Back in 1975-1978, I was a certified New York State Water Treatment Plant Operator, here in Rochester, New York. In late winter 1976, a new employee started in the treatment plant's maintenance department. Bob was my age, and I got to know him after shooting the breeze during after-hours brews. I asked him what he did before coming to work at the water plant. He said he was a lake-ship employee and showed me his ID card, which designated his position as "Wiper." A wiper is an entry-level/apprenticeship engine-room position on the lake ships, assisting the engine-room engineering staff with general maintenance/repairs, assuring the smooth operation of the ship. So, I asked him why he quit his job following his previous year's service on the lakes. He said it was the November 1975 loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald that prompted him to take a land-based job. I didn't blame him, although I mentioned life on a lake ship had to be more exciting than what we were doing at that time. He said yes, it was, but after weathering several storms on the lakes, he would just as soon be on solid ground!

Great close-up shots of the musicians' playing!
Gordon Lightfoot, Live In Reno, "The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald"