Wednesday, August 14, 2024
The wreck of the steamship Gunilda (1897) was described by the Cousteau Society as "the most beautiful shipwreck in the world". The 59 m (195 ft) long steamship Gunilda ran aground on the north side of Copper Island on McGarvey Shoal on 11 August 1911 and sank in northern Lake Superior after a failed salvage attempt.
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"the most beautiful shipwreck in the world".....
ReplyDeleteI'm sure I speak for sailors everywhere when I say, huh?
Sorry no such thing as a beautiful shipwreck. Every last one is a grave marker for some fellow mariners and a testament to the courage and dedication it takes to be a member of the brotherhood at sea.
No great nation in modern times rose without a merchant navy carrying their countries wares over a treacherous waves, and likewise no great nation can defend itself completely without those willing to stand guard over the silent deep.
Haunting, profound, and humbling yes, but to say it is beautiful is to reduce great tragedy and catastrophe to mere spectacle.
Do a search and look at the pictures. It's in amazing shape. Furniture still in place.
ReplyDeleteCan to suggest this. Beautiful pics.
DeleteRan aground because the owner would not hire a pilot to navigate the area, which was quite difficult to navigate without experience. Got a tug from Ft. William or Port Arthur I believe to pull the ship off the reef. When the tug operator hooked up to pull the ship off the reef he noticed the rear windows open on the ship. He told the owner to close the windows or the ship would take on water and sink. The owner told the tug operator to pull it off as the hourly rate was high and he felt the operator was scamming him. He pulled it off and it filled with water through the open windows and it sank. It was quite the yacht, built in Scotland?
ReplyDeleteA diver that called himself King Hauge died trying to dive to the wreck in the early 70's? They retrieved his body with a submersible a few years ago. I think the ship is around 300Ft depth. Hope this is roughly accurate as this info was gathered 40 plus years ago. Google it the articles about it are fascinating.