Last Sunday the Soo Locks opened for the 2010 season. The opening came early this year because the shipping companies needed to get transporting goods and spring came early which allowed shipping to resume with minimal difficulty from ice.A good group of devoted boat watchers arrived in the Soo Saturday evening and Sunday morning to witness this annual rite of spring. The Locks generally open at midnight but this year the official opening came at 7 am much to the delight and comfort of boatwatchers.
The first boat was the Lee A. Tregurtha. This boat has a wonderful story of its past including time in World War II where she saw battle time. When she returned from the Pacific theatre, she was refitted for life on the Great Lakes by lengthening and getting ready to carry peace time supplies.
The Edwin H. Gott was one of several other boats to take advantage of the early opening day as she came up the river later in the morning.
So boat watching is in season now and the Soo is a great place to get up really close and see the boats.
