The boats float into a lock, which looks like a pool with big metal doors on either side. The doors come down and then the water level in the lock is either pumped in or out to equal the height of the river on the other side of the door. In other words, it is like a giant wet elevator!
I grew up in Gloucester, Massachusetts. If you look up Gloucester on a map, you will see that it is on the coast. Growing up on the coast, I spent a lot of time on boats of different shapes and sizes. While I have spent time on boats in the ocean, I've never been on a river boat. When the Amadeus Brilliant set sail from Strasbourg, we encountered a lock in the first few hours on the Rhine River. This lock went down a lot and we were surrounded by four other ships. It really did feel like being on a giant, wet elevator. The lock doors were massive, which made me feel like I was at a theme park like Disneyland. We have since gone through other locks on the Rhine and the Moselle, and each one has felt pretty amazing. Imagine getting onto an elevator that can hold multiple vehicles that are hundreds of feet long. That's a big elevator! This makes me appreciate all the people who designed and built it, as well as those who operate and maintain it now.
This way of getting around is connected to the environment because it helps boats get up and down the river safely. When the river changes elevation, the lock allows the ship to sail in, go up or down to match the height on the other side, and then sail away. Check out all the photos from our Travel Club members!
