In 2007, my dad and I got up before sunrise and headed down to the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. We got there just in time to see a lake freighter leaving the MacArthur Lock. It was so exciting to see a laker so close – just on the other side of the fence!

A Need for the Soo Locks

The Soo Locks are a way for ships to travel to and from Lake Superior to Lake Huron and the St. Lawrence Seaway. The St. Mary’s River system was a series of rapids, so the Locks were needed to enable travel. The water level difference between Lake Superior and the St. Mary’s River is 21 feet. When a freighter goes through the Locks, water is either added or taken out of the lock so that the ship is either raised or lowered to the level of the waterway it’s entering.

They have observation decks overlooking the Locks. Growing up in Sault Ste. Marie, I spent many hours watching t he boats come and go through them. But on this day in July 2007, we had just enough time to get to the fence to watch the freighter exit the MacArthur Lock.

When you live in the Great Lakes region of the United States, you often see the ships on the horizon. You don’t realize just how large they are until you see them going through the Locks. It’s awesome to be so close to these huge ships that are moving slowly through the water while you stand on the sidewalk. It was better to view this ship from my vantage point on the ground because it really illustrated its size.

Ship in the Lock

The freighter was the John B. Aird, and it was owned and operated by Algoma Central in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. According to the ship log inside the Visitor’s Center, the John B. Aird was 730 feet long and was 75 feet wide.

From the upper observation decks, you can better see just how tight the quarters are for a ship of this size to enter the lock. The length of the MacArthur Lock is 800 feet, so it easily accommodated the 730-foot-long freighter. But the width of the MacArthur Lock is only 80 feet wide – that’s a clearance of 2-1/2 feet on both sides of the freighter once it enters the lock. For a ship of that size, it’s not much.

In this photograph, you can see the stern of the John B. Aird as it leaves the MacArthur Lock. The International Bridge between the United States and Canada is in the background.

The main gates close once a freighter leaves the Lock. There are several gates inside the lock that open and close as ships enter.

Only seven minutes passed between my first photograph and this last photograph. We got there just in time. I felt fortunate to have been able to see this freighter leave the lock. The sounds of a ship going through the lock was familiar to me. There are all sorts of mechanical sounds in the air, coming from both the locks and the ship. Bells and buzzers and the sound of heavy machinery and clanking gears. Since it was so early in the morning, there weren’t any other park visitors around. The only voices we could hear were the occasional shouts and calls of direction from the crews on the boat and on the ground.

Visit the Sault Ste Marie

To read more about the Soo Locks, check out this article “Things You May Not Know About the Soo Locks“.

If you ever have the chance to visit Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, a trip over to the Soo Locks is a must. During the summer months, they have boat tours that take you through the Locks and it is a whole different experience and a fantastic view!

---

Deb is a landscape photographer living in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The story behind the photographs can be found here at Beautiful Sun Adventures. Her galleries can be found at Beautiful Sun Photography. Prints are available as wall art and home décor for your home, office, or business. Or as the perfect gift for someone special!