As an enginner Mr Ram appreciates using basic principles in design and enjoys seeing them in action. The Soo Locks at Sault Saint Marie were a perfect example of this. (See picture at end of post)
What surprised him was that so many other people enjoyed it as well. And that someone had the forethought to put up a covered viewing area.
Any motorized boat can pass through the locks for free. Commercial boats do need to pay fee at the end if the year based on the weight of cargo they carry through the locks.
About 50 people were there when we walked up. We all watched a small tour ship enter the lock going up stream. They tied off, the lock closed, water flowed in from Lake Superior, the boat rises, the upper gates opened and off they went.
Yes we had seen the entire process. Yet as the small boat left, a massive ship, the Edwin H Gott, came into view from Lake Superior.
We had all watched the small boat pass through. Yet we all stayed for the larger boat. Watching the freighter go through was like watching paint dry – in slow motion.
But we all stayed to watch because size really does matter.
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Lock operation from Army Corp Brochure
