Soo Locks Boat Tour with Lon and Deb

The morning was gorgeous here at Sault Ste Marie, and we lazed about, drinking coffee and enjoying the warm (60 deg) day and the sunshine.  About 11:30 we decided to go down the street to the Soo Locks Boat Tour office and see if we could get on board. Amazingly, they were able to squeeze us on, and we walked down to the dock to await our sailing time.

While we were waiting, we watched the James R. Barker, downbound out of the locks, heading for Lake Huron, with a small boat alongside.

The small boat was loading crates and pallets aboard the James R. Barker, and we wondered why, but then the tour guide later told us that the large ships replenish provisions enroute to save time, and the small boat was from a local business that provides that service. Interestingly enough, a Canadian patrol boat darted by, causing a significant wake to strike the two ships.  The crane operator was experienced enough to "dance" the boom in tune with the wake so that the unloading crew wouldn't be in danger.  Great equipment operator!

Once onboard "our" tour boat, we headed for the American locks.

The doors opened, allowing our small boat to enter at the Lake Huron level.

The Corps of Engineers viewing structure as seen from the low lock level, is even more impressive than it was when we climbed it yesterday and watched ships "lock through".

The lock appears to be a bit intimidating from the low level, but never fear, it will change!

After 15 minutes, the water levels had equalized,

and the gates began to open.

The barrier arm lifted, and we were officially at Lake Superior level! The barrier arms, at each end of each lock, contain a six inch diameter steel cable that is locked at either end when the gates are closed.  If a situation required it, the cable can stop he longest freighter from going headlong into the lock, out of control!

We cruised toward the International Bridge that you can see in the background above.  Adjacent to the automobile bridge is the International Railroad Bridge, with the center section raised for ship traffic.  Four times a day the drawbridge is lowered for rail traffic and then raised again.

Going under the International Bridge was awesome!
















On the Ontario side of the river, we got a look at the industrial might of the Great Lakes.  Large piles of raw materials waited for shipment to the steel mills around the Lakes.

The white material is sand, the dark material is coke, which is coal that has been baked, and the tan material is slag, which is a byproduct of steel production and is used in many different things, including road base and concrete.

We motored east along the Canadian shoreline to the Essar Steel Mill.

The mill produces some 700 different formulas of steel for shipment worldwide, and is a marvel of industrial might.  Ships are unloaded of raw materials by huge mobile cranes mounted on railroad tracks, and so move along the dock as necessary to quickly and efficiently unload the freighters.

Soon we approached the Canadian "Old Lock".  Built in the 1800's, it has been modified to service recreational and smaller boat traffic.

Soon the water was out of the lock and we were back to Lake Huron level! The amount of water flowing through the locks is amazing: Roughly one and one half million gallons at each lock cycle! None on the water is pumped, gravity takes care of filling and emptying the lock, which is crazy, since some of the large vessels have a payload of 75,000 tons in addition to their deadweight! And the ships are raised 21 feet each time!

The tour boat made a final loop around the east side of the locks, passing within a mile or so of the rv park we're staying in.

Oh, and Lon and Deb?  They're a couple from northwestern Iowa, on a vacation.  We struck up a conversation with them as we waited to board the boat and chuckled at a pigeon that seemed bent on landing on the heads of the passengers! We sat near Lon and Deb for the 2 1/2 hour trip, occasionally passing tidbits of conversation. After the tour, we shared a cup of coffee with them at the Cup of the Day coffee shop, and enjoyed a few hours of wonderful socialization.  Lon is the owner of his own business, and Deb works for a large midwestern convenience store chain. They have children and grandchildren and live in a small town where sisters, brothers, cousins, and kids live either across the street or down the block.  Donna and I thank them for spending a bit of their time with us.

As nice as the weather was today, it's predicted to be nasty tonight and tomorrow.  The rain is coming and the temps will drop.  Donna and I have planned to visit Soo Canada tomorrow, but may change our plans depending on the weather.  Stay tuned!