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It's that time of year, when the snowbirds head north for the summer. A good number of boats that call South Florida home during the winter take a long cruise home. Some of them make the passage between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario… through the Welland Canal.

The Welland Canal is one of the world's greatest man made wonders. Although not as well known as the ancient Egyptian pyramids or as famous as it's neighbouring natural wonder Niagara Falls, the Welland Canal can is still an amazing accomplishment. It was originally constructed in 1829 to link Lake Erie with Lake Ontario and offer ships a safe detour around Niagara Falls.

The Welland Canal is located in the Niagara region of Ontario, Canada between two of North America's Great Lakes, Lake Ontario (74.98 meters above sea level) and Lake Erie (174.34 meters above sea level). The Welland Canal is a vital link in the St. Lawrence Seaway passage from the Atlantic Ocean to midwestern Canada and the United States.

Here are some stats...

1. The canal is about 43.4 kilometers in length and includes seven lift locks and one guard lock that bring ocean and lake vessels up 99.36 meters from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie.

2. It takes eight hours and twenty minutes without any delays such as traffic, fog, snow, wind etc. to get from one end to the other.

3. It takes 33 minutes for a ship to enter, raise, lower and depart from each lock.

4. It takes 94.5 million litres to fill up one lock.

5. The system operates by using gravity to move water from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. Besides the lock gates, on the walls at either end of the lock are large valves, which open to allow water to flow through tunnels in the walls and into or out of the lock. Water enters from the 'reach' above the lock and the 'pondage' which serves as a reservoir. Water is emptied into the 'reach' below the lock and flows to the next lock.

6. Lift Locks are 859 ft. long x 80 ft. wide x 81.5 ft. deep.

To give you a geographic perspective, here is a map...

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Entrance to the Welland Canal...

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Welland's Longest Lock...

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St. Catherine's lock...

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Lock #7 at Thorold...

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The skyway bridge...

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Dry Docks at St. Catherine's...

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A very different type of drawbridge. This is the Main Street bridge. It raises and lowers the vertical distance of a freightor's mast and more...

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The following images are provided by Yachtforums member "Rodger", who has been kind enough to share images of a few of the more notable yachts that pass through the Welland Canal. From time-to-time, we'll update this thread with new images as they come available.

The first is Burger's Go Fourth, which has made the passage many times. It is docked in Delray Beach, Florida during the winter months.

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A picture taken from the stern of Go Fourth while "in-lock"...

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This Sunseeker gives you an example of "riding the wall" during the filling process...

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Arriving with fenders deployed...

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This is Palmer Johnson's "Unity"...

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Proceeding to the entrance...

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And entering the lock...