Passage thru The Welland Canal Locks

Entry 41:

Friday, May 17th – A day of vegetation: I woke up feeling lethargic. I decided to use my leg muscles and walked a mile into town. I found a dollar store and purchased a much needed bowl for my morning oatmeals, a glass coffee mug (I had accidently melted the one I had brought for the journey!) and my long missed ‘Coffee Crisp’ chocolate bars (4 of them). I walked to the Welland Canal and met Ted in front of his Pilot House. I had made reservations for this former Canadian Bank from the 1920s for my sons’ father-in-law who was coming up to crew our passage through the Welland Locks. The Pilot House is two stories and gives a unique ambiance with two bank vaults, 4 bicycle stands on the main floor, one bedroom on the first floor, another on the second floor next to the living and dining areas and kitchen, 1 1/2 baths, a laundry room and office – all in view of the Welland Canal bridge. I found Ted to be very personable and gracious. After giving me a tour of the place, Ted gave me a set of keys and departed wishing me the best.

I went back to the marina to drop-off my purchases and met a couple of sailors. One had his 58 foot power cruiser docked a couple of slips away from Never Too Late. (I was with the big boys). He had just purchased and brought his ‘vessel’ up from Boca Raton, Florida and was going to spend the next two years in dock working on her. The other sailors’ beautiful 26 foot crab styled ketch was in dry dock. I met Marty at his boat and we had a wonderful hour long conversation.

I then walked back into town to a local taxi service and made arrangements for a return ride for my sons’ father-in-law following completion of our Welland Canal passage. That evening after meeting with Gary (sons’ father-in-law) we had dinner at the ‘Don Cherrys’ overlooking the boats in Sugarloaf Port Marina. Responding to our French Canadian waitresses’ inquiry, I informed her our intent to go through the Welland Canal locks on my way to circumnavigate the Great Lakes singlehandedly. Catching me off guard she asked me which sailboat “stick” was mine then proceeded to the bar and announced to everyone my intentions. Before I knew it I was answering questions from a number of patrons.

Saturday, May 18th – Lock Passage: Some twenty years ago I went down the locks (at the time you were required to use bails of straw for and aft to protect your boat). And up the Welland locks on my Freedom 28 sailboat ‘Jonathon Livingston Seagull”. As I don’t recall the frequency, it may have been on the hour or every three hours,, the road bridge would rise and a green light would indicate it was OK to go through to the first lock. I familiarized myself with the latest material I could find on the web and spoke with the Welland officials when I purchased the passage fare on line. I did note on the Welland website that one was to use VHF Channel 16 for “emergencies and communications” In addition, no procedure was outlined in the materials I reviewed and assumed it had remained the same. I was not the only one. Here it comes….

So we got to the bridge at 7 am. I repeatedly called in without response as I circled and circled in front of the bridge. Around 8:30 am frustrated I looked to tie up my boat in front of the Pilot House where a Pilot vessel had just left. An individual came out of another boat walked over to us and was kind enough to tell us we needed to call-in from the phone booth located a couple hundred feet away. OK, but that’s not how I remember it. He said yeah, two years ago they changed the protocol. So I climbed out unto the pier picked up the phone and immediately heard a voice. When I completed answering a littany of questions, I asked the individual when the bridge would be going up. The response and I quote, “I’m not sure, maybe around 12 noon”!

Sorry, I will continue my update when I get access to another computer….