Post by ppat324 on Jun 26, 2010 7:11:35 GMT -5
6/26 - Alpena, Mich. – The shipwrecked freighter Nordmeer, long known to locals for being visible above water, has succumbed to the elements and is now completely underwater.
According to Wayne Lusardi, state maritime archaeologist for the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, he first heard rumors from fishermen the ship was down. He discussed the topic with the U.S. Coast Guard, which substantiated the claims. The sanctuary staff also made the observation when they went to the site to check on it during the deployment of the mooring buoys in April.
"Deterioration of shipwrecks is a natural process. It was sort of expected that Nordmeer would (go under)," he said.
The Nordmeer was an ocean freighter constructed in 1954 in Flensburg, Germany, by Flensburger Schiffs. The vessel had done several trans-Atlantic voyages prior to its sinking in Lake Huron.
On Nov. 19, 1966, Nordmeer ran aground north of Thunder Bay Island while bound for Chicago. Part of the German crew stayed on board to attempt to remove ship from the reef or remove its cargo - 990 coils of rolled steel.
There were boats that went back and forth between the ship and shore, while the crew stayed, to bring them groceries, mail and arrange for travel. The late Keith Krueger was instrumental in that process. He ran a local marina at the time and befriended the captain. The captain ended up leaving many of his possessions here that he didn't want to ship back to Germany. Those items were part of the Krueger collection that is housed at the sanctuary, Lusardi said.
The Nordmeer broke its keel in a storm on Nov. 30, 1966. The Coast Guard vessel Mackinaw received the eight crew members via helicopter and transported them to shore. The ship was deemed unrecoverable, so Bob Massey, a local diver and salvage contractor, was given a salvage contract to remove the steel from the ship. He removed all of the steel over the course of 1967, Lusardi said.
Lusardi said the Nordmeer remained above the water for quite some time. The superstructure where the cabins and the bridge were located stayed above water until it collapsed around the early 1980s.
"It became quite an attraction for sightseers and fishermen and I know of people that camped out on it," he said.
Portions of the forward bow remained above water until this past winter, Lusardi said.
"The problem with it now is that it is very near the surface of the water. Because it's invisible above water it has the potential of being a serious navigation hazard, because portions of the jagged hull are only a few feet below the water," he said.
Lusardi said in the past there was a mooring buoy placed near the Nordmeer's starboard bow and the bow of a wrecked barge located nearby. The sanctuary is now working with the Coast Guard to place an additional mooring buoy on it. The plan is to have buoys at the stern and the bow so boaters have a better orientation of the wreck. The Coast Guard also intends to change the location on the navigation charts to reflect the submerged status.
Lusardi said even with the wreck now being submerged, the site continues to be a fantastic site for divers and snorkelers because much of it can be viewed from the surface.
The Alpena News
According to Wayne Lusardi, state maritime archaeologist for the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, he first heard rumors from fishermen the ship was down. He discussed the topic with the U.S. Coast Guard, which substantiated the claims. The sanctuary staff also made the observation when they went to the site to check on it during the deployment of the mooring buoys in April.
"Deterioration of shipwrecks is a natural process. It was sort of expected that Nordmeer would (go under)," he said.
The Nordmeer was an ocean freighter constructed in 1954 in Flensburg, Germany, by Flensburger Schiffs. The vessel had done several trans-Atlantic voyages prior to its sinking in Lake Huron.
On Nov. 19, 1966, Nordmeer ran aground north of Thunder Bay Island while bound for Chicago. Part of the German crew stayed on board to attempt to remove ship from the reef or remove its cargo - 990 coils of rolled steel.
There were boats that went back and forth between the ship and shore, while the crew stayed, to bring them groceries, mail and arrange for travel. The late Keith Krueger was instrumental in that process. He ran a local marina at the time and befriended the captain. The captain ended up leaving many of his possessions here that he didn't want to ship back to Germany. Those items were part of the Krueger collection that is housed at the sanctuary, Lusardi said.
The Nordmeer broke its keel in a storm on Nov. 30, 1966. The Coast Guard vessel Mackinaw received the eight crew members via helicopter and transported them to shore. The ship was deemed unrecoverable, so Bob Massey, a local diver and salvage contractor, was given a salvage contract to remove the steel from the ship. He removed all of the steel over the course of 1967, Lusardi said.
Lusardi said the Nordmeer remained above the water for quite some time. The superstructure where the cabins and the bridge were located stayed above water until it collapsed around the early 1980s.
"It became quite an attraction for sightseers and fishermen and I know of people that camped out on it," he said.
Portions of the forward bow remained above water until this past winter, Lusardi said.
"The problem with it now is that it is very near the surface of the water. Because it's invisible above water it has the potential of being a serious navigation hazard, because portions of the jagged hull are only a few feet below the water," he said.
Lusardi said in the past there was a mooring buoy placed near the Nordmeer's starboard bow and the bow of a wrecked barge located nearby. The sanctuary is now working with the Coast Guard to place an additional mooring buoy on it. The plan is to have buoys at the stern and the bow so boaters have a better orientation of the wreck. The Coast Guard also intends to change the location on the navigation charts to reflect the submerged status.
Lusardi said even with the wreck now being submerged, the site continues to be a fantastic site for divers and snorkelers because much of it can be viewed from the surface.
The Alpena News