Site Description #
- Freighter
- 500ft 152m Lengths
- 40ffw 12m Depths
- Thunder Bay Island, Lake Huron
- N45° 08.161′ W83° 09.586
History #
NORDMEER, a German motor package freighter, met a tragic fate on November 19, 1966, when it ran aground on a reef a few miles north of Thunder Bay Island in Lake Huron. The sleek vessel, built in 1954 by Flensburger Schiffs Gesellshaft in Flensburg, Germany, was the largest saltie (ocean-going freighter) to have a permanent residence on the Great Lakes. With a size of 8683 gross tons and measuring 470 feet in length, the Nordmeer was an impressive ship.
On that fateful night, the NORDMEER was en route from Chicago to Milwaukee, carrying a cargo of rolled stainless steel wire. It was her first voyage through the Saint Lawrence Seaway into the Great Lakes. As the ship headed north, it encountered the flashing Thunder Bay Shoal buoy. Unfortunately, a navigational error occurred, and the ship was piloted in the wrong direction around the buoy, leading to its grounding on the jagged shoal. The impact caused a major gash that flooded all the cargo holds and the multi-level engine room. Within minutes, the NORDMEER settled onto the bottom of Lake Huron.
Fortunately, there was no loss of life during the incident. By the end of the following day, the United States Coast Guard cutter Mackinaw safely transported 35 crew members to Alpena, while the ship’s captain and seven crew members remained on board to assess the situation and initiate salvage operations.
The crew members who had been brought to Alpena found accommodation at the Kentucky Motor Lodge, which was located near the Chisholm Street and Third Avenue intersection. Among the crew was a two-year-old dog named Goofy, who had made his way from the Carney Islands and sought to be adopted by a German-speaking household.
The salvage operation initially seemed promising, with plans to pump out the water from the NORDMEER and patch the hull to enable the recovery of the ship and its cargo. However, a week later, the region was hit by the gales of November, which brought 50 mph/80 KM winds and 22-foot 7 metre waves. The storm further damaged the ship, making a full salvage operation impractical.
In 1968, the cargo salvage contract was awarded to Philadelphia-based Glen Steel Company. The process of removing the 989 steel coils, each weighing 10 tons, took six months. Alpena Steel and Wire, now known as Alro Steel, was involved in this salvage operation.
In 1969, a forest firefighting aircraft flying over the NORDMEER noticed a massive oil slick caused by the 21,000 gallons of fuel still present in the ship’s hull. The fuel was removed by a diving team led by Bob Massey and Dave Funk, and it was subsequently cleansed for various uses by a Tawas salvage firm.
By early fall 1970, indications surfaced that fuel was still onboard the NORDMEER, seemingly contained in the fuel lines. Explosives were used to blow the top and bottom of each fuel tank to demonstrate that the fuel had been fully drained. Only then were the remaining fuel reserves siphoned off.
Over the decades, the NORDMEER endured the harsh conditions of Lake Huron, gradually sinking further beneath the water’s surface. By the summer of 1998, only a small portion of the ship was visible above the waterline. Today, the German vessel lies fully submerged at the bottom of Lake Huron.
Despite its tragic fate, the NORDMEER remains a point of interest for divers and enthusiasts. Many surface and diving expeditions have taken place at the wreck, and videos documenting these explorations can be found on YouTube. However, it’s important to note that diving on the NORDMEER is considered dangerous and challenging.
Various artifacts from the NORDMEER can be seen at Alpena’s Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center, providing visitors with a glimpse into the ship’s history. It’s worth mentioning that the wreck is now protected, and removing artifacts from the site is strictly prohibited.
The NORDMEERs story serves as a reminder of the navigational challenges and risks faced by ships on the Great Lakes. Despite the loss of the vessel, efforts to preserve its memory through artifacts and educational presentations continue, allowing future generations to learn from this maritime tragedy.
