Going Down the BIG Lock at the Soo - Sailing SV Freelance Ep. 28

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Taking a sailboat down the American Locks at Sault Ste. Marie (The Soo) is always a grand adventure. They are not only an important shipping link between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes, but also a popular tourist attraction. People come from all over to see the huge freighters and smaller vessels lock through. So, when you’re taking your own boat through here, it’s usually done with an audience.
The sheer size of the American Locks is impressive. The recreational traffic uses the smaller MacArthur Lock, which is 800-feet (240 m) long and situated closest to the visitors’ stand. However, while it certainly is BIG, Vicki and I find it quite easy to use by a two-handed crew.
We have previously posted a RU-vid video (Going Down the Canadian Lock at Sault Ste. Marie - SV Freelance Ep. 20) about how to go through the much smaller Canadian Lock at Sault Ste. Marie. That lock is operated as a historic site by Parks Canada, and is even easier to use for recreational boats than the bigger MacArthur Lock.
Satellite images by Google Earth.

Опубликовано:

30 сен 2024

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Комментарии : 9

@samuelaho4046 3 дня назад

Was so nice to meet you this summer.

@paulzadel8132 День назад

Nice video and very informative. I've only use the Canadian locks, so it is nice to see the US locks are a great option for 24 hour service.

@NielsJensenSailingSVFreelance День назад

Thanks. The Canadian lock is nice, but it's good to have a choice.

@mudog65 3 дня назад

Interesting contribution to travel around the lakes. The commercial fleets give a good indication of the massive amount of trade passing through the lakes every summer.

@NielsJensenSailingSVFreelance 3 дня назад

Thanks! The commercial shipping on the Great Lakes is indeed massive. It's said that in some years more shipping by tonnage goes through the Soo Locks than through the Suez and Panama canals combined, even with the fewer months they freighters can use Lake Superior.

@johnpeterson3299 3 дня назад

This was a fun video to watch! This is one of your best videos. The images were excellent and the length was just right. Thanks for posting.

@NielsJensenSailingSVFreelance 2 дня назад

Glad you enjoyed it!

@boomerantics9586 3 дня назад

As always, great video! Too late to help guide us this year but we referenced your other video just before going up through the Canadian canal on our way up. We came back down through the American locks (MacArthur) for the experience. We were lucky as we were alone and the lock was ready when we arrived. The one thing that surprised us was the relatively small diameter & stretchy nylon line furnished by the lock. We had a pretty good breeze blowing right up the lock which, combined with nature of the lines and one almost too short at the bow, made it a bit of a challenge to both handle lines and push off with the boat hooks. Gloves would definitely have helped and we’ll be sure to wear them the next time. Thanks for posting and fair winds!

@NielsJensenSailingSVFreelance 3 дня назад

Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. And yes, the lines do seem a little small for the job.