Yall need to read Caption Dudley Paquette book The Night the Fitz went down. He loaded right accross from the fitz on that day. He knew McSorley he saw the fitz leave with some of the hatches still open. Not an uncommon practice in good weather. He covers all of the questions that have been asked over the years. And he was a certified weather ship and everyone knew of his reputation and skill. After the sinking they never brought Dudley in for questioning. Thats odd. This book explains this too. Its worth the read.
He's welcome to his opinion, but I read a write-up from someone who designed the Fitz. He said there was no way the boat was sea worthy when she went out.
Bottomed out on the caribou shoals. IMOHO, the maps they had were from the early 1900’s. They measured after the wreck and were shocked to see how far they had moved and how shallow it was. No question the Fitz had been overloaded for years, it was made with less solid steel bulkheads, and only had screens for several for a few of the bulkheads. It’s common knowledge they had a high waterline after loading. It’s also true they couldn’t get some of the clamps down on the hatchways from years of twisting and flexing. They just so happened they ran into one of the worst storms they had seen in years. It’s the Swiss cheese model. Every hole with several slices of cheese had to line up perfectly to make it all the way through. My father worked the “Calumet” when he was a young teenager (fake ID) so he had something to do during the summers. He grew up in Superior. God Bless those souls who are still at the bottom of Superior’s ice water mansion. At this time tomorrow, the Fitz was already underway.
Yes I will agree that the Fitz bottomed out near that shallow area, not enough to tear a seam like the Titanic hitting the ice burg, but enough to fracture and or weaken the hull that as it progressed through that bad storm it made it all the more weaker, and then it had a starboard list,thus taking on more water . That ship was already doomed because of that bad storm. Plus that roouge wave it hit so quick to send it to the lake bottom.
I don’t believe the hatch theory. Lots of stories out there about the defects in the ship and a captain that pushed it to hard. Welding rods used as spacers at the keel and other structural issues. Even a cook that refused to sail because he thought it might sink.
I have a hard time believing a diver, especially in those days could spot a little red paint. Honestly if Captain copper gave an approximate path it could be a mile wide of shoal a diver would be inspecting. On the hatch covers, I’ve seen Great Lakes captains say not nearly enough water could get thru, even a completely loose cover. Bernie Cooper and Don Erickson, 2 extremely knowledgeable captains both say without a doubt it bottomed out or had a stress fracture.
I’ve always thought that the continuation of the “improperly secured hatch covers” theory was disrespectful to her entire crew. There’s absolutely no way that many seasoned sailors left port in November with the ship not ready for weather. But that’s just me, and everyone is entitled to their opinion even if it’s bogus. 😂
One of my friends dad who worked on board the Fitz said it was a piece of shit (excuse my language) and he was glad to get off..One of the things was he said it shuddered in heavy waves and didnt flex right...of couse everyone should know the fitz was welded together and welds break and thats it...quality construction is bolted and in heavy seas it "rides the bolts"
Capt Bernie Cooper if the Arthur M.Anderson said something TOTALLY DIFFERENT from this welder chap. Since Capt Cooper was THERE AT THE SINKING ......I'm goin with his testimony over this guy's accusation of the Crew being at fault. That's really insulting from anyone's point of view. Gee mates, whaddya say we all sail Lake Superior in November carrying Summer load weights and not batten down our hatches???
I totally agree with you Dennis. There is even a picture of the Fitzgerald from October of ‘74 when they were in the Soo River that showed every single hatch clamp on and secured. And John McCarthy was a stickler for that.
And the ship was overloaded one foot of ice 2 ft of snow 80 mile an hour winds 35 ft weighs in the hatches were not sealed entirely you won't win that one❤
I'm not expert, by any stretch, but I lean more to what Captain Cooper said. He was a Captain, he was out there in the same storm. If I'm not mistaken, he said it bottomed out, took on water, leaning badly, the big waves drive it down, and it broke in two .
Thars a good possibility, there was a person who saw the Fitz pulling out of port with the hold covers not even locked down, Mc Sorely wanted to get going so bad he skipped s critical process and the hogging on 6 fathom shoal combined to do her in.Sounds plausible .Only the crew actually knows what really happened. It's no secret the Fitz was abused from the start, setting record after record, her load lines were changed 3 times to haul larger loads, that's like taking a 1/2 ton truck and pulling 3/4 ton loads all season long ,season after season and putting off critical maintaince to make more profit. It's a wonder she lasted the 17 years she did.
@@insertnamehere313 the chief blame lies with the captain, he could have laid over and ride out the storm he was arrogant and thought he could BEST the witch of november. Stupid beyond belief, storms in november are notoriously BAD on the big lake.
@@insertnamehere313 I agree with Tom and I have seen people in charge get l Iike that over time and not listen to their workers, happens all the time though out history. Should have never passed inspection either. That is why men at end of their lives tak about it.
@@phillipgarrow2297 I'd say focus on "safety" might actually be the problem. Everything sounds good on paper, but in the real world, endless safety meetings, endless picky checked boxes, etc., actually seem to take the place of real, practical, maintenance. Then a disaster happens. After the disaster people impliment even more picky checklists and the problem repeats itself. Think what would happen if companies replaced the hour long safety videos and discussions and instead a person simply walked up to a hatchway, inserted one of those simulation ballistics human hands and then dropped the hatch on it to demonstrate the danger. It would take 3 minutes, total, and a 15 minute meeting could have been avoided for 20 people, a savings of 4-5 man hours of work time. The same principle could be applied to the structural integrity of the ship. Less time talking about repairs and more time spent doing them.
@@matthewmosier8439 Nah, this one comes down to Negligence of the Captain, and the Ship Owners. The Owners for putting off sorely needed retrofit work, as well as reinforcing the Hull. The Captain is guilty because a HIS ACTIONS caused the loss of Ship and Crew.
Former Fitzgerald 2nd mate Richard Orgel testifed under oath that the ship flexed unusually much in bad weather. And that McSorley himself called it the "wiggling thing" Former Fitzgerald cook Red Bergneralso said said the ship had structural problems and saw lose plates during winter layups and once in port with empty cargo and declined to sail on her in the autumn of 75. Last lead designer in the Fitzgerald's construction said in his boom the ship wasn't designed to be hauling the amount of cargo she was carrying by the 70's.
I love how this guy just lazily slumps in a lounger chair while speaking about the ship and men he worked with who had tragically and devastatingly lost their lives in a cold storm. Really makes you see & feel his appreciation and respect for the convenience of his life.
There is 0 chance those hatches weren’t clamped. 0. That would mean 4 officers and several bosuns plus deck crew failed to do a job they did 100 times a year. Hatches aren’t “hammered closed”. They are snapped into place with a wrench. Even set at “summer clamp” the hatch covers wouldn’t allow enough water in to sink that boat. Nonsense.
I agree w/you b/c the crew’s lives fully depended upon their keeping those hatched secured & water-tight so, from my perspective, complacency on the part of the crew is NOT an option. Also, those hatches are so heavy, it would see, their weight alone would have reduced the possibility that any kind of signifiant water could enter topside from those hatches.
The every third latch or every fifth hatch is practice still in use today! Even if they left port this way they easily coulda done every one out to sea. Lots of possibilities of what happened.
It's amazing how a culmination of about a dozen things of protocol that were just simply ignored just because they were in a hurry and they wanted to get going. How many other tragedies often happen the same way.
The media runs with the hatch cover theory as that's what the coast guard came up in their official statement. But it should be noted a lot of people, including Captain Cooper of the Anderson (who was following Fitzgerald on the day she went down) believes that it wasn't the hatches, but instead that the Fitz really bottomed out crossing the shoals. But the coast guards controversial findings aside, it really is tragic how these men all lost there lives. And they where so close to White Fish as well, they almost made safe harbour.
My opinion is this tragedy was caused by a combination of many things from leaking hatch covers,years of abuse trying to break records, collisions and a rough weather captain making the wrong call thinking his vessel was invincible. I also believe Captain Cooper that it also touched bottom and took on water. It just seems too coincidental they had damage and started having problems shortly after they passed that area.
@@justinlynch3 And Cedric Woodward who was captain of the "Avators" said that he didn't buy the "leaky hatch covers" theory either, he said even if they had no clamps on them they weigh tons and wouldn't move, so I don't know about that. But then again, I'm not a sailor on an ore boat!
6 fathom is just a theory. That wasn’t a 6 on the map, it was 10. The one was just close to the 0 so on the reprint of the map, it looked like a 6… no evidence on the overturned hull to show bottoming out, the stern would have shon scrapes as the stern is always lower in the water.. I most likely believe a stress fracture which amplified as the ship continued on in this storm
It broke clean in half and floundered. The debri field shows this also. The doors were latched open. It's cargo hold design was a failure in support. The railings broke probably from it being beat and so being so wobbly.
@@Rammstein0963. I'll agree but the bridge door was latched open and the controlls were at stop. It was snowing. I think they were running in and out. Hence the 2 body's on the lake floor
It was reported that it wasnt, Sir, according to engineers who often made repairs to the ship. In fact, it was reported that the Fitzgerald was scheduled to have its hull redone which was scheduled after her final run. Not to mention that when they lengthened her some years prior, it weakened her and they didn't properly reinforce the hull to be able to handle constant bending the waves made to her while sailing. So it was only a matter of time that something bad was gonna happen to her unfortunately.
@@Bobbyliscious Exactly. Everything can only take so much before it snaps and breaks. Including people. People sometimes forget to take better care of what they have or not know their own limits. Sure the Fitzgerald can break those records but at what cost? Leaving yourself in overdrive all the time will rear it's ugly head when you need to perform your best in the most inopportune times. Such was the lesson Lake Superior taught the Anderson and the Fitzgerald. One of didnt make out alive.... If the Fitzgerald was scheduled for their hull to be redone, I wouldn't have done the trip until the needed repairs and whatnot was done first. Better safe than sorry.
@@LagunaShirogane the only modifications made to the fitz were the thrusters that were added and the conversion from coal fuel to oil fueled. The length of the ship was the same the night it sank as the day it was christened
@@Laroo69 Well the info i mentioned is from accounts given by engineers who've worked on the Fitzgerald over the years before her sinking. So I cant say yes or no on these facts. Plus the Fitzgerald sank nearly 12 and half years before I was born (born in July of 1988) so I cant even make personal confirmations either unless I was to dive to the wreckage and make observations of the ship inside and out. And honestly, seeing the pictures of the wreckage of Fitzgerald terrifies me. Not sure why. Between it and the wreckage of the Titanic, I couldn't tell you which one terrifies me more and Ive seen other wreck sites and none of them effect me as much as they do.
What, you mean they wouldn't be acetylene welded! Arc welded for sure, and the quality of those welds depend on the correct procedures being followed and the skill of the welder and I have seen some certified welders I wouldn't let weld on my kid's little red wagon. Politics play a role in everything. And yes, it is likely they would use an acetylene torch to run the moisture out of the steel before welding.
Yep, reread your comment, misread the as if, my bad. Seems that mig is taking over in most shops and some insurance companies won't provide health insurance to shops that use stick because of what the fumes do to the lungs. Don't know what they use in shipyards now but am sure glad I gave up welding for a living years ago.@@johnandersonjjr
bottomed out at caribou islands 6 fathom shoal...she was sinking from that moment on
Yall need to read Caption Dudley Paquette book The Night the Fitz went down. He loaded right accross from the fitz on that day. He knew McSorley he saw the fitz leave with some of the hatches still open. Not an uncommon practice in good weather. He covers all of the questions that have been asked over the years.
And he was a certified weather ship and everyone knew of his reputation and skill. After the sinking they never brought Dudley in for questioning. Thats odd. This book explains this too. Its worth the read.
I'm very interested in what this book has to say.
He's welcome to his opinion, but I read a write-up from someone who designed the Fitz. He said there was no way the boat was sea worthy when she went out.
Bottomed out on the caribou shoals. IMOHO, the maps they had were from the early 1900’s. They measured after the wreck and were shocked to see how far they had moved and how shallow it was. No question the Fitz had been overloaded for years, it was made with less solid steel bulkheads, and only had screens for several for a few of the bulkheads. It’s common knowledge they had a high waterline after loading. It’s also true they couldn’t get some of the clamps down on the hatchways from years of twisting and flexing. They just so happened they ran into one of the worst storms they had seen in years. It’s the Swiss cheese model. Every hole with several slices of cheese had to line up perfectly to make it all the way through. My father worked the “Calumet” when he was a young teenager (fake ID) so he had something to do during the summers. He grew up in Superior.
God Bless those souls who are still at the bottom of Superior’s ice water mansion. At this time tomorrow, the Fitz was already underway.
I go with captain Bernie Cooper's (the captain of the Anderson) theory. I think she bottomed out on the shoals
Captain Darrell interviews are good as well , he also just had another interview
@@keystonepirate2534 His discussions are well worth listening to
@@yankeeclipper4326I agree, seems like a good guy
The stretched and broken cable fence was mentioned by Captain Cooper
Yes I will agree that the Fitz bottomed out near that shallow area, not enough to tear a seam like the Titanic hitting the ice burg, but enough to fracture and or weaken the hull that as it progressed through that bad storm it made it all the more weaker, and then it had a starboard list,thus taking on more water . That ship was already doomed because of that bad storm. Plus that roouge wave it hit so quick to send it to the lake bottom.
I don’t believe the hatch theory. Lots of stories out there about the defects in the ship and a captain that pushed it to hard. Welding rods used as spacers at the keel and other structural issues. Even a cook that refused to sail because he thought it might sink.
Agreed
I have a hard time believing a diver, especially in those days could spot a little red paint. Honestly if Captain copper gave an approximate path it could be a mile wide of shoal a diver would be inspecting. On the hatch covers, I’ve seen Great Lakes captains say not nearly enough water could get thru, even a completely loose cover. Bernie Cooper and Don Erickson, 2 extremely knowledgeable captains both say without a doubt it bottomed out or had a stress fracture.
I’ve always thought that the continuation of the “improperly secured hatch covers” theory was disrespectful to her entire crew. There’s absolutely no way that many seasoned sailors left port in November with the ship not ready for weather. But that’s just me, and everyone is entitled to their opinion even if it’s bogus. 😂
One of my friends dad who worked on board the Fitz said it was a piece of shit (excuse my language) and he was glad to get off..One of the things was he said it shuddered in heavy waves and didnt flex right...of couse everyone should know the fitz was welded together and welds break and thats it...quality construction is bolted and in heavy seas it "rides the bolts"
Ralph waltons brother was the 30th crewman on the ship and he didnt go that night cause he knew her hull was in a bad state
Next week:two kids that fished near the Edmund Fitzgerald in dry dock.
Capt Bernie Cooper if the Arthur M.Anderson said something TOTALLY DIFFERENT from this welder chap. Since Capt Cooper was THERE AT THE SINKING ......I'm goin with his testimony over this guy's accusation of the Crew being at fault. That's really insulting from anyone's point of view.
Gee mates, whaddya say we all sail Lake Superior in November carrying Summer load weights and not batten down our hatches???
Exactly
I totally agree with you Dennis. There is even a picture of the Fitzgerald from October of ‘74 when they were in the Soo River that showed every single hatch clamp on and secured. And John McCarthy was a stickler for that.
Typical Union Man right there; blame everyone else.
And the ship was overloaded one foot of ice 2 ft of snow 80 mile an hour winds 35 ft weighs in the hatches were not sealed entirely you won't win that one❤
I'm not expert, by any stretch, but I lean more to what Captain Cooper said. He was a Captain, he was out there in the same storm. If I'm not mistaken, he said it bottomed out, took on water, leaning badly, the big waves drive it down, and it broke in two .
it's all speculation. we'll never truly know the real answer.
He said it's was one of two things. Either bottoming out or a stress fracture from being pushed to the limit for years.
Thars a good possibility, there was a person who saw the Fitz pulling out of port with the hold covers not even locked down, Mc Sorely wanted to get going so bad he skipped s critical process and the hogging on 6 fathom shoal combined to do her in.Sounds plausible .Only the crew actually knows what really happened. It's no secret the Fitz was abused from the start, setting record after record, her load lines were changed 3 times to haul larger loads, that's like taking a 1/2 ton truck and pulling 3/4 ton loads all season long ,season after season and putting off critical maintaince to make more profit. It's a wonder she lasted the 17 years she did.
It's sad to say large corporations especially tge the ones with stockholders concentrate on profits more than safety or preventive maintenance
@@insertnamehere313 the chief blame lies with the captain, he could have laid over and ride out the storm he was arrogant and thought he could BEST the witch of november. Stupid beyond belief, storms in november are notoriously BAD on the big lake.
@@insertnamehere313 I agree with Tom and I have seen people in charge get l Iike that over time and not listen to their workers, happens all the time though out history. Should have never passed inspection either. That is why men at end of their lives tak about it.
@@phillipgarrow2297 I'd say focus on "safety" might actually be the problem. Everything sounds good on paper, but in the real world, endless safety meetings, endless picky checked boxes, etc., actually seem to take the place of real, practical, maintenance. Then a disaster happens. After the disaster people impliment even more picky checklists and the problem repeats itself.
Think what would happen if companies replaced the hour long safety videos and discussions and instead a person simply walked up to a hatchway, inserted one of those simulation ballistics human hands and then dropped the hatch on it to demonstrate the danger. It would take 3 minutes, total, and a 15 minute meeting could have been avoided for 20 people, a savings of 4-5 man hours of work time.
The same principle could be applied to the structural integrity of the ship. Less time talking about repairs and more time spent doing them.
@@matthewmosier8439 Nah, this one comes down to Negligence of the Captain, and the Ship Owners. The Owners for putting off sorely needed retrofit work, as well as reinforcing the Hull. The Captain is guilty because a HIS ACTIONS caused the loss of Ship and Crew.
Former Fitzgerald 2nd mate Richard Orgel testifed under oath that the ship flexed unusually much in bad weather. And that McSorley himself called it the "wiggling thing"
Former Fitzgerald cook Red Bergneralso said said the ship had structural problems and saw lose plates during winter layups and once in port with empty cargo and declined to sail on her in the autumn of 75.
Last lead designer in the Fitzgerald's construction said in his boom the ship wasn't designed to be hauling the amount of cargo she was carrying by the 70's.
I love how this guy just lazily slumps in a lounger chair while speaking about the ship and men he worked with who had tragically and devastatingly lost their lives in a cold storm. Really makes you see & feel his appreciation and respect for the convenience of his life.
There is 0 chance those hatches weren’t clamped. 0. That would mean 4 officers and several bosuns plus deck crew failed to do a job they did 100 times a year. Hatches aren’t “hammered closed”. They are snapped into place with a wrench. Even set at “summer clamp” the hatch covers wouldn’t allow enough water in to sink that boat. Nonsense.
I agree w/you b/c the crew’s lives fully depended upon their keeping those hatched secured & water-tight so, from my perspective, complacency on the part of the crew is NOT an option. Also, those hatches are so heavy, it would see, their weight alone would have reduced the possibility that any kind of signifiant water could enter topside from those hatches.
The every third latch or every fifth hatch is practice still in use today! Even if they left port this way they easily coulda done every one out to sea. Lots of possibilities of what happened.
GREED IS NOT ALWAYS G O O D
IMO, greed is never good.
This guy rocks
I always agreed with this theory
Dale is free to feel what he likes. I do not buy it.
It's amazing how a culmination of about a dozen things of protocol that were just simply ignored just because they were in a hurry and they wanted to get going. How many other tragedies often happen the same way.
The media runs with the hatch cover theory as that's what the coast guard came up in their official statement.
But it should be noted a lot of people, including Captain Cooper of the Anderson (who was following Fitzgerald on the day she went down) believes that it wasn't the hatches, but instead that the Fitz really bottomed out crossing the shoals.
But the coast guards controversial findings aside, it really is tragic how these men all lost there lives. And they where so close to White Fish as well, they almost made safe harbour.
@@justinlynch3 I also don't believe the hatch cover theory.
I do not believe that hatch cover thing either. I absolutely believe what Captain Cooper said about this. After all, he was there.
My opinion is this tragedy was caused by a combination of many things from leaking hatch covers,years of abuse trying to break records, collisions and a rough weather captain making the wrong call thinking his vessel was invincible. I also believe Captain Cooper that it also touched bottom and took on water. It just seems too coincidental they had damage and started having problems shortly after they passed that area.
@@justinlynch3 And Cedric Woodward who was captain of the "Avators" said that he didn't buy the "leaky hatch covers" theory either, he said even if they had no clamps on them they weigh tons and wouldn't move, so I don't know about that. But then again, I'm not a sailor on an ore boat!
Nicoleson's dock and terminal i worked there back in the 70s.
😂😂🤣😅😆✌❤❤he's a Crack up' he's funny 😆 he's a real character..cool
Hatches can be secured while sailing. The only people who know if they were secured are dead.
Profits first and safety last..?!
That's how it works in all industries
Crazy to think what happened is 100% on him
His theory makes sense !
6 fathom is just a theory. That wasn’t a 6 on the map, it was 10. The one was just close to the 0 so on the reprint of the map, it looked like a 6… no evidence on the overturned hull to show bottoming out, the stern would have shon scrapes as the stern is always lower in the water.. I most likely believe a stress fracture which amplified as the ship continued on in this storm
It broke clean in half and floundered. The debri field shows this also. The doors were latched open. It's cargo hold design was a failure in support. The railings broke probably from it being beat and so being so wobbly.
Except the last freighter to snap topside is in pieces *miles apart*
She hit bottom, it makes too much sense.
@@Rammstein0963. it's in 350' deep water. It couldn't drift far
@@Rammstein0963. I'll agree but the bridge door was latched open and the controlls were at stop. It was snowing. I think they were running in and out. Hence the 2 body's on the lake floor
Depends on a lot of variables, such as glide angle, too bad nobody survived to tell.
@@tomhowe1510
No, 530' of water. About 200' less than the length of the ship.
Stress over weight low in water
post-game interview
Got the Flotrol latex paint conditioner sitting behind him. Maybe he makes those models.
🙏
I know he did a good job, but I still think the ship was never seaworthy in it's design.
It was reported that it wasnt, Sir, according to engineers who often made repairs to the ship. In fact, it was reported that the Fitzgerald was scheduled to have its hull redone which was scheduled after her final run. Not to mention that when they lengthened her some years prior, it weakened her and they didn't properly reinforce the hull to be able to handle constant bending the waves made to her while sailing. So it was only a matter of time that something bad was gonna happen to her unfortunately.
@@LagunaShirogane True enough. Bend metal too many times and it will continue to lose strength.
@@Bobbyliscious Exactly. Everything can only take so much before it snaps and breaks. Including people. People sometimes forget to take better care of what they have or not know their own limits. Sure the Fitzgerald can break those records but at what cost? Leaving yourself in overdrive all the time will rear it's ugly head when you need to perform your best in the most inopportune times. Such was the lesson Lake Superior taught the Anderson and the Fitzgerald. One of didnt make out alive.... If the Fitzgerald was scheduled for their hull to be redone, I wouldn't have done the trip until the needed repairs and whatnot was done first. Better safe than sorry.
@@LagunaShirogane the only modifications made to the fitz were the thrusters that were added and the conversion from coal fuel to oil fueled. The length of the ship was the same the night it sank as the day it was christened
@@Laroo69 Well the info i mentioned is from accounts given by engineers who've worked on the Fitzgerald over the years before her sinking. So I cant say yes or no on these facts. Plus the Fitzgerald sank nearly 12 and half years before I was born (born in July of 1988) so I cant even make personal confirmations either unless I was to dive to the wreckage and make observations of the ship inside and out. And honestly, seeing the pictures of the wreckage of Fitzgerald terrifies me. Not sure why. Between it and the wreckage of the Titanic, I couldn't tell you which one terrifies me more and Ive seen other wreck sites and none of them effect me as much as they do.
broke in half like all the others.
Wow ! 75 !
So the welds failed on the hatches and she sank......
Don’t know why showing a torch (welding) set up would be shown.As if any ship (steel plating)wouldn’t be arc welded.
What, you mean they wouldn't be acetylene welded! Arc welded for sure, and the quality of those welds depend on the correct procedures being followed and the skill of the welder and I have seen some certified welders I wouldn't let weld on my kid's little red wagon. Politics play a role in everything. And yes, it is likely they would use an acetylene torch to run the moisture out of the steel before welding.
@@stephenwest798 my point was they wouldn’t be oxy acetylene welding the ship
Yep, reread your comment, misread the as if, my bad. Seems that mig is taking over in most shops and some insurance companies won't provide health insurance to shops that use stick because of what the fumes do to the lungs. Don't know what they use in shipyards now but am sure glad I gave up welding for a living years ago.@@johnandersonjjr
Im certain she bottomed out on that shoal,And when she hit it broke her back or a weak spot opened up and that bow did a nose dive
Heard it was rammming through the mud in soo locks
They have scientifically confirmed that it wasn’t the hatch covers. He should be careful about what he says.
So the whole tragedy comes from complacency from everything but the crew . May they all rest in peace .
Are you a certified welder. Probably not, it's your fault it sunk.
Well of course he's not gonna say anything about defective welds; so you can't just assume he's correct via the hatch cover theory.
This guy has no clue what he is talking about.
She should have been riveted instead of welded.