Going Down the Canadian Lock at Sault Ste. Marie — SV Freelance Ep. 20

How do you use the locks at Sault Ste. Marie (The Soo)? This episode of Sailing SV Freelance shows you how we did it, when we once again were downbound from Lake Superior to the lower Great Lakes. Vicki and I have several times passed through The Soo, both in the American and Canadian locks. Generally, we prefer the smaller Canadian Lock, because it’s so super easy to use by recreational crafts. The huge American Locks are better suited for the freighters, but you are free to use either. Incidentally, Sault Ste. Marie is an old community by American standards. It was established in 1668 by the French, making it one of the oldest in the United States west of the Appalachians. Of course, there were Dakota, Chippewa and other communities at this centrally located gathering place well before any Europeans arrived. Today, there are two cities – one Canadian and one American — of the same name on each side of the rapids. After exiting the Canadian Lock, we happened to meet a traditional Montreal Canoe, also known as a “canot du maître” (master’s canoe). These large birch-bark canoes were used during the old Fur Trade Times to carry goods on the Voyageurs’ route between Montreal and Lake Superior. You can tongue-in-cheek claim they were the first Great Lakes freighters — but because they could be portaged by four people, they didn’t need any locks to get past the rapids at Sault Ste. Marie. Satellite images by Google Earth. Music: Bicycle - Reunited by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100870 Artist: http://incompetech.com/