1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
My whole adventure, Tuesday 1630 to Wednesday 2130:
0
Tues 1530. Steve is in need of crew to bring his new CS 39.5 Brizo down the Welland Canal. Lock delays have delayed his journey, causing his crew to have to bail. He puts out the word and a text reaches me. I happen to be doing nothing.
Lake Erie altitude: 574 feet.
(Yes, the map is upside down.)
(Yes, the map is upside down.)
1
1845. I arrive at Sugarloaf Harbour Marina in Port Colbourne and board Brizo.
2
1930. Almost immediately upon my arrival, we get the word from the lock master that the way is clear, and we can head down the canal. (I brought all the luck with me. Steve has been in Pt. Colbourne for two days awaiting clearance to start downstream.)
3
We pass under our first bridge. Doing a steady 6 knots or so in the straightaways.4
We are accompanied by a 42 foot double-ender and a cruiser.
5
2120.The full Moon rises in the East (this will become relevant later).
6
A monstous laker rumbles by. Downstream traffic is what has been holding back the journey. They only have staff for one direction at a time.
7
Lock 8
Takes a half hour or so to get everyone settled in position and ready to descend.
The descent only takes 5-10 minutes.
So
much
motoring
8
This is kind of cool. A river passing under another river.
9
Lock 7 Each lock drops about 40 feet. That's almost taller than our mast.
10
Locks 6,5 and 4, are all adjacent.
11
Lock 3
12
Wed 0430 We pass under the Skyway bridge in St. Catharines.
13
Lock 2 This is Lock 2, so this is the ... seventh time I've caught lines with this guy.
14
0520 As Wednesday dawns, the full Moon that has been a baleful eye watching over us all nightlong, sets in the West.
15
And you run and you run to catch up with the sun but it's sinkingRacing around to come up behind you again...
16
They're not quite so terrifyingly huge in the light of dawn.
17
0625. Lock 1 We are at Lake Ontario mean water level.
Lake Ontario altitude: 246 feet. That's a total drop of 328 feet (about 40 feet per lock, plus whatever slope there is in the canal itself).
18
0645. Reeeeeeeeeest!
19
1015. Aaaaaaand we're up again to hit the road on a whopping 3.5 hours of sleep.
20
1045. We clear the Welland canal in 15 hours, 15 minutes.
21
We immediately set sail on a close haul, heading 345, direct to Toronto in a fresh breeze of 10 knots.
22
1400 Four hours later, the skyline is looming large. Winds have climbed to 12 knots.
23
1440 As we near Gibraltar Point, the wind freshens further, approaching 20knots. We are really giving the port windows a good washing!
Steve's foot is about four inches from the water here.
24
And there it is! 7.0 knots! just in the nick of time!
25
1550. We maneuver our way into our slip and set foot on land.
That'll do boat, that'll do.