I visited the shipyard/museum where they built the WWII submarines.
After testing in Lake Michigan, cut off the conning towers and moved them through the canal to the Mississippi River. At New Orleans the tower was welded back on and off to war.

Superior is very cold.  Compared to Michigan.  But the shipwrecks are well preserved.  Because it's damn cold. (view via glass bottom boat tour or using scuba)

Here's how to get to the Ocean.

"sail through the Soo Locks connecting Superior to Huron and then on to Lake Erie. To get from Lake Ontario, you need to pass the Welland Canal to bypass Niagara Falls. From there via the St. Lawrence Seaway via a series of locks you’ll end up in the Atlantic"

(haven't tried it personally, but I know it's a thing)

No The Lakes did not freeze this year.  The ponds barely froze.  No pond hockey happened.

monster wrote:

 "sail through the Soo Locks connecting Superior to Huron and then on to Lake Erie. To get from Lake Ontario, you need to pass the Welland Canal to bypass Niagara Falls. From there via the St. Lawrence Seaway via a series of locks you’ll end up in the Atlantic"

Welland Canal was built too small.  Most freight gets to Europe by going down the Mississippi River.  Or by railroad containers to ships in Newark, Philadelphia, and Baltimore.  Ships using the Welland Canal are too small to be economical.
 

xoxoxoBruce wrote:

Even when it was rebuilt near 100 years ago cargo ships were the size of private yachts today. 

Welland canal was built in Eisenhower's time - early 1950s.  30 years after the Panama Canal - and not anywhere near as large.  It was built only for ships of that time.  Unlike the Panama canal (and others throughout the world) that were built for future ships.

Knowing that a nearly 00 year old canal was finally too small, Panama built a second larger canal finished in 2016.  For ships in the next 80 years.  Welland canal was too tiny when built.  From Wikipedia:

In the 1950s, with the building of the present St. Lawrence Seaway, a standard depth of 8.2 m (27 ft) was adopted.

. In 1960s, channels even into all ocean harbors were 30 feet or deeper.  To handle current and future ships of that time.

A fifth canal was proposed.  To carry Panamax ships that would be standard 20 years later.  All planning died quickly.  But then today's Americans are driven by right wing extremists who only want profits; do not want to build anything.

Right wing extremists, 15 years ago, also killed two desperately needed train tunnels under the Hudson River.  Since extremist worry only about costs - not what is needed.  Current tunnels were built in 1906.  Business school graduates somehow know we don't need any more bridges, tunnels, or canal.  Those would only increase costs.  Spread sheets and politics say so.  Only business school graduates know better.
 

Last edited by tw (4/09/2024 8:00 pm)