The Welland Ship Canal runs from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario
across the Niagara Peninsula in Ontario, Canada. It is a serious, working canal that
traverses 27 miles through 8 locks, and allows freighters to ascend and descend
the Niagara Escarpment. It can take
freighters up to 740 feet long. The
locks are 80 feet wide.
The canal provides a direct route between the two Great Lakes. The first Welland Canal was built starting in
1824, and the canals were rebuilt, widened and (in some cases) rerouted in 1839
and 1887. Work on the current version of the canal was started in 1913 and
completed in 1932.
The Adventure
We went to Lock 3, that also has the museum about the
canal. The history of the canal was very
interesting. Fortuitously, while we were
there, a freighter came through the lock.
The huge freighter crept down the canal toward the lock. What was so amazing was that the canal
channel seemed to be just inches wider than the huge ship.
I read somewhere that during the 8-10 hour trip down the
Welland, the captain is required to be at the helm of the ship. He can rest or take a break when the ship is
in a lock. After seeing how exact the
piloting needs to be to enter the locks, I can understand why this requirement
is in place.
After seeing the locks (and in some cases the boats or ships)
at Sault Ste. Marie, the Erie Canal, and the Rideau Canal it was still exciting
to see the freighter go through the lock at the Welland.
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