July 24, 2019 - Grand Marais to Sault Ste. Marie

It is a long day from Grand Marais and it includes going through the Soo Locks, so we were up early and off the dock before 7:00am.  Our waiting for a better weather day worked well and we had great conditions.  We saw a few rain clouds and showers off in the distance, but nothing along our route.  

On our way into Lake Superior we chose to go through the American Locks due to their 24 hour a day schedule.  On the way back to the St. Marry’s River we decide to go through the Canadian Locks because there was lots of freighter traffic on the American side.  The Canadian Lock is much smaller and similar to the Canadian locks we experienced on the Trent-Severn Waterway when we did our Loop Trip in 2012.  We locked through with a mid-sized sailboat and one of the Soo Locks Tour boats.

The sun coming up just before we depart

Traveling toward Sault Ste. Marie

Some of the freighters we saw today

The long entrance canal to the Canadian Lock

A sailboat and a Soo Locks Tour boat wait for us to arrive in the lock

We have been lowered 21 feet in the lock and are now waiting for the
gates to open

Inside the lock - Fred at the stern, handling the line and
keeping the boat off the wall

Looking back as we exit the lock