[Maine Mariner]

There are three theories about the sinking:

1. Unsecured or leaky hatches or vents on deck.
2. Wave action that lifted the bow and the stern up-no support for the center-the ship was loaded and she had been cut in half and lenghten some years before.
3. There were part of the lake where she went down that were shallower than what was on the charts and with the wave action, she may have scraped the bottom which in turn damaged her deck platings.

[halo66]

Wow, thanks for sharing that. I had heard of the first two theories but not the third. Very interesting!

[crz]

She hit the Caribou Shoals. 36 feet. Her draft was at about 27 feet with ten plus foot waves.

[gnarledmaw]

I saw something not too long ago where someone was taking a look at the theories and comparing it to evidence. Now I dont remember much in the way of specifics but they had figured out the trough in the waves and a number of other things and developed simulations...anyway, what they determined was that after comparing the length of the ship to the height of the waves and her draft and everything that she nosed into a trough and almost directly into the bottom and as soon as she snapped and hit the bottom the lake closed over her.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I think the Fitz was originally a coal burner and was converted to N6 at the time of her lengthening. Coal ashes were dumped out the bottom of the boat. I wonder if this "update" might have played a roll...