Transiting the Welland Canal and sailing to Erieau (Ep. 05)

On this week’s Wide Eyed Adventure, we depart Port Dalhousie early in the morning for one stressful transit through the Welland Canal. The weather that morning was decent but the forecast was ominous… with a number of storms cells predicted for the region. Part of the St. Lawrence Seaway, the Welland Canal is a commercial shipping route connecting Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, effectively bypassing Niagara Falls. It is 27 miles in length… with eight locks allowing ships to ascend or descend the 326 foot elevation difference between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. It allows recreational traffic, on a limited schedule. Upbound transits from Port Weller to Port Colborne are authorized on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays… but only with a confirmed reservation. You are expected to compete the transit in a single day, while giving way to any commercial ships that might cross your path. Our one-way transit cost in 2022 was $200.00. You must arrive and register with the Seaway’s Operations Control Centre before 9am on your scheduled transit day, or you will not be allowed to proceed. Tricky the first time, when you’re not sure exactly where to go. We show the exact location to check in at 02:30 in the video. We do have some experience with locks. We’ve travelled the Trent Severn from Lake Simcoe to Georgian Bay, at least a dozen times. And we transited the entire Trent waterway from Trenton to Georgian Bay… a 386 kilometer journey… back in 2017. But transiting the Welland Canal is a whole other ball game. Coming so close to monstrous commercial ships, was nerve racking. But far worse, were the massive currents generated, when filling the locks. These giant locks meant for ships up to 780 feet long! Our recommendations for upstream transits: 1. Bring at least 4 crew, more if you don't have a thruster. (3 were not enough) 2. Bring extra fenders - have at least 4 large fenders on each side to protect the hull. 3. Triple check the weather forecast. If winds over 20 knots are predicted, reschedule. 4. Book a slip at Sugarloaf marina for a rest after the transit. Lock 8 is the last lock before Port Colbourne. The lift is only 3 feet and we were told not to tie off, rather to sail slowly and the doors at the other end would open when ready. We drove as slowly as possible, in forward gear for two seconds then in idle position for five seconds. It seemed like forever, but the doors opened with room to spare. The lock masters and bridge operators are pros, and you can rely on their expert timing. Part 2 Our sail the next day from Port Colborne to Long Point was only 45 nautical miles. With light winds however, we were up early. But the leisurely sail was a welcome reprieve from the stressful canal transit. Long point is quite sheltered with plenty of protected anchorages. Keep an eye on water depth as you approach shore. On Day 3 we headed to Port Stanley, another 65 nautical miles west. Along the way we spotted a series of spectacular cliffs on the north shore between Port Bruce and Hawk Cliff. If we weren't pressed for time this would have been a great spot to anchor and explore. From Port Stanley we were headed for Erieau Marina, another 42 nautical miles South-West. And we had perfect weather… with winds out of the south west, between 8 and 12 knots right, on the beam most of the way. One thing that attracted us to Erieau Marina was its water depth. We draw over 6-feet and some marinas aren’t deep enough. No so with Erieau. Originally a commercial coal harbour the Erieau Marina’s average depth is over 12-feet. Couple that with extremely helpful staff, and incredible fishing… and we found the perfect spot to chill for a bit. If you want any tips on catching Walleye, Ponch at the Chandlery is really helpful! Music: Artlist.io