A moment to remember

[artificer]

...it is that alacrity which is most beautiful in a Blakesian way.

...

and that lake is so cold even in summer...

It was beautiful, or it would have been if we hadn't been having engine trouble off some of the "dragon's teeth". Luckily we had a qualified engine mechanic who hung into the engine bay (held upside down by the waist by myself and another diver) who managed to fix the situation. We were running on an auxiliary engine for almost an hour and getting VERY close to the rocks.

After the storm blew itself out there was a gorgeous sunset that evening.

And it was cold. Even in mid-summer it was about 40*f on the bottom, but it still isn't as cold as diving mid-winter in Lake Michigan.

Once, we were out on the lake in -20*f (-40*f with the wind) and the water's surface measured 29*f, but there was enough chop to keep it liquid.

It was so cold when you got OUT of the water you were colder than IN it, and ANY water on your drysuit would glaze into a 1/4" thick coating of solid ice-like an overly frosted doughnut.

[macwilkin]

Ironically, I happen to be reading this wee book at present:

http://msupress.msu.edu/bookTemplate.php?bookID=2187

Nothing so far in connection to "The Fitz", but it is an interesting look at the Scots in Great Lakes.

T.

[NorCalPiper]

I remember seeing a show on History channel about the wreck and the raising of the bell from the wreck (The diver almost gets whacked by the bell and stand after he cuts it with an underwater torch-The attached wench rope was too taught and it literally came flying off once it was cut..yikes). The thing I remember most is one of the crewman's daughters was aboard a craft that was having a memorial over the wreck site and a butterfly came and landed on her lap. She subsequently said that her father loved butterflies..Or something like that making the butterfly a memorable image.....

http://www.shipwreckmuseum.com/the-bell-recovery-63/