Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2015 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== (note: while some formatting changes were necessary to transcribe this document the content remains entirely as written in the official report.) From: Marine Board of Investigation To: Commandant (G-MMI) Subj: S. S. EDMUND FITZGERALD, O. N. 277437; sinking in Lake Superior on 10 November 1975, with loss of life FINDINGS OF FACT (continued) ---------------- 10. History and Maintenance ----------------------- FITZGERALD was built in 1958 at Great Lakes Engineering Works, River Rouge, MI, Hull No. 301. Owned by Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance, of Milwaukee, WI, FITZGERALD was immedi- ately chartered to the Columbia Transportation Division, Oglebay- Norton Corporation, and placed into service as a bulk carrier on the Great Lakes. FITZGERALD continued in operation essentially unchanged until 1969, at which time a Byrd-Johnson, diesel powered bow- thruster unit was installed. During the 1971-72 winter lay-up, while at Duluth, MN, FITZGERALD underwent a coal-to-oil conver- sion. All of the coal fuel equipment and accessories were removed, and the plant was converted to burn oil. Incidental to this conversion was the installation of two fuel tanks in the space previously occupied by the coal bunkers. A Bailey Meter Digital System for automatic control of the boiler combus- tion system was also installed. This system, a Bailey Type 762, which consisted of a complete pneumatic combustion and feedwater control system, operated without incident from the time it was installed. At the same time of the coal-to-oil conversion and automation, the vessel was equipped with a sewage holding tank and additional CO2 firefighting equipment was installed. No structural problems which were considered severe enough to cause the vessel to be removed from service during the operating season were reported by FITZGERALD during its 17 years of operation. The only notable structural modifica- tion, other than the conversion from coal to oil, took place during the 1969-70 winter lay-up. The vessel had experienced cracking at the keelson to shell connection and a naval architect recommended installing additional vertical stiffening on the keelsons. Following this modification, no further 62 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- circumstances of this cracking were found until the 1973-1974 winter lay-up and drydocking, and these were of sufficiently reduced scope that no more than simple rewelding repairs were necessary. During the same 1969-70 lay-up, the crew discovered a fracture in the vertical section of the gunwale bounding angle, portside, adjacent to hatch No. 14. This fracture, which began at the top of a rivet hole and propagated vertically, was determined to have been caused by a fault in the original con- struction of the vessel. The fracture was repaired by rewelding and there was no recurrence. Prior to the 1973-74 winter lay-up, the vessel had experienced some minor cracking, described as "hairline cracks one to one and one-half inches in length," in the vertical welds joining the hatch end girder and the trans- verse hatch coaming, beneath the Spar Deck. Each hatch had four such welded joints and of the eighty-four joints on the vessel, twenty were found with cracks. During the 1973-74 winter lay-up, these cracks were repaired and the radius of the cutout above this connection was increased to two inches. During the 1974 and 1975 operating seasons, no repetition of this cracking was observed. Because cracks had been found at Hatch 14 in the vertical butt weld of the longitudinal hatch end girder channels, this connection was modified, during this same lay-up, at the butt, by sniping away the lower and upper flanges of the channel, rewelding the webb and reriveting the upper flange. No recurrence of this cracking was observed after this modification. The following is a list of hull structural casualties sustained by FITZGERALD since 1969. All structural damage was repaired. In most instances, this was accomplished by removing the damaged portions and replacing as original. a. 6 September 1969. Grounding in the vicinity of the locks, Sault Ste. Marie, MI. Damaged areas were in the B 63 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- and C strakes (hull strakes were lettered from A at the keel to M at the deck edge), frames 156 to 198 (hatches 19-21 and after house) in the D strake, frames 131-148 (hatches 16 and 17) and frames 181-198 (after house), and in the E strake frames 156-165 (hatch 19). The hull plating was set up heavily, scored and gouged and the associated internal stiffeners were also damaged. b. 30 April 1970. Collision with the SS HOCHELAGA. Damaged areas were in the J, K, L and M strakes, frames 117-165 (hatches 18 and 19). c. 4 September 1970. Striking a lock wall at the locks at Sault Ste. Marie, MI. Damaged areas were in the L strake, frame 145-162 (hatches 18 and 19). d. May 1973. Striking a lock wall, Sault Ste. Marie, MI. Damaged areas were in the K, L and M strakes, frames 20-70 (hatches 2-7) and in the Main (tunnel) deck. Plating and associated internal stiffeners were set it. e. 17 June 1974. Striking a lock wall at Sault Ste. Marie, MI. Damaged areas were in the L strake, frames 20-45 (hatches 2-4) and in the Main Deck and associated internal stiffeners. In September 1974, the crew inadvertently started to lift the cover from No. 8 hatch without removing all of the hatch clamps. Four clamps, the coaming and the hatch cover and the stiffeners on the coaming and cover were damaged. Repairs were accomplished during the 1974-75 winter lay-up period. Maintenance of the vessel during the operating season was the responsibility of the crew. The Master and Chief Engineer had the authority to contract for minor maintenance 64 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- items as well as supplies. Repairs of a substantial nature, that is, those for which the cost would be more than a few hundred dollars, had to be approved by the company office. During winter lay-up, repairs and maintenance were accom- plished by commercial contractors and by a winter standby crew which provided maintenance for several of the vessels operated by the company. During the fall preceding the loss of FITZGERALD, a company representative had performed an inspection of the vessel and had consulted with the crew concerning their requested work items. The detailed Winter Work List had not yet been developed. The company representative testified that there were no items on the list of work requested by the ship's crew for the 1975-76 lay-up or in the notes of his inspection which he considered anything other than routine maintenance. These lists did include items to "check all hatch covers and coamings and straighten as found necessary (No. 21 fwd. starboard side)" with estimated cost of $2100, and "V-out and weld all fractures in plating for tank top, side tank and bulkheads throughout cargo holds, as marked" with estimated cost of $6000. Identical work items appear on the 1974-75 work lists, with $1200 estimated for hatch cover and coaming repairs and approximately $3800 actually spent, and $2800 estimated for structural repairs and approximately $3200 actually spent. 65 ===========================================================================