecasting sustained east winds between 34 and 48 knots beginning that night ahead of the intensifying storm in the central Plains then moving into Iowa. Captain McSorley acknowledged receipt of the warning in a radio communication with Captain Bernie Cooper of the ''Arthur M. Anderson'' (named for the director of U.S. Steel, and no relation to the failed accounting firm at the heart of the Enron scandal), another ore carrier that had steamed out of Two Harbors, Minnesota at almost the same time the ''Fitzgerald'' had left Superior. After reading the updated weather forecast, the two captains decided to travel closely together across northern Lake Superior and then southeast along the east shore of the Lake to the Soo Locks. By doing so, they could monitor each other and possibly avoid the higher waves that would be generated over southern Lake Superior on the 10th by the expected north to northwest winds.

At 1:00 AM on November 10, ''Fitzgerald'' and ''Anderson'' were south of Isle Royale in western Lake Superior. The storm system moving northeast from the central Plains had continued to strengthen and reached north central Wisconsin by early morning on the 10th. ''Fitzgerald'' reported northeast winds at 52 knots with 10-foot waves at 1:00 AM, and the National Weather Service soon upgraded the gale warning to a storm warning, forecasting sustained northeast winds 48 to 63 knots and 8- to 15-foot waves for the rest of the night. Captains McSorley and Cooper both expressed concern about the deteriorating weather conditions. At 7:00 AM, the ships were approximately 45 miles north of Copper Harbor, Michigan. The ''Fitzgerald'' observed northeast winds at 35 knots and 10-foot waves as the intensifying low pressure center moved over Marquette, Michigan. This report was the last weather observation she would disseminate.

At 1:00 AM on November 10, ''Fitzgerald'' and ''Anderson'' were south of Isle Royale in western Lake Superior. The storm system moving northeast from the central Plains had continued to strengthen and reached north central Wisconsin by early morning on the 10th. ''Fitzgerald'' reported northeast winds at 52 knots with 10-foot waves at 1:00 AM, and the National Weather Service soon upgraded the gale warning to a storm warning, forecasting sustained northeast winds 48 to 63 knots and 8- to 15-foot waves for the rest of the night. Captains McSorley and Cooper both expressed concern about the deteriorating weather conditions. At 7:00 AM, the ships were approximately 45 miles north of Copper Harbor, Michigan. The ''Fitzgerald'' observed northeast winds at 35 knots and 10-foot waves as the intensifying low pressure center moved over Marquette, Michigan. This report was the last weather observation she would disseminate.

By early afternoon on the 10th, the storm system had moved into southern [[Ontario]], and the ships had reached a point about 10 miles northwest of Michipicoten Island in eastern Lake Superior, now heading southeast toward the Soo Locks. The weather report at 1:00 PM from the M/V ''Simcoe'', a Canadian vessel about 15 miles from ''Fitzgerald'', indicated the surface low pressure center had passed north of Lake Superior: the wind had shifted to the west at 44 knots. At 2:45 PM, the ''Anderson'' observed northwest winds at 42 knots and 12- to 16-foot waves. The storm had become so bad that the Soo Locks were forced to close.

By early afternoon on the 10th, the storm system had moved into southern [[Ontario]], and the ships had reached a point about 10 miles northwest of Michipicoten Island in eastern Lake Superior, now heading southeast toward the Soo Locks. The weather report at 1:00 PM from the M/V ''Simcoe'', a Canadian vessel about 15 miles from ''Fitzgerald'', indicated the surface low pressure center had passed north of Lake Superior: the wind had shifted to the west at 44 knots. At 2:45 PM, the ''Anderson'' observed northwest winds at 42 knots and 12- to 16-foot waves. The storm had become so bad that the Soo Locks were forced to close.

====Taking on water====

====Taking on water====

Captain Cooper, who could see ''Fitzgerald'' on the ''Anderson's'' radar screen, worried that the ship might have moved too closely to shallower water about 35 feet deep off the Ontario coast near Caribou Island at 3:15 PM. He was concerned that ''Fitzgerald'' could strike the bottom of Lake Superior as it was tossed around in the increasingly violent seas, damage its hull, and leak in water. In fact at 3:30 PM, Captain McSorley radioed ''Anderson'' and indicated ''Fitzgerald'' was taking in water and had developed a list. Two water pumps were running to pump out the water. ''Fitzgerald'' had also sustained topside damage.

Captain Cooper, who could see ''Fitzgerald'' on the ''Anderson's'' radar screen, worried that the ship might have moved too closely to shallower water about 35 feet deep off the Ontario coast near Caribou Island at 3:15 PM. He was concerned that ''Fitzgerald'' could strike the bottom of Lake Superior as it was tossed around in the increasingly violent seas, damage its hull, and leak in water. In fact at 3:30 PM, Captain McSorley radioed ''Anderson'' and indicated ''Fitzgerald'' was taking in water and had developed a list. Two water pumps were running to pump out the water. ''Fitzgerald'' had also sustained topside damage.