Ottawa and the Step Locks

The long awaited eight step locks in Ottawa were as exciting and fun as anticipated.

I should explain that the step locks are consecutive locks. When you exit one lock you are immediately entering the next lock until you reach the last lock. In this case there are eight lock doors, so we went through and up each time to reach the last, top, pool. Of course you can transit the locks in either direction and be going down in the locks rather than up in the locks as we did. Normally locks are single locks that transfer you up or down one level. There could be a succession of locks but there would probably be a short distance between the locks.

If these locks were built today they would probably have been built with only one tall lock instead of the eight smaller ones. I'm glad the technology didn't allow that back then, when they were built. It was awesome!

We traveled with two other boats in the first group going up the locks in the morning. We didn't know them. They were ahead of us in the queue waiting to lock through. We were surprised to see the public access to the locks. This would not have happened in the US. At one point a lock attendant had to request a person to move back to allow us to proceed. An advantage of the public access was being able to interact with the people. Most were really interested to know how we got there from Florida. At one point Jan had a family moving up the locks with her as she conducted a lecture on the great loop for them. Also, we were surprised how quickly we completed locking through. The lock attendants are very friendly and efficient with their hand cranks from the eighteen hundreds.

We were fortunate to dock near Average Looper on the upper canal wall. Our mooring pass allowed us to stay at no additional cost except $10.00 per day for electricity. In Canada they call electricity hydro because so much of their power is generated by hydro power plants. Most Americans think they mean water instead of electricity when they say hydro.

Our stay on the wall and Ottawa was very enjoyable. We again took a city bus tour and saw the sights of the city. Still a foreign city, Ottawa definitely doesn't have the same European feel that Montreal did.

As usual we could have stayed longer but must keep moving on.

The sunrise leaving Hull Marina for the step locks.

Really Exciting!

Entering the first lock.

Jan is putting a line around the cable to keep us in place during the lockage.

After she had the line secured I would quickly secure another line in the stern

before stopping the engines.

These pictures are taken by Mark and Jane from Average Looper. Thank you!



Navigator secure in the first lock waiting for two other boats to enter.

Here we are together ready to begin the long awaited experience.

The last boat entering with us.

After all the boats are secured in the lock they begin closing the doors with these hand cranks.

There are cranks on both sides of the locks.

I noticed they all had their free hand on the middle of the crank shaft.

My guess is so they didn't get their hand in the gears.

The other set of cranks are to open and close the water gates to raise 

or lower the water level in the lock.



Here you can see us in the lock with another group of boats right behind us.

Here we have moved into the next lock waiting for the last boat to move also. You can see by the water line how much we move up in each lockage.

When the lock is full it spills over into the next lower lock to fill it for another lockage.

Great Loop Seminar 101 by Jan.

Here's Jan with the tourists.

It isn't easy to tell who is more interested in talking.

You wouldn't ever have this opportunity to be so close to the boats 

and interact with each other in the U S.

They even allow people to walk across the gates when they are closed.

Several people carried bicycles across the gates.

We are about to exit the last lock and into the upper pool.

Here we are are getting prepared to dock along the canal wall

next to Average Looper.

The step locks from the upper bridge in the evening after they are closed for the day.

The Fairmont Chateau Hotel is right next to the step locks.

Built in 1912 with 429 rooms to promote tourism by the railroad.

The picture was taken on the tour bus's open top deck.

It was a newer version of a London bus.

This is outside of the Prime Ministers residence.

The Bobbies aren't allowed to move.

Changing of the Guard at Parliament.

They march for quite a distance all the while playing their instruments.

Sometimes they play bagpipes. Must be another unit.

Again, the access in Canada is unbelievable for tourists.

We wouldn't get this close in the U S.

A policeman showed everyone where the guard would pass 

and encouraged all of us to move right up to the line.

Their ceremony needed some explanation and lasted quite some time..

This government building is across the street from the Fairmont hotel.

A beautiful building that we walked past to go down to the canal and Navigator.

On the bus tour we saw this hydroelectric dam.

They have them all over. 

The water powers the turbines and is simply returned to the river to be used over and over again.

Pretty efficient in my opinion.

We were told that they now generate more power with nuclear energy than hydro.

Much of their power is sold to the U S.

The inside of Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica in Ottawa.

The Rideau Canal is next.

It's pronounced Redough like re in repeat and dough like bread dough.

Until next time---