Saturday, August 24, 2013

Niagara Falls KOA ON

We got off to a slow start today, as usual, we slept in till after 9am.  By the time we have our coffee and tea and a bite to eat for breakfast, it is 11am.  
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.

7781 KOA Niagara Falls - motorhome & rental car 7783 KOA Niagara Falls - motorhome & rental car

Along our route we passed over the Glendale Avenue Lift-Bridge.  This is one of three Vertical-Lift bridges on the Welland Canal.

7796 Glendale Ave -  St. Catharines -  Glendale Lift Bridge one of three “vertical lift” bridges crossing the Canal 7803 Welland Canals Parkway -  St. Catharines - looking back at Glendale Lift Bridge

There is a hiking and biking trail that runs along the shore of the Welland Canal, here is a quick view of that trail.

7809 Welland Canals Parkway -  St. Catharines -  Welland Canals Parkway Trail sign 7807 Welland Canals Parkway -  St. Catharines -  view of a section of the Welland Canals Parkway Trail

Arriving at the Welland Canals Centre and Museum, we got the car parked and went inside.

7817 St. Catharines - Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3 - Museum 7820 St. Catharines - Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3 - Museum

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.

7848 St. Catharines - Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3 - inside Museum

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.

7853 St. Catharines - Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3 - inside Museum

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

7872 St. Catharines - Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3 - inside Museum

This graphic shows the whole locking system throughout the Great Lakes.  Heading to Lake Superior from Lake Ontario is quite a climb.

7877 St. Catharines - Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3 - inside Museum

We watched a short movie about shipping and the importance of the Welland Canal.

7907 St. Catharines - Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3 - inside Museum - Burgoyne Room Welland Canal video 7908 St. Catharines - Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3 - inside Museum - Burgoyne Room Welland Canal video

It was time to head outside to the viewing decks to watch the Wilf Seymour exit lock #3 and head into Lake Ontario.

7916 St. Catharines - Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3 - Discovery Park &   Viewing Platform 7919  St. Catharines - Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3 - Viewing Platform - WILF SEYMOUR tug and her barge ALOUETTE SPIRIT downbound

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.

7921  St. Catharines - Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3 - Viewing Platform - WILF SEYMOUR tug and her barge ALOUETTE SPIRIT downbound

Now you can see that the water level is dropping as it is being drained from the lock.

7930  St. Catharines - Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3 - Viewing Platform - WILF SEYMOUR tug and her barge ALOUETTE SPIRIT downbound 7934  St. Catharines - Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3 - Viewing Platform - WILF SEYMOUR tug and her barge ALOUETTE SPIRIT downbound

The lock doors will soon open.

7936  St. Catharines - Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3 - Viewing Platform - WILF SEYMOUR tug and her barge ALOUETTE SPIRIT downbound 7938  St. Catharines - Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3 - Viewing Platform - WILF SEYMOUR tug and her barge ALOUETTE SPIRIT downbound

The Wilf Seymour is a pusher tug.  These tugs are used to push barges.  Today the Wilf Seymour is pushing the barge Alouette Spirit.

7945  St. Catharines - Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3 - Viewing Platform - WILF SEYMOUR tug and her barge ALOUETTE SPIRIT downbound 7947  St. Catharines - Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3 - Viewing Platform - WILF SEYMOUR tug and her barge ALOUETTE SPIRIT downbound 7948  St. Catharines - Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3 - Viewing Platform - WILF SEYMOUR tug and her barge ALOUETTE SPIRIT downbound

We watch as the Homer Watson Bridge lifts so that the boat can pass through and underneath the Garden City Skyway.

7959 St. Catharines - Welland Canal Lock 3 - Viewing Platform - WILF SEYMOUR tug and her barge ALOUETTE SPIRIT downbound Homer Lift Bridge and Garden City Skyway in background 7960 St. Catharines - Welland Canal Lock 3 - Viewing Platform - WILF SEYMOUR tug and her barge ALOUETTE SPIRIT downbound Homer Lift Bridge and Garden City Skyway in background

Did you know this fact….

7964  St. Catharines - Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3

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.

7981 St. Catharines - Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3 - Viewing Platform - Tug SPARTAN with barge SPARTAN II (a 407′ long tank barge) upbound

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.

7984 St. Catharines - Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3 - Viewing Platform - Tug SPARTAN with barge SPARTAN II (a 407′ long tank barge) upbound

The Spartan and the barge she is pushing are slowly rising in the lock as water is being added.

7989 St. Catharines - Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3 - Viewing Platform - Tug SPARTAN with barge SPARTAN II (a 407′ long tank barge) upbound 7995 St. Catharines - Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3 - Viewing Platform - Tug SPARTAN with barge SPARTAN II (a 407′ long tank barge) upbound

The lock doors are opened, allowing the Spartan to continue on its journey to Lake Erie.

7997 St. Catharines - Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3 - Viewing Platform - Tug SPARTAN with barge SPARTAN II (a 407′ long tank barge) upbound 7997 St. Catharines - Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3 - Viewing Platform - Tug SPARTAN with barge SPARTAN II (a 407′ long tank barge) upbound

8004 St. Catharines - Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3 - Viewing Platform - Tug SPARTAN with barge SPARTAN II (a 407′ long tank barge) upbound 8005 St. Catharines - Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3 - Viewing Platform - Tug SPARTAN with barge SPARTAN II (a 407′ long tank barge) upbound

We watch as the Glendale Lift-Bridge begins to slowly raise to allow the Spartan to pass underneath.

8008 St. Catharines - Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3 - Viewing Platform - Tug SPARTAN with barge SPARTAN II (a 407′ long tank barge) upbound towards Glendale Lift Bridge 8017 St. Catharines - Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3 - Viewing Platform - Tug SPARTAN with barge SPARTAN II (a 407′ long tank barge) upbound under Glendale Lift Bridge

We decide to drive ahead to Lock #4 and watch the Spartan enter that lock.

8023 Welland Canals Pwy - St. Catharines

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.

8042 Welland Canals Pwy - St. Catharines - Welland Canal Lock 4 - Tug Spartan and her barge Spartan II upbound 8043 Welland Canals Pwy - St. Catharines - Welland Canal Lock 4 - Tug Spartan and her barge Spartan II upbound 8044 Welland Canals Pwy - St. Catharines - Welland Canal Lock 4 - Tug Spartan and her barge Spartan II upbound

We are starting to see the upper deck of the barge that the Spartan is pushing.

8045 Welland Canals Pwy - St. Catharines - Welland Canal Lock 4 - Tug Spartan and her barge Spartan II upbound

The GO Train passes over the railway bridge behind the lock.

8049 Welland Canals Pwy - St. Catharines - Welland Canal Lock 4 - Tug Spartan and her barge Spartan II upbound - Go Train on railway bridge heading west 8050 Welland Canals Pwy - St. Catharines - Welland Canal Lock 4 - Tug Spartan and her barge Spartan II upbound - Go Train on railway bridge heading west

The Spartan is now in full view, ready to pass through to the next lock as soon as they open the lock doors.

8060 Welland Canals Pwy - St. Catharines - Welland Canal Lock 4 - Tug Spartan and her barge Spartan II upbound 8061 Welland Canals Pwy - St. Catharines - Welland Canal Lock 4 - lock gates opening

The Spartan is now moving forward into Lock #5

8071 Welland Canals Pwy - St. Catharines - Welland Canal Lock 4 - Tug Spartan and her barge Spartan II upbound

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.

8078 Chapel Street South - Thorold - Lock 7 Viewing Complex - Kissing Rock 8081 Chapel Street South - Thorold - Lock 7 Viewing Complex - Kissing Rock

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.

8091 Highway 58 - Thorold Tunnel - an underwater vehicular tunnel under the Welland Canal. It's the longest tunnel in Ontario, with a length of 840 m 8092 Highway 58 - Thorold Tunnel - an underwater vehicular tunnel under the Welland Canal. It's the longest tunnel in Ontario, with a length of 840 m

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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