No question about it the observation deck at Lock 3 on the Welland Canal
in St. Catharines is a unique place to photograph ships entering, being
raised or lowered in the flight lock and then getting underway and out.
However if you're looking for a place to park the car and get up-close
and almost personal with a Great Lakes boat, above Lock 2 is one of
the best vantage points on the canal, and that's where Janice and I caught
the upbound 730' self unloader
ALGOMA TRANSPORT on September 18, 2016. See for yourself:
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Yes, like everywhere else on the Welland Canal there's chain-linked fences there too but with the right camera 📷lens or cell 📲 phone you can get a pretty decent shot.
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Bow plates on the then 37 years former Upper Lakes Shipping self unloader is showing their
wear from rubbing on lock walls over and over again. At just under 76'
wide, there's not a lot of room to spare in an 80' foot wide Welland and
Seaway locks hence the rough look on even the newest of lakers.
My better-half, Janice got this neat shot with her iPhone. Pretty ugly clouds that day.
My turn to catch her line-rubbed bow and barbed-wire fence. Some things you simply can't crop out.
She was known as the
CANADIAN TRANSPORT when built in 1979 just down the canal at Port Weller Dry Docks. Now owned by Heddle Marine of Hamilton, you can see all the action going on there these days from another neat viewing area above Lock 1.
Downbound fleetmate 729' gearless bulk carrier
ALGOMA DISCOVERY approaches from Lock 3.
Riding high in ballast, the
TRANSPORT's superstructure and twin stacks look ever taller from down below at wall level.
Powered with twin 10,000 horsepower diesel engines, the ALGOMA TRANSPORT picks up speed and veers left (or port) as the ALGOMA DISCOVERY makes her way across her bow over to Lock 2's approach wall.
ALGOMA TRANSPORT looked pretty good earlier from below Lock 2 too, eh!
