Last Canal Day of the Season

December 30th was the last day for transit through the Welland Canal this year. Over the years, the Seaway has extended the closing date from Christmas Eve to the end of December to allow vessels the chance to make an additional voyage before the locks shut down for maintenance over the winter. We go up through the canal from Port Weller to Port Colborne on the last day to remove navigation lanterns from the buoys and to position the vessel for icebreaking service on Lake Erie and Lake Huron.



Raising in Lock 1



Lock 1 offered a chance to see an unusual use for a bicycle as one of the lock personnel cycled around the lock area retrieving lifebuoys for winter storage. Maybe it will catch on at the Old Port and Lachine Canal!

Every minute of down time is used by the Seaway as they put equipment in place in advance of the shut down so that work can begin the next day. There is no room for delays as the system must reopen again at the end of March.



We did our part by helping to move some new rubber fendering from the approach wall at Lock 4 onto the 'Bull Nose' between the flight locks prior to entering the lock. The Seaway has been replacing some of the traditional wood fendering with the more resilient rubber version over the last few winters.

Lock 4 West is the first of the 'flights' for upbound vessels. Not sure what the gushing fountain is caused by though it is a bit disconcerting as you enter the lock.

Between Lock 7 and Lock 8 is a long run with only one bridge to pass under, but it is a famous one. Many people have seen the dramatic footage of the bridge lowering down on the Windoc and ripping the top of its wheelhouse off. I don't think any mariner passing under this bridge does not ponder this incident no matter how many years ago.

We finished our last buoywork of the season by Lock 8 and secured in Port Colborne for the night. Lake Erie has southwest gales forecast for New Year's Day so 2012 will come in like a lion and winter will be delayed a bit longer on the Lakes.

Bonne Annee

Christmas on the St. Lawrence Seaway

A deck load of navigation buoys doubles as a Christmas display.

Christmas is just another day on the Seaway as ships make their final trips of the season before the system shuts down at the end of December. Even though the weather has been mild; the Seaway will still close for the winter in order to do essential maintenance to locks, approach walls, bridges.

Merry Christmas

Busy day in Cornwall

The port of Cornwall, Ontario saw an unusual amount of activity today on a wet, first day of winter.

What the above screen shot from our electronic chart with AIS overlay does not show are the barges at each dock in addition to the three tugs and our ship in the middle. One barge was being used for recent work on the international bridge and the other barge had docked in the early hours of the morning to load a shipment of large tanks bound for Newfoundland and Labrador.

A very capable looking ocean going tug is standing by to push the barge down through the Seaway and then tow it across the Gulf.

But even the hard working tug crew spending the holidays towing a barge has a bit of the Christmas spirit.

Smoke on the water

Some cold weather finally descended on the St. Lawrence over the weekend. With the temperature dipping to -12C and the water temperature still a relatively warm 6C, the water vapour evaporating off the river froze in the air to form 'Sea Smoke'.

The sun made quick work of the sea smoke and within an hour it was starting to dissipate. It will take a few more days of cold weather around the Valleyfield area to bring the water temperature down to freezing so we can replace the summer light buoys with winter spars and clear them off our decks.

Then it will be off to the Welland Canal before it closes and the start of another icebreaking season on the Great Lakes.

Season Greetings

We are somewhat limited in what can be displayed for Christmas lights due to the necessity to be able to distinguish our navigation lights, but it adds a festive note for those of us who have to work over the holidays.

The 50 R's

Took in the Recycling Artists Fair at the Biosphere on the weekend:

http://www.ec.gc.ca/biosphere/default.asp?lang=En&n=9A5EB643-1

Quite a few people had taken old bicycle tire inner tubes and used them to create handbags, shoulder bags, etc.

I've seen some magazine articles about people using old inner tubes for items for the cyclist, but there was nothing really along that line at the show.

Still, it expands the idea of what is possible with materials instead of just tossing them in the recycling bin.