The weather that hit Lake Superior the night the Edmund Fitzgerald sank could have affected the ship more than previously thought due to being parallel to the eastern shore. Losing a fence rail may not necessarily be catastrophic, but losing a weld could mean water is flowing into a cargo hold.
The fence rail mystery in the lost ship of the Edmund Fitzgerald could have been caused by the extreme weather conditions that created a perfect storm for the unstable welded ship to flex and pop off its structure.
The cargo ship has some issues involving water in the hold, which may be caused by the absence of vents that maintain the air pressure in it.