Third generation sailor remembers the storm that sank the Edmund Fitzgerald

Wheeling a cargo vessel across the Great Lakes is not for everyone but for Chuck Parker, it's a good fit.

For more than 20 years Parker has spent many hours behind the wheel of various cargo vessels.

Some of his memorable moments included a water spout over water, sunsets and northern lights to water rescues.

“My first memory was of a storm in November 1975,” he said. “I was on the ship the HC Heimbecker with my dad (Bill Parker). We were in Godrich, Ont. And we had to stop unloading as the water in the harbour was too rough. We pulled the ladders as it was unsafe to board or debark the ship and waited out the storm in safe haven of the port. That was the night the Edmund Fitzgerald went down. Seems everyone you talk to remembers that night very well.”

Parker said he is what Jimmy Buffet referred to in his song, Son of a Son of a Sailor, a third-generation sailor.

“My father sailed for 47 years and his father who once was a well-respected policeman in the town of Blenheim, Ont., until WW2 broke out and nearly every able man enlisted into service when called upon by the Canadian government and there were no crimes reported so, Grandpa Barney, who was too young for the First World War and too old for the Second World War, started sailing as the ships were short-handed,” he said. “So, three generations of sailors in my family, it was a natural calling for me to go to sea. There was a time my son sailed for a short time. He found it too hard to be away from shore. It’s not for everyone. It is for me.”

Job or school?

Parker’s father, Bill, was a mate on the HC Heimbecker, while in Thunder Bay they needed a crew member as they were short a deckhand.

“They called and asked me if I wanted to finish school or want a job,” Parker explained. “I said a job. The company flew me to Thunder Bay where my career sailing began in 1974.”

Parker and his father sailed together onboard the same ship for about four years until his father retired onboard the Oakglen.

Parker worked as a deckhand for six months then went to the wheelman position. There was a lot of time relief as a wheelman.

After taking some years off to raise his two children, in April of 2000, Parker returned to sailing with his current company, Lower Lakes Towing Ltd. of Port Dover.

“I have been working on many of their ships but most recently on the Michipicoten for the past seven seasons of which I hope to remain until my retirement,” he said.

When Parker began his sailing career there were 29 on his ship. Today there are only 16.

There used to be three in the galley, a porter, second cook, night cook and chief check. Today with this company there is only one chef.

In the pilothouse or wheelhouse, there was a captain, first mate, second mate and third mate. Today, the is usually no third mate.

All ships generally begin their season on the lakes about the third week of March and will lay up by the first week in January.

“When I first started sailing in 1974, we went out around Easter and did the season to the third week of December,” he said. “This company is very family-oriented and I now work 30 days on and 30 days off which gives me more family time. Even with that, there are many life events like weddings, births and funerals that I am not home to attend."

The company allows him to be home for Immediate family events but he still misses many events he would have liked to attend, he said.

When he’s at home he does what Islanders do, he enjoys life.

Parker and his wife, Teresa, are members of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 374 and pre-COVID often participating in cribbage and euchre tournaments when he's home. During the winter months, Parker is a member of the St. Joseph Island Snowmobile Club and has groomed Island trails.

On the lakes

Parker, one of six wheelmen, explained that his workday is primarily is the 4-8 watch, which means he works from 4 to 8 a.m. then again from 4 to 8 p.m.

He also sometimes helps with other tasks to be done such as manning the winches, helping at docks or locks by spotting which means advising the wheelhouse how far the ship is from sides and checking the ballast depth to report to the wheelhouse.

“I have done extra work such as welding when needed and splicing cable for repair. [It's] a lost art for most today but my father trained me decades ago on how to do that job which saves the company from purchasing more and saves downtime,” Parker said.

The Michipicoten mostly hauls ore from the western end of Lake Superior to Algoma Steel in Sault Ste. Marie and limestone trap rock from Bruce Mines or Thessalon. Also, it hauls coal from Sandusky, Ohio, to Algoma Steel, grain from Thunder Bay to many ports such as Sarnia, Hamilton, Sorel, and other ports in Quebec where the grain will often go to Russia, Mexico and other parts of Europe.

Lower Lakes Towing Ltd., primarily only handles the freshwater sailing of the Great Lake.

Then and now on the lakes

The sailing days of today are greatly different Parker said than they were from days gone by.

“A hundred years ago, the companies who had listed of names of Captains waiting to get a ship under them would tell the working Captain, 'You get that delivery or pick up done or there will be a Captain waiting at the dock to take your place.' That is why, in my opinion, there were so many shipwrecks and lives lost in those days.”

Parker went on to say, historic storms have taken many through the years. In 1913, on Lake Huron, more than 250 people lost their lives. It destroyed 19 ships and stranded 19 others. About $1 million of cargo, in 1913 that included coal, iron ore and grain weighing about 68,000 tons was lost.

“It’s not like that these days for the most part as Captains will make the call to find shelter, drop the 'hook' (anchor) and wait out the storm,” he said. “It is not unusual to see a great number of ships waiting at the foot of St. Joseph Island or in Whitefish Bay. There is a great demand these days for licensed personal like Captains and Wheelmen so the Captain makes the safety call. On that note anyone thinking of a career on the Great Lakes, this is a great time to start a career as pretty much all companies are looking for all areas of workers on the ship.”

Camaraderie, tight-knit crews and good food 

It’s far from doom and gloom working on a ship. There’s great camaraderie aboard the ship.

“Fellow sailors become like family and you miss them when you are done for the season and look forward to working together in spring fit-out,” Parker said. “Meals are really good. The chef prepares three fresh meals daily and holiday meals are amazing feasts.”

Some memories still make Parker laugh, like one of a cadet who now works for the company.

I was wheeling the Saginaw, going south on Lake Huron in the middle of the lake. Just the Captain and I were in the wheelhouse.

The door opened and there stood Cadet Steve. All nicely dressed he eased into the wheelhouse and said to the captain, 'Captain, with your permission I would like to try wheeling the ship,' the captain said to him, 'You think you are ready for this?'

'Yes sir, I am,' he said. So, the Captain turned to me and said, 'Okay, let him wheel'.

I stepped aside and watched this young man filled with excitement to steer this 640-foot ship down Lake Huron for the first time. There he sat with his two hands firmly on the wheel at 10 and 2 o’clock. The captain was telling him what to steer on while still out in the middle of the lake.

Steve started to relax a bit and time went on. The captain turned to see the cadet with one hand on the wheel and the other on the back of the chair, very relaxed and comfy.

The captain said to him, 'You think you have her in control?'

'Yes, sir,' he answered.

Then the captain said to me, 'Chuck, take her off autopilot.'

Lower Lake Towing Ltd. is a non-union company Parker said. It differs from all other companies on the Canadian side of the business.

“If someone you work with needs help, everyone helps without hesitation,” he said. “I have seen all hands helping inside of the cargo hold including the captain, not often, but it happens. In the old days, you had a job and did your task."

"We recently had to have our chief cook taken to Sault Area Hospital via Coast Guard helicopter as he was having a heart attack while on Lake Huron. I am grateful for the speed and efficiency of the Coast Guard and in knowing should we need them they are there for us no matter where we are in the Great Lakes. But we were left without a cook for a few days. The captain made a supper; the chief engineer made a supper and I did a breakfast and supper meal. We help each other when needed.” 

Safety and security on the lakes

On ships there are a lot of safety protocols in place and, since 9-11, there are security plans in place as well.

Now, with COVID-19, even more restrictions and measures are in place.

As the stormiest time of the year approaches, Parker is bothered less than he was years ago. His experiences with today’s captains and knowledge of all the safety measures in place, leaves him feeling more confident sailing these days.

“This may come as a surprise to many but the lake most sailors fear is Lake Michigan,” Parker said. “You see there on that lake there is no place to 'hide' from rough seas such as Whitefish Bay has Whitefish Point, Keweenaw Peninsula and the foot of St. Joseph Island. [And there are] Long Point and Point Pelee on Lake Erie. But there are no places to hide on Lake Michigan where seas have been as much as 36 feet as seen during Hurricane Sandy."

November and December bring changes in temperature with the cold air hitting the warmer waters causing high winds and waves.

Lakers then and now

Ships today are much bigger and have more horsepower than those of the old days.

“My first ship was only 556 feet long and 56 feet wide and was able to go through the Canadian lock, the Michipicoten is 700 feet long and 70 feet wide. The Discovery Channel compares the Michipicoten to the Edmund Fitzgerald as a sister ship that travels the same routes and cargo the 'Fitz' did," Parker said.

With respect to hazardous shipping, Parker said summertime seems to be the most hazardous with the pleasure and sailboats in the middle of the lake in shipping lanes.

Sometimes a boat, he explained, will be anchored in the shipping lane because they’re fishing.

“We cannot swerve, it takes a mile to stop a ship on average. Lake Huron has the Mackinaw sailboat race to Mackinaw Island. Lake Michigan where hundreds of fishing boats [are] after salmon, Lake Erie on the Canadian side of the lake has numerous commercial fishing tugs that start at 3 a.m., Lake Superior has sailboats to watch for in the middle of the lake. In the river system such as the St. Marys River, there are often people getting way too close to try and take a picture. It’s a very dangerous thing to do getting that close.”