We've Got It Locked!

The Welland Canal

Monday, July 20

At six thirty AM a fellow traveler pulled up next to us and rafted off. There wasn't any room left on the wall; so we all put out fenders (bumpers) and they tied up next to us. The vessel Fruition was a 48 foot aft cabin that would transit the locks with Time For Us at 45 feet and Blue Star, the 87 foot Burger. Fruition had been on the hook overnight in the bay around the corner. (Anchored out).

At 7:15 AM It was go time! Finally! We all left our spot on the wall and moved into the canal. Our direction from Seaway Control was Fruition first, Time For Us second and Blue Star bringing up the rear. 

There was a lot of turbulence as the locks filled up with water.

As we moved into the first lock we could see that this was going to be a little different than the past locks we'd transited. These were much bigger and the line system was different. After you moved into the lock, the lock workers would drop down two sets of lines tied together at the bottom near the center of your boat. You would untie them and then move one line to the front of your boat and one to the back. 

We went through the first lock in our 1, 2, 3 order.  Jerry was on the bow of the boat and Sandi was on the back.  I was in the middle at the midship cleat with a boat pole just in case I needed to push us off the wall.  Regulations in the Welland locks require that all passengers on deck must wear a life jacket while transiting the locks.  This was not required in the New York locks.  We started Jerry out in the traditional orange vest; but it was pretty cumbersome on his tall frame.  We traded after the first lock and he wore my auto inflating vest.

By the second lock we were fendered off of Fruition for the rest of the transit.  The Welland Lock system is in the process of automating their moorings for the big freighters. This required cutting bays into the sides of the lock to install mooring pads.  Because they had all of these indents in the locks for the automated equipment, there wasn't enough lock length with flat walls to accommodate all three boats. So Fruition ended up against the wall and we fendered off of her.

The automated locking system is fascinating.  I've included a link to show how it works.

Automated Mooring Pads

Those are people standing there where the yellow railing is.  It gives you some idea of size. This is where they would drop the lines down.

These locks were enormous.  They are 743 feet long, (Erie was 343). They lock up or down 46-49 feet.  It was like being inside of a canyon.  

We started our jouney into the Welland Locks at 7:30 in the morning and we were through and were done by 2:30.  It only took us seven hours to get through.  It is usually an 8-12 hour transit.  We were very lucky on our second try.

I realized something after we transited through the Welland Canal.  The 1,000 foot freighters that ply the Great Lakes are limited to Superior, Michigan, Huron and Erie. They cannot get into Ontario because of the size of the locks. 

We exited the locks and made a right turn into Port Colborne.  We stayed in Sugarloaf Marina.  We went up to check in and found a Don Cherry's bar right at the check in.  We went up to have a celebratory cocktail and ended up staying for dinner.  It was a nice evening.