Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1171978
w w w.G r e a t L a ke s B o a t i n g .c o m 26 GREAT LAKES BOATING | Yo u r L i f e G rowing up on the Canadian lakeshore, I remem- ber being enthralled watching the lake freighters as they slowly traversed the horizon. I often wondered where they were going and what they were carrying. To see those great ships lit up at night was always a special treat. Years later, as we cruised the Great Lakes in our 46- foot Sea Ray Sundancer Memory Maker, I was finally able to get up close and personal with these behemoths. However, nothing can compare to actually being onboard one of them! An eight-day trip aboard a lake freighter was up for bid at an auction we attended. Fueled by my fascina- tion with these huge boats I was determined to win that "priceless" adventure—and we did! In anticipation of this unique experience, we decided to forgo a cruise on our own boat for the coming summer. Unexpectedly, my husband of 45 years passed away. I sold our boat and closed that chapter of my life. However, I kept my boat shoes; there was still a freighter trip to con- sider. I thought our 17-year-old grandson, Garett, would be a perfect cruising companion. So, in mid-August, after going through some strict security, the two of us boarded the Algoma Strongfield at Lock 2 in the Welland Canal. Our voyage took us across Lake Ontario and into the St. Lawrence River. We navigated narrow channels as we passed by the Thousand Islands, which were breathtaking at dawn. After completing a couple of lock systems, we sailed into the St. Lawrence Seaway. It was amazing to see how the locks operate. Some had new suction devices that grabbed the hull and guided the boat as it was lowered. In other locks the crew had to tie up with huge cables. The distance between the hull and the lock wall was very small. I can't imagine being at the helm. I had always wondered how these huge ships could enter the lock with such precision. Looking down from the bridge, I discovered that the wall leading into the lock is angled. As the ship approaches, the bow lines up on the wall and is basically guided in—it's A Great Lakes Cruise By Patricia Stewart