Paddleboarder over the Shipwreck Joseph S. Fay in the NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Taken in Lake Huron, 40-mile point, Michigan, photo by Bryan Dort
The Joseph S. Fay was a bulk freighter who was launched 1871. On October 19, 1905, she set sail from Escanaba, Michigan, in calm, clear weather. Destined for Cleveland, Ohio, Joseph S. Fay towed the barge D.P. Rhodes. As the ships sailed down Lake Huron, both heavily loaded with iron ore, the weather changed dramatically. Winds exceeded 60 miles an hour, and Joseph S. Fay struggled to maintain a steady course as waves crashed over the decks. Unable to steer, both were at the mercy of Lake Huron. The towline to the barge was cut in a desperate attempt to save Joseph S. Fay. The storm drove D.P. Rhodes ashore, but the storm was still too fierce for Joseph S. Fay. After a massive wave washed Joseph S. Fay’s mate overboard to his death, the remaining crew escaped in a lifeboat as the freighter quickly sank.
