So you think the Great Lakes are just another lake? Well remember the 750ft Edmund Fitzgerald went down in a Great Lakes storm. Take a look at these photos and see the awesome power of the lakes.

This pier is in Grand Haven, on the mouth of the Grand River. The boat in this photo is a the US Coast Guard's 47ft Motor Life Boat stationed in Grand Haven.

Another storm at Grand Haven. Now you can see why all those piers have cat walks on them!

Another trip out into Lake Michigan from Grand Haven on the 47ft Motor Life Boat.

Sometimes all you have is a Zodiac when you get the call. Its this rough in the channel, wonder how bad it is out in the lake. I just wish that boaters would have enough sense to stay in port on days like these, and alleviate the need for the local heroic Coast Guard to respond to someone's stupidity.

In the Great Lakes, there is a phenomenon called a seiche (pronounced "saysh"). Like water sloshing in a bathtub, seiches are tide-like rises and drops in Great Lakes coastal water levels caused by prolonged strong winds that push water toward one side of the lake, causing the water level to rise on the downwind side of the lake and to drop on the upwind side. When the wind stops, the water sloshes back and forth, with the nearshore water level rising and falling in decreasingly small amounts on both sides of the lake until it reaches equilibrium.

Despite all that modern technology can offer, surviving a Great Lakes storm is still a challenge. The storms of the Great Lakes have been compared with a witches brew, and a devil's harvest. Storms can explode across hundreds of miles of open water with little or no warning. Storms on the Great Lakes often can be more difficult to navigate than ocean storms. Waves on the Great Lakes jump and strike quickly compared to the lethargic rolling and swelling of ocean waves. While to some, 3ft waves don't seem like much for a large boat, but consider that due to the small size of the lakes (compared to the ocean), those 3ft waves might only be 3ft apart. Now you are talking some serious wave conditions.

Although each lake has its own unique character, Lake Michigan commands the greatest respect among seafarers for several reasons. Prevailing winds sweep its length and the currents caused by wind shifts around the Straits of Mackinac cause it to be the trickiest of the Lakes to keep on course. It also has a scarcity of natural harbors and human-made places of refuge.

Lake Superior is a favorite among mariners because its large size affords the greatest amount of room for maneuvering during a storm. However, it too poses a challenge to navigate with its rocky coastline, cold temperatures (40 degrees in summer or winter), and huge waves that develop because of the Lakes depth. An ancient Chippewa legend warns that Superior never gives up its dead.

During storm surges, you can actually surf on the incoming waves - on a fresh water lake!