LifeFourPointZerovideo
Downlocking the Welland Canal on a Sailboat | Ep. 7
6 September 2017 · 17 min · 4K views · Welland Canal
What this video covers
Transiting the 27-mile Welland Canal requires navigating eight locks and managing significant wind, commercial traffic priority, and strict equipment regulations. Pleasure craft must monitor VHF Channel 14 at all times to receive instructions from canal authorities, who prioritize commercial shipping.2:35 Authorities prohibit towing a dinghy through the locks, forcing crews to stow them on deck before proceeding.2:48 During the transit, boats often encounter 25-knot winds that complicate station-keeping against lock walls.15:24 When locking down, crews use provided floating polypropylene lines, often routed through snatch blocks to winches to manage the strain of the boat’s movement.12:23 Seawalls between locks feature widely spaced bollards, making it difficult for smaller vessels to secure lines effectively.14:36 The transit involves an initial drop at Lock 8, followed by a series of triple locks with 46-foot drops each.2:17 Delays for commercial traffic are common, requiring vessels to tie off at intermediate seawalls while waiting for clearance.13:41
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