Transiting the Welland Canal on the CSL Whitefish Bay

CBC’s Rick Mercer transits the Welland Canal on board the CSL bulk carrier Whitefish Bay.

The Welland Canal is a key point in the St. Lawrence Seaway as it connects Lake Ontario with Lake Erie, bypassing Niagara Falls. The maximum length of any vessel transiting this canal is 780 feet, with a beam of no more than 78 feet. The canal is 27 miles long and features 8 locks which elevate, or descend vessels by a total vertical height of 326.5 feet.

Total transit time through the canal is 11 hours.

The Whitefish Bay is a Trillium-Class, self-unloading bulk carrier owned by Canada Steamship Lines.  She was delivered by Chengxi Shipyard in China this past spring.  The 24,430 gross ton vessel is powered by a MAN B&W 6S50ME-B9 engine and a controllable pitch propeller.