Hi, All:
Stumbled on this thread by chance. Interesting to read your thoughts on the 'Fitz'. On July 4th 1995, I spent 6 hours on the wreck of the Fitzgerald. 'Newtsuit' pilot Bruce Fuoco recovered the ships bell while I watched and filmed from the port of the submersible 'Pisces 4' - I had taken my Nagra with me and played Gordon Lightfoot's paen as we closed on the forward section with sonar - half way thru' the song we made the first visual and the large black letters that spelled out EDMUND FITZGERALD filled the whole viewport. . . an incredible moment! The bell was raised at the request of the families of the 29 men lost during the Armistice day storm. They made it a memorial to their lost husbands, brothers, and sons. We put down an exact replica cast in the original mold - and engraved with the names of the lost men. The depth was 535 feet.
    Something you may get a kick out of . . . The Fitz will be the cover story on the December/January issue of 'DIVER' magazine - I'm writing the feature and will do a side-bar on the Gordon Lightfoot song which has endured these many years - In connection with this, I'll call lightfoot next week and ask if he would like to actually see the 'Fitz' as she lies . . .If his health permits and the answer is yes ( and if his biz manager Barry Harvey doesn't have a stroke!) I'll offer to take him down in our 3 place sub 'Aquarius' ( see www.nuytco.com) next spring. Wouldn't that be something?
Phil Nuytten SOCAN/BMI