>While I'm sure there is a more definitive report on the Fitzgerald, I thought
>it had lost some hatch covers and took on too much water, causing further
>problems.

While working on a project in the Toledo area I took a tour of a ship (I think it's called the Samuel Boyer).  This is an old iron ore freighter that travelled the same routes as the Fitzgerald and although considerably shorter, was otherwise identical.  The tour allows you to go down below* where the ore is stored for shipment.  It's a pretty awesome place - a lot like being in a big cave.
It also had the same hatches on dock where the ore is loaded.  It was said at the time that they belived the hatche covers on the Fiztgerald opened and the ship sank just as described above.
It was also said that this ship passed by the Fiz on it's way back in, as the Fitz was heading out.

* We actually had quite an interesting tour.  The regular tour guide just had a hip replacement and could not clim around the ship.  We were the only ones visiting at the time, so he just stood up top and shouted down to us as we walked around.  When we were out of earshot we were on our own.  We later heard some shouting and a lot of cursing as we were rounding a corner.  It was the director of the Toledo tourism board cursing out an employee.  He was very embarrassed and aplogogized to us and accompanied us on the rest of the tour, giving us a lot more information than we would have gotten otherwise.

* To join/leave the list, search archives, change list settings, *
* etc., please visit http://raven.utc.edu/archives/hp3000-l.html *