Nordmeer

Nordmeer. . , On Saturday night, November 19, 1966, the Nordmeer was traveling to Chicago from Hamburg, Germany, with a cargo of 990 coils of steel destined for Milwaukee. It was the ocean-going vessel’s first freshwater voyage. The night was clear. About 7 miles north of Thunder Bay Island, the “salty” turned inside the flashing buoy marking Thunder Bay Shoal. With a shudder, its steel hull bumped to a stop, caught by the unforgiving rocks. Within seconds, all five of the cargo holds and the engine room flooded. The ship quickly settled to the bottom. , The captain and seven crewmembers remained on the Nordmeer to supervise salvage operations. A week later, as the ship was battered by 50-mile-per-hour winds and 22-foot waves, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter team pulled the crew from the sinking ship. , Area divers salvaged the valuable cargo and removed the fuel from the deteriorating ship, Much of the Nordmeer remained above water for decades before waves and ice finally ripped the steel ship apart. , The red and white vent seen on this side of the river is one of many pieces salvaged from the Nordmeer. More artifacts can be viewed at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center. Today the Nordmeer is protected, and artifacts can no longer be removed from the wreck, which is a popular dive site.