Could anything reasonably have been done to avert the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald? What did Captain McSorley know about the weather he was facing when he steamed out of Superior on November 9, 1975? Listen to what the ship's last inspection revealed about the state of its hatches, and what we now know about why the next day's storm turned deadly. You'll also learn more about the Fitzgerald's crew, including the captain — who planned to retire after the season's final ore run.

Edmund Fitzgerald: 50 Years Under is produced by the Duluth News Tribune, a newspaper that covered the Fitz during its heyday and has remained close to this story ever since. Find features that go into even greater detail, with photos and video, at duluthnewstribune.com/edmundfitzgerald.

Written and narrated by Jay Gabler, with audio engineering by Wyatt Buckner and Dan Williamson. The audio of this episode was edited by Wyatt Buckner.

Our editors on this project are Katie Rohman and Barrett Chase, and our executive editor is Rick Lubbers. Original score composed by William Brueggemann. Newspaper archive excerpts and other historical documents were read by Teri Cadeau, Barrett Chase and Dan Williamson.

Thanks to our guests on this episode: Elle Andra-Warner, Jay Austin, John U. Bacon, David James Carlson, Tanner Johnson, Bruce Lynn, Kaylee Matuszak, Paul Sabourin and Frederick Stonehouse.