Sailing the Panama Canal - November 12, 2012

Well, today provided the main reason Jim and I came on this cruise--a trip through the Panama Canal!  It's an amazing engineering marvel, particularly considering the time period in which it was constructed (early 20th century) with the opening of the canal in 1914.  But it's also sad to think of the thousands of people who died trying to build it, mostly from malaria and yellow fever.  These diseases were conquered because of efforts made in Panama.

Having left Colon, Panama, about dawn, we were scheduled  to enter the canal shortly thereafter.  By the time we were on deck, we were in the first of the three Gatun Locks on the northern end of the isthmus.  Did you know the canal basically runs north and south--not east and west??  The way the isthmus turns at its narrowest point positions it to be east/west; therefore, the canal was dug north/south.  Pictured in the distance is Colon; notice the giant cranes.  These are used to load/off-load containers from cargo ships that are too large to navigate the lock system.  The containers are taken by rail to the other side and cranes load them onto waiting ships on the other side of the isthmus.  This is still cheaper and faster than going around Cape Horn.  The cost for the Infinity to travel through the canal was about $350,000 we were told

Our ship is rising in the first lock; notice the adjacent second lock
from which a ship has just departed and gone into the third lock.
There is a dual set of locks at each location on the canal.

We're still in the first lock but about to move into the second lock;
notice lock three further along and higher up--Gatun Lake is beyond
the locks.

Once the lock gates have been closed, a road swings into place and
provides one of very few roads across the entire length of the canal,
which is about 50 miles.

We leave the first lock under our own power--
but another ship is being led by a tug into position
to follow us.

Looking back toward Colon, there are several ships all waiting for
their turn through the locks.

 "Mules" (electric trains) are attached to the ship on both sides by cables.  The
purpose of this is to stabilize the ships during the raising and lowering
in the locks.  Ships move in and out of the locks under their own
power.  The one pictured here is on the port side.

This "mule" is on the starboard side.  They have to go up/down
the slopes as the ship moves from lock to lock and is lowered or
raised.

Look closely and you can see the lines holding
the ship in position

Gates are closing behind us on the second of the Gatun Locks.

We're now leaving--under our own power--
second lock; the other ship is about to enter
the first of the Gatun Locks.

We saw many birds in the area...

...many were in flight.

This "mule" will hold us in position in the third Gatun Lock.
...and the gates are closing....

We're in the third lock--you can see the
second lock right behind us and the other ship is in the first lock

Is there a problem with the gate???

Gatun Locks--all three of them--and surrounding area

Looking behind us, we see all three locks
as we leave third lock to enter Gatun Lake.
We have now been raised about 82 feet
above the level of the Caribbean.

A container ship enters the first of the locks from Gatun Lake.

Several ships are waiting to start through Gatun Locks.

Pictured is the Gatun Dam and Spillway on the Chagres River--
damming this mighty river is what created Gatun Lake.

Views as we cruise on Gatun Lake.

A vast man-made lake--the Gatun

The lake is dotted with islands of all sizes.

We follow a channel--notice the markers.

The channel bends and winds--neat!

Makes it close when several ships are traveling...

Terraces were built throughout the length of the canal to prevent
landslides--one of the many problems that occurred when the
canal was being built.

Villages appear every so often--most were created during the
construction period as workers' camps.

Maintenance supplies are left on the side of the canal.

A pipe line for water drainage.

Jim spends a great deal of the day reading in the lounge
where he could look out large windows.

Dredging equipment appeared periodically.

Gamboa Bridge for one-lane traffic over the Chagres River--one
of very few bridges across the canal.

El Ranacer Prison--Noriega is incarcerated here.

Pictured is the Culebra or Gaillard Cut--this was the most difficult
of the entire building of the canal because it is cut through large
 mountains.

We saw increasingly more terraces as we went through the Cut...

...and increasingly more dredging!

Our first look at the Centennial Bridge, which is part of the Pan
American Highway, and one of the few bridges across the canal.

Here on the terraces a new type of grass is being tried to give more
stability to the earth.  Look closely in the center and you will see rods
drilled into the earth.

Pictured are the rods which provide greater stability to the terrace.

Centennial Bridge over which is the Pan American Highway.

A truck crosses the Centennial Bridge on the Pan American Highway

Many more terraces around the bridge...

The Infinity passes under the Centennial Bridge

We are now approaching the Pedro Miguel Locks--notice the skyscrapers of Panama City in the distance on the left.

A tugboat guides our ship into position.

The ship we have been following enters the lock. 

Now that that ship has gone through and is
entering Miraflores Lake, it is our turn to enter
 the one lock here at Pedro Miguel.

From this lock, you can see easily on the west bank all of the
construction that is taking place.  The locks are all to be enlarged
throughout the canal system so that they can accommodate the
larger ships.  This is to be completed in 2014 to celebrate their
100th anniversary.  Our ship, the Infinity, is as large as a ship can be--
we took up the entire lock in every case.

The Panama Canal Train--originally transported workers to the
various work sites.  It now takes tourists across the isthmus.  These
are the same tracks that are used to transport cargo.

A tug follows us across Miraflores Lake--another man-made lake.

We are now approaching the last of the
Panama Canal locks--these are the Miraflores
Locks.

These workers come out in a rowboat to hand over the lines to
workers on our ship--really high tech stuff!!

On the lock side, workers are tying the lines to a "mule"

Lines are taut and we are stabilized.

This is the former Fort Clayton--now a residence and school.

And this is the Holiday Inn (formerly a building of Fort Clayton)
where we had lunch yesterday.

This is a view of the Panama flag as we begin to descend
 in the first of the two Miraflores Locks...

...notice we are below the level of the top of the lock....

...and even further here; this is as far as we
descend.

A retractable railroad bridge for trains to cross the canal.

We can see the end of the canal--and the cranes on the Pacific
side for loading/unloading containers.

Now in the second of the Miraflores Locks,
we watch the water swirl out so we descend
to the level of the Pacific.  It is only gravity
that moves water into and out of these locks.
The new locks will also use pumps.

The last gate is opened so that we will shortly move out--notice
the lines are still stabilizing our ship.  We have now descended
about 54 feet with these two locks--we're now at the level of the 
Pacific.

On the Pacific side of the canal, birds are flying....

...as well as the egret resting on the side of the canal.

Bridge of the Americas--built in 1962 but will be taken down....

...because large ships have trouble getting under it!!

Always dredging!

Back in our cabin, a last view through a spray-spattered window of Panama City as we enter Panama
Bay and the Pacific Ocean.  It took from about 7 a.m. to about 3 p.m. to cross the Isthmus of Panama
via the Panama Canal--an incredible and interesting experience!!