SNIP: Many of the sinkings occurred in November, well after the end of the recreational boating season. Ship captains were eager to make one more run before the December freeze. Even more eager were the ship owners. In the forties and fifties (and presumably earlier, though I was too young to know) all the floating navigation aids were pulled out in late October and early November to avoid damage and destruction by ice. The lighthouses went dark REPLY: THE USCG still pulls nav-aids, though now they wait until late November into December. All lighthouses, at least on the upper lakes now are automated, and in many cases are just solar powered lights atop a pole near the original lighthouse, though others still live within the original light towers. As far as I know, they remained lighted all year (though I admit, I have not been out there in the dead of winter). The local lighthouses are on year around anyway. Shipping continues on the upper lakes until early January when the locks at Saulte St. Marie close for the season until about March 21 or so. I think some shipping goes year around on the lower lakes, though I understand the Welland locks near Niagra falls close for the winter as well. We certainly see big lakers come into port in December with ice all over particularly the forward sections of the ships. They look ghostly. And crew members still are on deck with axes and sledge hammers chopping away at the ice on deck. But even with modern 1,000 foot ships and the latest in electronic nav gear, most of the big guys will hunker down in Whitefish bay at the eastern end of Lake Superior or in the Duluth harbor at the other end when one of the gales of November crank up. They know better. David Sorenson Duluth, MN ____________________________________________________________ Make the right decisions about your inheritance. Click here for more information. http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2141/fc/BLSrjpTFQPK8R8OtLoQlFMlVBGKPoOA3BfBZeYegt8vMJGWNNHUOQcDKIa0/