We puttered around the motorhome, checking emails and surfing the net. Had our lunch just after noon hour and then we jumped in our rental car to go to the Welland Canal Visitor Centre.
Along our route we passed over the Glendale Avenue Lift-Bridge. This is one of three Vertical-Lift bridges on the Welland Canal.
There is a hiking and biking trail that runs along the shore of the Welland Canal, here is a quick view of that trail.
Arriving at the Welland Canals Centre and Museum, we got the car parked and went inside.
The first thing we check is the schedule of boats arriving at the lock. Looks like the Wilf Seymour will be in the lock shortly.
This should give us a bit of time to wander around the museum looking at the different displays. There is a scale model of a ship entering the lock. The visitor centre and parking lot is to the left of the ship.
There are displays on the making of the Canal. There are 4 versions of the canal, each one took a slightly different route and the locks increased in size each time to accommodate bigger and bigger boats. The first Welland Canal was completed in 1830. The canal we see today was completed in the 1950’s
This graphic shows the whole locking system throughout the Great Lakes. Heading to Lake Superior from Lake Ontario is quite a climb.
We watched a short movie about shipping and the importance of the Welland Canal.
It was time to head outside to the viewing decks to watch the Wilf Seymour exit lock #3 and head into Lake Ontario.
You can see that the lock is full of water. All of this will have to be drained out, lowering the Wilf Seymour down to the water level of Lake Ontario.
Now you can see that the water level is dropping as it is being drained from the lock.
The lock doors will soon open.
The Wilf Seymour is a pusher tug. These tugs are used to push barges. Today the Wilf Seymour is pushing the barge Alouette Spirit.
We watch as the Homer Watson Bridge lifts so that the boat can pass through and underneath the Garden City Skyway.
Did you know this fact….
We decided to head back to the KOA and our motorhome as there were not any more ships scheduled to go through the locks till after 7pm. We relaxed and then I got our Weber Q bbq fired up and we had hamburgers for dinner.
After dinner I checked my Marine Traffic app and saw that the Spartan was getting ready to enter lock 3 at the Welland Canals Centre, so we headed there and watched.
The Spartan is another pusher tug. We have seen the Spartan on 2 previous occasions. Once when we were in Sault Ste Marie visiting the locks there a few summers ago and once last summer in Sarnia on the St Claire River.
There is a nice breeze blowing and the flags are flying nicely.
The Spartan and the barge she is pushing are slowly rising in the lock as water is being added.
The lock doors are opened, allowing the Spartan to continue on its journey to Lake Erie.
We watch as the Glendale Lift-Bridge begins to slowly raise to allow the Spartan to pass underneath.
We decide to drive ahead to Lock #4 and watch the Spartan enter that lock.
You can just see the upper mast structure and the radars of the Spartan. The water surface is about 60 ft down inside this lock. Up she comes as they fill the lock.
We are starting to see the upper deck of the barge that the Spartan is pushing.
The GO Train passes over the railway bridge behind the lock.
The Spartan is now in full view, ready to pass through to the next lock as soon as they open the lock doors.
The Spartan is now moving forward into Lock #5
We make a quick stop at the Visitor Center at Lock 7. Even though it is closed because of the late hour, we stop to photograph the “Kissing Rock” This is on my Roadside Attractions app and it is reported that sailors would kiss their sweethearts goodbye here before venturing out onto the Great Lakes. It ensured good luck.
On our way home to the motorhome, we passed under the Welland Canal through the Thorold Tunnel. The tunnel is the longest tunnel in Ontario with a length of 840 Meters. We will come back tomorrow and get some daytime photos.
Back at the motorhome we spent the rest of the evening naming and editing photos and writing this blog. Have a great evening, see you in the blogosphere tomorrow.
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