Yesterday (Friday) was Engineers Day at the Soo locks. The US Army Corps of Engineers opens the infield between the two American locks, and administrative buildings for the general public to tour. Additionally, the USCG holds an open house and allows the general public into its secured yards and on one of their ships. It is a full day affair and we took most of the day to tour all of the things open to the public and visit many of the vendors and interested parties (environmental groups, Lake Superior State University, etc). It was fascinating!
We began our day by visiting the USCG station and touring two boats, one was an instructional ship of the the Great Lakes Maritime Academy, the second was a USCG channel marking ship. We talked to students studying a three or four year maritime curriculum (3 years if you have a 4 year college degree). I asked a lot of questions regarding travel in Lake Superior and travel up and down the St. Marys River. On the USCG ship we asked about channel marking and how they went about their business. We learned channel markers are “held in place” by 10,000 lb concrete weights. The Great Lakes utilizes a summer and winter marker. The summer marker is the more typical design, geometric and angular. The winter marker is more cylindrical, shaped similar to a torpedo. Why the difference? The cylindrical winter marker allows snow and ice to build around it but not on it. From the USCG we met up with John and Angela, the couple we met in Hessel, and walked to the Soo Locks.
The US Army Corps of Engineers controls the locks and grounds around the locks. Once clearing security, we walked toward the locks and the lock gates To get to the infield you walk over the lock gates. We had the pleasure of doing it with the lock chambers empty and then filled with one 1000’ freighter. The process of locking through for these ships is a lot different than for us. For one, large steel cables serve as their “dock lines”. Men stand by on the lock edge to take a hand off of the steel cable dock line and drop it over the stationary bollards on land. Secondly, these massive ships consume the entire lock chamber! Men working the ship came out to take questions from the crowd and educated all of us. We have a far better understanding and appreciation of these ships and their role in commerce.
https://www.facebook.com/USACEDetroitDistrict/photos/a.10157338428050917/10157338430595917?type=3&sfns=mo
Temps eventually warmed to the upper 70’s and it was time for local brew. We went Soo Brewing Company and enjoyed a couple Laker Golds before heading to dinner at the Wicked Sister for some local burgers. John and Angela dropped us off at the marina at 2130 hrs completing a 12 hour Engineers Day!
Today, Saturday, we hung around the boat a baked a little on the sun pad in glorious 70’ temps. Tomorrow is laundry day and prepping for Canada Day and then Independence Day.