Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum

                                   Tuesday 8/20/2013

Part 2 of previous blog:
 We left the Tahquamenon Lower Falls and continued north on Hwy 123 until we came to the where the road ended at the most northeastern point of UP of Michigan, and where the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum is located.

View of Whitefish Point Light Tower and the Light House Keepers Quarters.

It was a bit pricey at $13 per adult, but it supports the maintenance of the Whitefish Point Shipwreck Museum complex.

At the point, there is also the Whitefish Point Bird Observatory and the Seney National Wildlife Refuge, Whitefish Point Unit. (We didn't know these attractions were there also, but didn't have time anyway).

Sorry this picture is so bad, but I forgot to change to an inside setting on the camera. The picture shows some of the sights where ships sank along Whitefish Point in Lake Superior. There have been at least 6000 ships and 30,000 lives lost in the Great Lakes. One historian and mariner says there have been at least 25,000 lost ships in the Great Lakes. In the Whitefish Point area there have been 240 ships that have sank. Whitefish Point is called the graveyard of Lake Superior.

In the museum, this model of the 729 foot steel constructed Edmond Fitzgerald is one of the most recent ships that sank in 1975, taking all 29 crewmen down with it. The Whitefish Point Light Tower went out that night, leaving the "Fitz", out in the storm with no guiding light. It lies 17 miles northwest of Whitefish Point, at a depth of 535 feet.

A model of Whitefish Point Light Tower and Light-keepers Quarters.

In 2004 John Beck started a project to build the Edmond Fitzgerald with lego's to teach his class some history of Lake Superior. Nine years and over 18,000 lego pieces later, the project is almost done.

In the US Lifesaving Service Museum Building there is a replica of a 26 foot Beebe McClellan that was used during 1854 to 195 in the rescue of countless mariners in distress.

Whitefish Point has the most dangerous shoreline of the Great Lakes, so there were no less than four boat stations in the Whitefish Point area, making it the most concentrated number of stations anywhere on the Great Lakes.

This beach cart carried equipment that was drug to the shore to help with the rescue of mariners. This was the first and less risky rescue procedure used, before the Beebe McClellan was taken out on the water. The Beebe McClellan surfboat  endangered the rescuers lives as well as the ship survivors.

In the back of the cart is the life ring/ breeches that was attached to the ropes to rescue those who were on the sinking ship.

A canon ball with the rope attached, was shot out to the ship to create a lifeline.

Once the rope was anchored to a high point on the ship, the breeches buoy was pulled to shore with those in peril.

From the museum area there is a barrier free access to the shore of Lake Superior. Of course I had to pick up a Whitefish Point souvenir rock.

Your museum ticket also get you in the guided tour of the restored 1861 light-keepers quarters. If you want to climb the light tower it is an extra $4 with your museum ticket, or $5 without a museum ticket. The Whitefish Point Tower is still in operation and is the oldest active light tower on Lakes Superior. 

Joe stands by the 201 foot M.M. Drake's rudder and tiller, that sank in 1901 during a fierce northwestern storm. All crew were rescued moments before it sank. The wreckage of the Drake was first discovered by a dive team in 1978.

We left the Shipwreck Museum and drove back 11 miles to the small town of Paradise, where Joe stopped at Brown's Fisheries.

He bought some smoked salmon for $9 pound which was almost twice the price of what he has got it elsewhere in the UP.

Our drive from the Shipwreck Museum was 80 miles back to our campground. As we pulled in, the campground owner was going around and telling everyone that a storm was headed our way with golf ball hail. Because I didn't want hail damage to our Nest or Honda, I did what my mentor Kenneth Copeland teaches. I walked around our Nest and Honda and told the storm to go around our park to the north  and to the south. (Yes people probably think I am crazy talking to myself as I walk circles around our Nest- but I rather look crazy than have a dented up motor home and car). The Bible teaches us that Jesus told a storm to be still when he was crossing a sea in a boat with his disiples, and in the New Testament it tells us to command all things like Christ, and our Father will do the work. This is a picture of the sky about a half hour after we got home.

Later, I checked the radar on the internet and the storm had gone to the north and to the south of us, and our campground got a few sprinkles. Believe what you want, but if you have faith as a mustard seed, you can move mountains or storms! Amen!