Too Much Sea for Their Decks: Shipwrecks of Minnesota's North Shore and Isle Royale

by Michael Schumacher

Shipwreck stories from along Minnesota’s north shore of Lake Superior and Isle Royale

Against the backdrop of the extraordinary history of Great Lakes shipping, Too Much Sea for Their Decks chronicles shipwrecked schooners, wooden freighters, early steel-hulled steamers, whalebacks, and bulk carriers—some well-known, some unknown or forgotten—all lost in the frigid waters of Lake Superior.

Included are compelling accounts of vessels destined for infamy, such as that of the Stranger, a slender wooden schooner swallowed by the lake in 1875, the sailors’ bodies never recovered nor the wreckage ever found; an account of the whaleback Wilson, rammed by a large commercial freighter in broad daylight and in calm seas, sinking before many on board could escape; and the mysterious loss of the Kamloops, a package freighter that went down in a storm and whose sailors were found on the Isle Royale the following spring, having escaped the wreck only to die of exposure on the island. Then there is the ill-fated Steinbrenner, plagued by bad luck from the time of her construction, when she was nearly destroyed by fire, to her eventual (and tragic) sinking in 1953. These tales and more represent loss of life and property—and are haunting stories of brave and heroic crews.

Arranged chronologically and presented in three sections covering Minnesota's North Shore, Isle Royale, and the three biggest storms in Minnesota’s Great Lakes history (the 1905 Mataafa storm, the 1913 hurricane on the lakes, and the 1940 Armistice Day storm), each shipwreck documented within these pages provides a piece to the history of shipping on Lake Superior.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

256 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 18, 2023

About the author

A lifelong resident of the Great Lakes region, Michael Schumacher is the author of twelve books, including biographies of Allen Ginsberg, Phil Ochs, and Eric Clapton, and the award-winning book Wreck of the Carl D. He has also written twenty-five documentaries on Great Lakes shipwrecks and lighthouses.

Reviews

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I inhaled this book from the original barge made by Captain McGregor to the very last wreck that should’ve never happened this book is full of interesting stories with great detail and an awesome talent for painting a picture you weren’t there to see in person the author has done a great job filling us in on all the unfortunate happenings and great Lake superior. And now that I know about Michael Schumaker I have added two more of his books to my TBR pile I love reading about the adventures and misadventures and that’s totally fed that Nish this is a book I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend I received it from the University of Minnesota press in NetGalley but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating and amazing. The lake is fascinating and its power is amazing, as are the men and ships in the days before radar, satellites, communications such as we have now, better rescue techniques, and, sadly, better salvaging and diving capabilities. This book demonstrates impeccable research and deep respect for those who man the ships of the great lakes, especially those who never came home. It is also very well written and absorbing.

I love and am in awe of Lake Superior and the Duluth port. Besides that I geek history, sailing ships and more. And two of the Cleveland grandkids participated in something called Shipwreck camp!
I requested and received an epub as well as an Adobe Digital Editions (the better to see the photos) EARC from University of Minnesota Press via NetGalley. Thank you!
I have also pre-ordered a print copy from a bookstore in Duluth.

[Brendan (History Nerds United) · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's great when a book gives you precisely what you expect. Michael Schumacher's Too Much Sea for Their Decks is the story of a bunch of different shipwrecks on Lake Superior. In fact, there is discussion of some wrecks in other Great Lakes but those are just stories which need to be told. Even Schumacher's introduction is delightfully straightforward and so I will make my review the same. If you want to read about shipwrecks from an author who knows how to tell a story, then read this book.

(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and the University of Minnesota Press.)

[Ron Baumer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting story of the men who sailed and fought the dangers of sailing on Lake Superior. Thee author used good first hand accounts to highlight the stories and the pictures gave a stark image of the events. I have always enjoyed stories of maritime disasters and this one did not disappoint. A very good read.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Mikala]

This was a bit more than I bargained for or perhaps the description should more along the lines of encyclopedia of ship accidents in Lake Superior.
There are excellent photos and descriptions of each ship and it's fate. There is a bit of hypothesizing on what happened and personal or eye-witness accounts are provided when available. These are told in chronological order. I personally would have enjoyed more story telling or a cohesive thread-line that wove together the development of the lake and region or anthropology of the populations that inhabited the coast.
If you have a fascination with Lake Superior or need a complement to the authors other books, then you will love this book.

[James McCarthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book throughout. Learned about a lot of shipwrecks I’ve never heard of, like Algoma or Monarch. For a while I was looking for a book with a good sized chapter about the Henry Steinbrenner and this has one! I loved reading about it. Wish there was a bigger chapter about the Emperor.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley, Michael Schumacher, and The University of Minnesota Press for allowing me to read this early version of the book.

Interesting book! I enjoyed all the stories on the shipwrecks. Definitely a book I could recommend to others with interests in shipwrecks and Lake Superior.

[John Heid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Schumacher remains the best writer on Great Lakes shipwrecks. This one was just as gripping as everything else he’s written.