Historical/Background Info:
Exciting day as we are transiting the Panama Canal. This is our 8th time to go through the canal but I will never get bored with it. People as us all the time what our favorite cruise has been. This right up there at top of the list!!! The history and engineering of the canal is remarkable to say the least. Construction of the canal began in 1904 and was not completed until 1914 at a cost of $352 million dollars. Hard to say what it would cost today. Because of landslides it was closed and the formal opening was delayed by WWI until 1920. The French started to build the canal back in 1880, but after 22,000 laborers died from yellow fever and malaria due to the mosquito’s, they gave up. The United States stepped in to build it in 1904. The US controlled and provided the defense for the Panama Canal Zone until 1977 when a gradual hand over to the Panama Canal Authority was completed in 1999. So now the Panamanian government owns and operates the canal. (Big mistake in my humble opinion but Jimmy Carter was President then) The canal currently has a workforce of 9,000 employees and operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. I bet most of you thought the Panama Canal runs East-West. WRONG! The canal actually runs North-South.
We began our transit of the canal at 7:00 this morning. The first set of locks are the Gatun locks at Limon Bay (Caribbean Sea/Atlantic side of Panama). The Gatun locks consist of three chambers. The ship is raised in each lock by water from the chamber above it. Gravity moves the water to equalize the water levels and the ship rises. The Gatun locks raise our ship 85 feet above sea level and into Gatun Lake. This huge lake was formed mostly by damming up the rivers. The engineers had to make an 8 mile cut through one section which is called, The Gaillard Cut. Thirty million cubic yards of rock and dirt had to be excavated by steam shovels. We are sailing 23 miles across Gatun Lake to reach our next lock, called the San Pedro Lock. Here we will start our descent to sea level on the Pacific side. The San Pedro chamber will lower us 31 feet and then we will enter Miraflores Lake. From the San Pedro lock to the final set of locks, the Miraflores Locks, it is only little over a mile. So basically right back into the Miraflores Locks which consist of 2 chambers that will lower us a total of 54 more feet down to sea level again. So we went up 85 feet and then down 85 feet. The total Panama Canal transit is 51 miles and takes between 8 to 10 hours depending on traffic. Each lock chamber is 110 feet wide and 1050 feet in length which can handle the Panamax size cargo ships. There are two lanes in each lock so two ships can go through at the same time thus saving water from the lake. When the gates of the locks open at sea level, 26 million gallons of water from Lake Gatun goes into the ocean and is lost. This happens on both sides so 52 million gallons of water is used for each transit. What makes the canal work is all the rain that Panama gets to keep the lake full all the time. A new lane through the canal is now under construction with larger lock chambers so it will be able to handle the newer and larger cargo ships as well as United State’s aircraft carriers. They now have to go all the way around South America to get from Atlantic to Pacific oceans. The estimated cost of the new lane is $5.25 billion and the locks are designed to use 7% less water lost. The new lane was due to open in 2014 in time to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the canal but is now delayed until April 2016.
By the way, the cost for our ship’s transit today is about $150,000. Fares size and type of cargo ship but cruise ships pay based on number of passengers. Each ship’s company has to wire the money to Panama PRIOR to its transit. No credit cards, thank you!!
There is a viewing stand at the Miraflores Locks for visitors to come see the ships intransit. It’s always fun to wave at them as we pass by. The visitor’s center is only 20 minute taxi ride from Panama City, Panama. About 30 minutes after exiting the last lock chamber we pass under the Pan American Highway Bridge on north edge of Panama City. This series of highways is 30,000 miles long and except for a 60 mile gap you could drive from northern Alaska to southern South America.
What We Did Last Night:
What We Did Today:
This is called a "mule". It is an electric locomotive that is used to keep ships centered in the locks. 100 years ago they cost $15,000 but cost now is over $2 million. For a ship our size there are 3 on each side of the ship. Ships use their own power to move forward through the locks.
The container ship in lane next to us barely fits in the lock. The locks are 110 feet wide and 1050 feet long.
Photo taken before being raised.
Gate being closed behind us.
Photos showing the Gaillard Cut. 14,000 tons of explosives were used to blast rock from the Continental Divide. 100 locomotives and 2300 rail cars were used the dirt and rocks dug up by huge steam shovels out of the 10 mile long cut.
Centennial Bridge completed in 2004. Continental Divide is just prior to bridge.
Entering the locks.
This used to be the US military base that protected the canal.
Gates will fit into the side of the lock.
Canal visitors center
Pan American Bridge--connects Central to South America.
Passing under the Pan American Bridge
Port of Balboa on the Pacific Ocean side
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