Davis and Sabin lock last use

[Guest]

The Sabin Lock is nearly if not completely gone by now. Photos I saw show only a small section of the eastern end of the lock still visible. And the construction company has already started drilling holes in the bedrock so they can excavate to a deeper depth for the new lock.

The Sabin Lock hadn't been used since the late 1970s due to the necessity of ships having to be walked along the north pier, but then being secured on the south wall when inside the lock itself. That meant a cumbersome process of switching lines from one side to the other, so by the late 1970s it was only used in emergencies.

The Davis Lock by the early 1980s was only used by the tour boats, and since ships didn't have to switch lines from one side to the other like the Sabin, it was the lock used for any traffic overflow. When the Canadian Lock at the Soo suffered structural damage in 1987, the Davis Lock was put back into operation for the tour boats , tugs, etc.

Excavated material from the Sabin Lock is being crushed and being placed in the Davis Lock, while the eastern end of the Davis Lock is excavated for a large pump well.

The new lock will encompass the footprint of the Sabin Lock and the area between that lock and Davis Lock, and yes it will have the same dimensions as the existing Poe Lock.

[Guest]

When were the Davis and Sabin locks last used? Does anyone know the last boats to use each one? Thanks.

I'm sure the answer is out there. Maybe no one predicted the last vessel through would be the last vessel through? A summary of what I could find searching through newspaper archives:

In the summer of 1980, an article said the Davis Lock will be put on standby July 13, 1980 due to the drop in traffic. At the time, the locks were handling only 33 vessels per day, down from the usual average of 45. The article said the Sabin was already closed.

A 1991 article mentioned that the Sabin was closed in 1986. And in 1999, an article said that the Davis was only open 10 AM to 6 PM, June thru September for recreational craft. I think the Canadian Soo lock was closed at the time.

Articles from 2005 and 2009 said the Davis is used only occasionally. A 2015 article said the Davis was used rarely(although maybe they were just repeating what they had on file) and that the Sabin was permanently decommissioned in 2010.

[capt Paul]

Denny, they're more than closed. They're mostly gone. And yes, they are being combined into 1 new lock.

[Denny]

I believe both the Davis and Sabin Locks are now closed and both will eventually be combined and used as the New lock at the Soo Locks eventually. The New Lock at the Soo once finished, as far as I know will be a twin to the Poe Lock with the same dimensions of 1200 X 110 as far as the size of the lock itself. Hope I have all of that correct?

[rcrvrp]

Why are they no longer used?

[shipwatcher125]

I remember seeing a Soo Locks webcam image of the Robert S Pierson downbound in the Davis during the 2008 season. Sabin was close in 1989 if i recall .

[Guest]

When were the Davis and Sabin locks last used? Does anyone know the last boats to use each one? Thanks.