Docked, waiting for the bridge to rise in Port Colborne, Canada.

2.5 hours later, at 12:30 p.m., we enter the first of 8 locks on Welland Canal which connects Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The difference in elevation between the two lakes is more than 320 feet.

      

The captain positions the 35-foot boat parallel to the dock, and workers throw bow and stern lines for us to hold onto as they drop us approximately 40 feet down in each lock. One crew member stands at the beam to prevent the boat getting too close to the slimy concrete wall as we are dropping.

           

Exhilarating experience. We leave the last lock at 2:30 a.m. It’s dark and we are all exhausted. Full moon.

We arrive at our destination, Rochester, NY, at 6 p.m. after a sunny day of smooth sailing on Lake Ontario. Another delivery done.

The drive home is a rush but it’s worth it. We leave everything in the car and run down to the beach to watch the tail of the sunset over Lake Erie.

The next day I get up at 3:00 a.m. to catch my flight back to Belize. My vacation is over.