Theories about the Sinking

     There are several theories behind the sinking of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald, but still to this day nothing has been proven.  Since there were no survivors to provide eyewitness accounts, any theory is as plausible as others.  Though research has been conducted and claims made, nothing can provide a definitive reason and cause for the sinking.  This page lists the most common theories; S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald Online does not endorse or support any one particular theory.

1. Bottoming out/grounding.  This could have very well happened near Six Fathom Shoal.

2. Faulty hatch covers

3. Another theory, which is very disliked by many Fitz enthusiasts, is that the men may not have properly fastened the series of clamps that were used to hold down all of the the hatches, and therefore water seeped in.

4. Previous structural damage may have caused the sinking.

5. Huge waves swamped the ship and it sank.  Many people call these huge waves (so big they are detected by radar) the Three Sisters.

6. Lack of proper repair from previous damage may have played a role

7. A huge wave rode up between two swells and the ship snapped in half.

8. Human error

9. A wave engulfed the ship, pushing the front of the ship underwater.  The ship then hit ground, and broke in two...this may be why the two portions of the ship are so close.

10. Waves lifted both ends of the ship (bow and stern), but the center of the ship containing the cargo was not held by a wave, so the overload forced the center downward, sinking and/or breaking the ship in two.