Nordmeer
Working diesel cargo freighter, 1954–1966
An interpretive 3D reconstruction of the vessel afloat, in the form named above and from before its loss in Thunder Bay. It is informed by the historical record set out under History below, where the documented evidence and the interpretation are kept apart; rigging, colours and fittings are partly inferred. It is not a survey of the wreck.
This ship ran aground along this shore. Nobody knows the exact spot, so the marker shows the general area.
Starboard bow · complete vessel · drag to rotate, scroll or pinch to zoom, right-drag to pan. Hiding a part shows what sat beneath it; it does not recreate the wreck.
What the model represents
From the model specification. Two lists, kept apart on purpose.
Documented
- NOAA identifies a steel diesel freighter built by Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft at Flensburg in 1954, carrying 990 coils of steel when it grounded in 1966. NOAA.
- WMHS gives 470.8×60.9×28.2 ft and describes the rescue of all 45 crew:37 by Samuel Mather and 8 later by Coast Guard helicopter. Its photograph shows two cargo-mast stations forward of the central house and one aft, with a compact funnel behind the bridge. WMHS.
Inferred
- Mast and derrick dimensions, five hatch sizes, rounded funnel cross-section, cabin windows, boat detail and hidden fittings are estimated from photographs and cargo-ship practice.
- The model already contained one lifeboat on each side; both were verified in geometry. No extra pair was added. A single-side photograph cannot independently establish the hidden boat.
- Steel plating and deck panels use restrained seams; exact pigments and underwater lines remain inferred.
Configuration caveat. Diesel cargo ship with central superstructure and five holds. The inspected WMHS photograph guides unequal cargo-mast heights and compact funnel; two existing lifeboats are retained. Hatch sizes, derricks, concealed lines and pigments remain interpreted.
Two numbers that are not the same thing. The waterline toggle sits at 6.40 m above the keel, a display assumption, not a measured draft. The wreck lies in about 35 ft of water; that describes the site, not the ship.
Renders from the model
History, evidence and limits
The research notes behind the reconstruction, reproduced with their citations.
Version 1.1. Revised September 8, 2026.
Selected appearance
Working diesel cargo freighter, 1954–1966. The clearer WMHS photograph informs the central superstructure, compact rounded funnel and unequal cargo-mast heights. Five hold openings and two lifeboats are retained.
Documented evidence
NOAA identifies a steel diesel freighter built by Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft at Flensburg in 1954, carrying 990 coils of steel when it grounded in 1966. NOAA.
WMHS gives 470.8×60.9×28.2 ft and describes the rescue of all 45 crew:37 by Samuel Mather and 8 later by Coast Guard helicopter. Its photograph shows two cargo-mast stations forward of the central house and one aft, with a compact funnel behind the bridge. WMHS.
Reasonable interpretation
Mast and derrick dimensions, five hatch sizes, rounded funnel cross-section, cabin windows, boat detail and hidden fittings are estimated from photographs and cargo-ship practice.
The model already contained one lifeboat on each side; both were verified in geometry. No extra pair was added. A single-side photograph cannot independently establish the hidden boat.
Steel plating and deck panels use restrained seams; exact pigments and underwater lines remain inferred.
Unresolved uncertainties
The catalogue’s steel-mesh-coils wording differs from NOAA’s 990 coils of steel; the latter is selected.
The wreck photograph cited below is a general NOAA wreck view; its file description notes the surviving diesel engine. It does not establish the intact superstructure.
Loaded draft, unseen deck fittings and exact funnel construction are not measured from a builder’s plan.
Sources
- NOAA Nordmeer
- WMHS history and own-vessel photograph
- Maritime History aground photograph
- NOAA condition report, historical aerial
- NOAA wreck photograph; description notes surviving diesel engine
Illustration conditions
Supplemental AI artwork is made from the revised model render where the model changed; the provenance records the actual input files. Lake, shore, sky and weather are artistic staging, not evidence of a final voyage or a measured location. The actual GLB and its direct renders are the geometry reference.
Sources used for the model
Rights and respect
Removing or disturbing wreckage on Great Lakes bottomlands is a felony under Michigan Part 761, 1994 PA 451, at a fair market value of $100 or more. Positions are historical reference only — not navigation and not dive-planning data. Wreck records are published by the Michigan Underwater Preserve Council.
Treat these as graves. Lives were lost on many Great Lakes wrecks and human remains may still be present. Look, photograph, and leave everything exactly as you found it.
Model and renders were newly made for this project (2026). Three.js r160.1 is used under the MIT licence; its notice ships with the vendored files. Wreck position, depth and dates: Michigan Underwater Preserve Council. The model specification (version 1.1, revised 2026-09-08) is published beside the assets (model-spec.json).