June 9, 2015: Hirem Chittenden Locks

The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, opened in 1917 and often nicknamed the Ballard Locks, provides a link for boats between the salt water of Puget Sound and the fresh water of the Ship Canal, which connects eastward to Lake Union and Lake Washington. Tourists and locals enjoy watching the parade of sailboats, motorboats, tugs, barges and yachts passing through, as the locks' water levels are adjusted to allow their safe passage.  Here, we're standing on the sidewalk next to the Norsel as the crew waits for the water in their part of the locks to drop so they can travel into the next part of the locks, where the water is already down.

See how far the water level drops?

And even more!



Here's where the Norsel is headed.  Once inside this lock, the water level was raised to match the level of the slat water in Puget Sound. 

The Norsel, out of Homer, Alaska, is on its way