American Journeys: Shipwrecks of the Great Lakes Captain Ernest McSorley and Life Aboard the Edmund Fitzgerald. A captain and his ship bound by routine, trust, and respect for the lake. This chapter explores daily life aboard the Edmund Fitzgerald and how Ernest McSorley commanded one of the Great Lakes’ most famous freighters before its final voyage. Ernest McSorley Edmund Fitzgerald, life aboard lake freighter, Great Lakes shipping routines, maritime command culture, freighter bridge operation