The Welland Canal is part of the St. Lawrence Seaway and unlike the New York State Canal System, it is a major shipping canal designed for large ships. Located in Canada, the Welland Canal runs from Port Weller (on Lake Ontario) to Port Colborne (on Lake Erie.)
The Welland Canal is for those up bound or down bound who are already in the Great Lakes or for those whose MHH (bridge clearance height) will not allow them to transit the western portion of the Erie Canal, 15.5’ (4.72 m). The Welland Canal via Lake Ontario and Lake Erie offers the only other reasonable alternative to the western end of the Erie Canal.
You should keep in mind, this is not the tranquil ride of the New York State Canal System. While the Welland Canal should not be avoided because of it's reputation, remember, that it will require some added patience and attention.
Pleasure craft using the Welland are second in line behind commercial shipping. The canal’s main purpose is to provide passage to large ships. To quote the Seaway Handbook - "The transit of pleasure craft shall be scheduled by the traffic controller or the officer in charge of a lock and may be delayed so as to avoid interference with other ships."
The Welland Canal closes in winter when ice or weather conditions become a hazard to both navigation and shipping. The canal's closing is typically during the month of December and reopens in spring generally late March or early April.
The Welland Canal is 27 miles (43.5 km) long and runs on a generally North / South axis.
NOAA Chart #14822, provides coverage of the Welland Canal and its approaches. Canadian Hydrographic Service Chart #2042 is also a good choice for Welland Canal coverage.
The Welland Canal Lock Chamber Waypoint’s in both Garmin (.gdb) and Adobe (.pdf) file formats are available for your use. This is a zipped file of 12 KB.
Welland Canal Waypoint’s - DownloadThe canal consists of 8 locks, Locks #1 thru #7 being 766 feet (233.5 m) long and 80 feet (24.4 m) wide. Lock #8 has a usable length of 1,148 feet (349.9 m) and a width of 80 feet (24.4 m). The maximum vessel length allowed to transit the locks is 740 feet (225.5 m). The total lift over the entire canal is 326.5 feet (99.5 m) from its northern end at Port Weller to its southern end at Port Colborne. The first 7 locks are in the first 8 miles (14.8 km) of the canal from the Port Weller end. The lifts of these first 7 locks range between 43 (13.01 m) and 49 feet (14.94 m). Lock 8 is a guard or control lock near the southern end of the canal at Port Colborne. Lock 8 typically has a lift of just a few feet and serves to pass vessels from the canal to the prevailing water level of Lake Erie.
Welland Canal Lock and Moorage TablesControlling depth in the canal is 27’ (8.23 m) with a maximum permissible draft of 26’ (7.92 m).
The minimum vertical clearance available is 116.5 feet (35.5 m).
The following VHF channels have been assigned to this station for controlling movement of vessels in the Welland Canal and its approaches:
*Or as directed by Canal Control. All vessels must also continue to monitor channel 14
For all vessels, 6 knots over the bottom, except in the Welland By-Pass Channel from Port Robinson to Rameys Bend, maximum speed 8 knots over the bottom.
Transit times for the Welland Canal vary slightly, but you should allow yourself a minimum of 11 hours to make the passage. In fact the most recent passage was 14 hours 15 minutes.
Crew requirements for passage on the Welland Canal are dependent on the direction of travel. Vessels upbound require a minimum of 3 crew members and vessels downbound require a minimum of 2 crew members.
When entering the Great Lakes from the Erie Canal, the decision to either use the Welland Canal or to continue west bound on the Erie Canal will occasionally have to be made. So, in an effort to outline the differences, we will set up a scenario of voyage from NYC to Buffalo, NY.
Factors to Consider:This is the first and simplest factor for you to consider in your decision making process. If your Mast Head Height is greater than 15.5 feet (4.72 m), the decision is made for you. You will have to divert at Three River Junction and make use of the Welland Canal via Lake Ontario.
Since you have reached Three River Junction (where you will have to decide which route to take), then you have already paid for your transit of the New York State Canal System. If you are forced or simply choose to use the Welland Canal, then expect a pretty large hit to your wallet. The tariff for transit of the Welland Canal is $200.00 (2009) for pleasure craft.
Another factor you must consider is how many crew you have on board. Upbound pleasure vessels on the Welland Canal are required to have (3) crew members aboard to transit. Downbound vessels are only required to have (2) crew members. If you require additional crew for the transit, the canal authority can help with names of some locals. Expect to pay around $150.00 to $175.00 for for an experienced crewmember.
The western end of the Erie Canal is pretty much restricted to a 10 mph speed limit. The Welland Canal's speed limit for the most part is 6 - 8 knots. The difference being, by using Lake Ontario and the Welland Canal you have 137 nm (254 km) of unrestricted speed available to you compared to 26 nm (48 km) when using the Erie Canal.
The weather on Lake Ontario during the summer months is generally fair with a southwesterly and westerly wind component at an average of 16 knots and wave heights of less than 1’ occurring about 50% of the time. Chances are good that you will have favorable weather for the passage, but always get a weather report prior to making your decision.
The operating day is restricted to 15 hours on the Erie Canal, while you have the ability to run 24 hour days when using the Welland via Lake Ontario.
From Three River Junction on the Erie Canal to Buffalo, regardless of the route you choose is approximately the same, 190 nm (352 km). If you are bound for the western end of Lake Erie or the upper Great Lakes, you will save about 18 nm (33 km) by using the Welland Canal.
Which is the best route?
Time:
From Three River Junction to Buffalo:
The time savings in using the Welland is 2.5 operating hours. In real life this probably translates into a savings of about 1/2 of a day.
Cost:
So, which is the best route? -- If you are in a position that you can choose which route that you prefer, the Welland Canal has the potential to provide some time savings. It will also require more money to be budgeted for your trip.
Your the Captain... Your Decision!
The latest navigational information can be found at Welland Canal System Notice to Mariners. Anyone planning to transit the canal system should check these notices for last minute information on closures and restrictions.
Welland Canal - Locks and Distances Table |
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| *This table reflects an up bound passage from Port Weller to Port Colborne. | |||
| Lock # | Type | Lift | Next Lock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Ontario - Port Weller | --- | --- | #1 / 1.58 Miles |
| #1 | Single | 46’ |
#2 / 1.54 Miles |
| #2 | Single | 46’ |
#3 / 2.35 Miles |
| #3 | Single | 46’ |
#4 / 1.13 Miles |
| #4 | Double | 49’ |
#5 / 0.14 Miles |
| #5 | Double | 49’ |
#6 / 0.16 Miles |
| #6 | Double | 43’ |
#7 / 0.50 Miles |
| #7 | Single | 46’ |
#8 / 13.69 Miles |
| #8 | Guard | 2’ - 11’ |
Lake Erie / 2.36 Miles |
Welland Canal - Lock Mooring Table |
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| *This is the recommended mooring arrangement, but is subject to change at the direction of Canal Control. | ||||||||
| Lock # | #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 | #6 | #7 | #8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upbound | Stbd | Stbd | Port | Port | Port | Port | Port | Stbd |
| Downbound | Port | Port | Stbd | Port | Port | Port | Stbd | Port |