Why could the Edmund Fitzgerald fail catastrophically in heavy weather?
Short answerA large open hull with little internal subdivision could twist and crack in heavy weather, although this explanation rests on a tentative recollection of the ship.
NotesThe comparison rests on a recollection of the Great Lakes freighter's construction. If the ship is correctly remembered, its large open hull and limited subdivision would leave a long box-like structure exposed to repeated twisting in heavy weather. That offers a possible route to cracking and catastrophic failure. The identification and explanation remain tentative.