After spending my birthday at sea – a novel experience, we were up early (not as early as some) to witness one of the world’s modern wonders. Our transit was scheduled to begin at 8am (entering the first of the locks) but by 6am most decks were crowded.
I managed to take a few shots of Panama City through the morning haze and saw the unusual sight (for this part of the world) of the sun rising over the Pacific Ocean. Well nothing out of the ordinary for Sydney siders I suppose but worth recording nonetheless.
The transit starts with us passing under the Bridge of the Americas across which runs the Pan-American Highway. We have a pilot on board by now who stays on the ship for the whole transit. This is the only time the ship’s Captain relinquishes command of his ship. All other pilots who come on board only act in an advisory capacity.
From the Pacific side the canal starts with the passage through the Miraflores Locks. The gates are the largest in the canal and were built in Pittsburgh. They have been in operation since the canal opened in 1914. The next set of locks are Pedro Miguel which takes the vessels 85feet above sea level into Gatun Lake. This is an artificial lake created by the damming of the Chagras River.
One of the reasons there is not a sea level canal, originally designed by the French, is because there are different tides on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. But the major reason was because of crossing the Continental Divide. The lowest point through the Continental Divide is where the Centennial Bridge crosses after the Pedro Miguel Locks. The route then passes through the Galliard Cut and into Gatun Lake.
Millions of gallons of fresh water are wasted with every ship transiting the Canal and it was found that additional water was needed to replenish Gatun Lake during times of low rainfall. So another dam was built on the river which created a new lake to store water and control the flow into Gatun Lake. When the new locks come into operation they will save more than 30% of the lost water.
All lock chambers are the same size – 110 feet wide by 1000 feet long. These will be widened to 180 feet wide and 1200 feet long with the new works which are already beyond completion date.
The ships are held in position in the lock chamber by mules – no, these days they don’t use the animal variety, though they used to. Today motorised mules are held to the ship by cables and they keep the ship centred in the lock. There have been many methods tried to transfer the cables to the ship from the mules, but they have still fund the most efficient method is by two men in a row boat connect the cables from the mules to cables from the ship and they are wound in and connected on the ship. You’ll see the photo.
The mules receive communications from the bridge and they are answered by a system of bell signals.
Panama City
Sun rise over the Pacific in Central America.
Bridge of the Americas
Entering Miraflores Lock
Picking up the cable from the mule to attach to the cable thrown from the ship
Just like Thomas the Tank Engine there is a turntable to enable the mules to change tracks
This ship helped provide a reference point for passage through the canal. The following photos show her position as we were moving through
Moving through the second lock she is in the left hand (western) lock.
We are leaving the eastern lock and the container ship is already well ahead and sailing under the Centennial Bridge
Now at the Atlantic locks and there is the container ship.
Again we are arriving in the locks next. In the bottom right hand corner of the photo there is an arrow which indicates which side of the lock we are directed to.
There are three locks on the Atlantic side (Gatun locks). We are entering chamber 1 behind this ship. The container we have been following is ahead of us and is already in the 3rd lock and descending to exit to the Atlantic.
Although the container ship was so far ahead she is just leaving as we come in to the 2nd lock. All in all its an amazing process. Here are some other views of the locks.
Here you can see clearly the cable from the mule to the ship
Lock gates closing behind us.
This is a view of the fresh water that is lost as chambers empty
A heron goes for a ride on a lock gate
Not much room between the ship and the lock walls
The flag of Panama
The Centennial Bridge
Bridge across the Chagras River
Quite a sizeable river
Many cranes are in use at both ends of the canal. This one named Goliath
This one named Titan but nick named Herman the German as she was used in Germany in WWII
We were in the region when the sun was directly overhead so producing the effect of no or little shadow
As the ships are lowered through the lock system, so the mules have to follow the downward or upward incline
Yes we were there!
Massive gates for the new locks
Vessels of all sizes transit the canal.
More of the canal from the land next day
I managed to take a few shots of Panama City through the morning haze and saw the unusual sight (for this part of the world) of the sun rising over the Pacific Ocean. Well nothing out of the ordinary for Sydney siders I suppose but worth recording nonetheless.
The transit starts with us passing under the Bridge of the Americas across which runs the Pan-American Highway. We have a pilot on board by now who stays on the ship for the whole transit. This is the only time the ship’s Captain relinquishes command of his ship. All other pilots who come on board only act in an advisory capacity.
From the Pacific side the canal starts with the passage through the Miraflores Locks. The gates are the largest in the canal and were built in Pittsburgh. They have been in operation since the canal opened in 1914. The next set of locks are Pedro Miguel which takes the vessels 85feet above sea level into Gatun Lake. This is an artificial lake created by the damming of the Chagras River.
One of the reasons there is not a sea level canal, originally designed by the French, is because there are different tides on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. But the major reason was because of crossing the Continental Divide. The lowest point through the Continental Divide is where the Centennial Bridge crosses after the Pedro Miguel Locks. The route then passes through the Galliard Cut and into Gatun Lake.
Millions of gallons of fresh water are wasted with every ship transiting the Canal and it was found that additional water was needed to replenish Gatun Lake during times of low rainfall. So another dam was built on the river which created a new lake to store water and control the flow into Gatun Lake. When the new locks come into operation they will save more than 30% of the lost water.
All lock chambers are the same size – 110 feet wide by 1000 feet long. These will be widened to 180 feet wide and 1200 feet long with the new works which are already beyond completion date.
The ships are held in position in the lock chamber by mules – no, these days they don’t use the animal variety, though they used to. Today motorised mules are held to the ship by cables and they keep the ship centred in the lock. There have been many methods tried to transfer the cables to the ship from the mules, but they have still fund the most efficient method is by two men in a row boat connect the cables from the mules to cables from the ship and they are wound in and connected on the ship. You’ll see the photo.
The mules receive communications from the bridge and they are answered by a system of bell signals.
Panama City
Sun rise over the Pacific in Central America.
Bridge of the Americas
Entering Miraflores Lock
Picking up the cable from the mule to attach to the cable thrown from the ship
Just like Thomas the Tank Engine there is a turntable to enable the mules to change tracks
This ship helped provide a reference point for passage through the canal. The following photos show her position as we were moving through
Moving through the second lock she is in the left hand (western) lock.
We are leaving the eastern lock and the container ship is already well ahead and sailing under the Centennial Bridge
Now at the Atlantic locks and there is the container ship.
Again we are arriving in the locks next. In the bottom right hand corner of the photo there is an arrow which indicates which side of the lock we are directed to.
There are three locks on the Atlantic side (Gatun locks). We are entering chamber 1 behind this ship. The container we have been following is ahead of us and is already in the 3rd lock and descending to exit to the Atlantic.
Although the container ship was so far ahead she is just leaving as we come in to the 2nd lock. All in all its an amazing process. Here are some other views of the locks.
Here you can see clearly the cable from the mule to the ship
Lock gates closing behind us.
This is a view of the fresh water that is lost as chambers empty
A heron goes for a ride on a lock gate
Not much room between the ship and the lock walls
The flag of Panama
The Centennial Bridge
Bridge across the Chagras River
Quite a sizeable river
Many cranes are in use at both ends of the canal. This one named Goliath
This one named Titan but nick named Herman the German as she was used in Germany in WWII
We were in the region when the sun was directly overhead so producing the effect of no or little shadow
As the ships are lowered through the lock system, so the mules have to follow the downward or upward incline
Yes we were there!
Massive gates for the new locks
Vessels of all sizes transit the canal.
More of the canal from the land next day
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