Panama Canal, Part One

Panama means "abundance of fish and butterflies; it is called “The Bridge of the World” because of the Panama Canal. The Panama Canal Authority has a live webcam at http://www.pancam.com/ that shows ships going through the various locks, rising through the Gatun Locks from the level of the Atlantic Ocean/Caribbean Sea to the level of manmade Gatun Lake and, after crossing the lake, being lowered through the Don Miguel Locks and then the Miraflora Locks to the level of the Pacific Ocean.

Monday, October 1, 2007

This morning, TSS traversed the Panama Canal! It was a wonderful experience and I was on deck with camera for the entire thing. I have so many photos that I hope some of them will turn out. I have a very hard time holding my camera steady, due to its shape (I wouldn’t have bought it if I’d suspected it would be a problem) and also because of the motion of the ship. However, I’ll try to record here the experience in words and photos.

Before I woke, several people came onboard for the crossing, including a Panama Canal ship captain, who guided TSS through the first set of locks, a crew of Line Handlers wearing blue shirts and white hard hats who handled all the lines for the crossing, a Canal Guide, who gave commentary over the ship’s communication system, a new Global Scholar and probably others as well. Exiting the ship at the same time was one of the two Global Scholars who’ve been with us since Lisbon.

I woke up suddenly at 6:00 AM and looked out the porthole in my cabin. I saw land! Gorgeous, green, jungly green trees along the banks of the water. I got up, went through my morning routine and was on the Lido Deck for breakfast by 7:00 (it drives me crazy that it takes me so long to get ready for the day, but that’s the way it is.).

First, I went out onto the deck on first one side of the ship and then the other, enjoying the view and taking a few photos.

View off port side (note the flat, smooth Caribbean water), 6393, 6394, 6395
View off starboard side, 6397, 6396
Then I went to the breakfast area and through buffet bar and sat at a table that allowed me a great view of the scenery on the port side of the ship. Three other TSSers joined me and we had a nice discussion about what we were seeing, our plans for Panama, Panama itself and the Canal. I took more photos during that time of what I saw from the Lido Deck eating area.

Tug arriving to help TSS into the first Gatun Lock (look below the horizontal bar) 6408View of scenery on other side of ship (blurry foreground but beautiful scenery beyond) 6411
Three views of scenery along the way to the Gatun Locks. 6415
6416
6417
After breakfast I went up to the bow of the ship. The gate usually barring the way to the front deck was open today so we could go through to see the transit of the canal as it was taking place in front of us. As we approach the first lock of the Gatun Locks, the Canal Authority guide onboard begins announcing over the loudspeaker system, explaining what is happening and describing things we are seeing.

TSS approaches the first lock of Gatun Locks 6420
A yellow ship is already in the first lock on the left, which will soon also be our lane and the gates are closed behind it. A “Panamax” ship is in the right lane, waiting to enter the first lock. Panamax ships are designed especially to be exactly the maximum size the canal can accommodate. The announcer explains that today, TSS will be the only cruise ship to go through the canal, all the others will be cargo ships, and so TSS is the “Princess today.”

The lock is filling and the yellow ship is rising to the level of the next lock 6421
Other TSSers on the front deck with me, watching the process 6424
Basic information about the Panama Canal: Panama was an ideal location for the canal to be built because it has a narrow isthmus, a mighty river (the Chagres) and abundant rainfall. A dam was built at the mouth of the Chagres River to create Lake Gatun at 26 metres above sea level. It operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Panama Canal Authority Line Handlers (blue shirts) and TSS Captain on forward deck 6425
Lighthouse on the shore 6431
Yellow ship in second lock – our turn is closer! 6437
A valve in Lock 1 is opened and in eight minutes, 26 million gallons of fresh water flows out of openings in the floor of the lock to bring the water to sea level so TSS can go straight into the lock when the gates open. The water stops flowing out of the lock.

Water in first lock being pumped out (white water on left) to bring it to our level 6443
TSS Staff Captain on Bridge, waving to us while we wait to enter the lock 6444
Panamax ship from Pyxis Line enters first lock of right lane 6447
Side of Canal, Right Lane, seen after the Panamax ship moves into the lock 6446
The Gatun Locks on the Atlantic/Caribbean side of the Canal has three locks used to raise a ship to the level of Gatun Lake and two sets of locks on the Pacific side to lower the ship to the level of the Pacific Ocean. The Juan Miguel Lock lowers a ship 9.5 meters in one step. The ship crosses Lake Miguel to the Miraflora Locks, a set of two locks that complete lowering the ship to the level of the Pacific Ocean. The oceans are at the same level (sea level). The Canal raises ships to the level of Gatun Lake and then lowers them to sea level again on the other side of the lake. Ships can cross either from the Atlantic to the Pacific or in the other direction.

Cars cross bridge in front of gate before gates open; line handlers waiting to do their job 6451
Mules (towing locomotives) are used for “towing, breaking and keeping the ship centered” in the lock chambers. Their maximum speed is 3 miles per hour and either four, six or eight are used, depending on the ship’s size. The Line Handlers attach cables from the ship to the mules at the beginning of the canal and the mules stay with the ship throughout its time in each set of locks.
Three “Mules” (Canal locomotives) waiting to help TSS’s left side through the canal three others on the right side of the Canal are also waiting. 6452
Mule yard, Gatun Locks, Panama Canal 6453
Vehicle bridge swings open to allow lock gates to open 6455
Vehicle bridge nearly open; will go flush with wall 6456
Lock level reaches ours; Gates begin to open; line handlers prepare to go into action 6457
Gates partially open 6458Gates open 6459, 6460, 6461
Top view of one of our mules preparing to help pull TSS into the first lock 6462
Water in the locks flow by gravity; no pumps are used. Gates float on the water and swing open and shut without the aid of electricity.

Approaching gates to second lock; being pulled by six mules, three on each side 6464
Mule pulling TSS close to gate locks; note level of water in Lock 2 6466, 6467, 6468
The gate behind us closes and water in Lock two drains into Lock one, raising the levels in the two locks to equal depth.

Water begins to flood into second lock to raise TSS to level of third lock 6471
Retired school bus from the US used to transport ACP workers 6474
TSS reaches level of third lock; gates begin to open 6475
Gates are nearly open; TSS is ready to move into the third lock 6479
Movin’ on in (into the third lock) 6480
Gatun Locks Control Tower, where all functions take place “with a click of the mouse” 6484
The Canal can handle up to about 40 vessels a day traveling through the locks; on this day, 41 were scheduled. In the mornings ships enter the locks from the Atlantic; in the evenings they enter from the Pacific.

Mule pulling TSS into place in third lock; note Line Handlers on land and on TSS 6485
Line Handlers in Action; note location of all lines 6488, 6489, 6490
Canal buildings, other structures and hill for mule to climb 6495
Close-up, Canal Building, “sign” and Panama flag 6498
Waiting for Lock 3 to Fill; note person crossing footbridge over lock 6502
Buveh, squinting in bright sunlight, with canal in background, while TSS rises in lock 2 6510
Gate to Lock 3 opens; notice line from front of ship to mule 6511
Building with interesting architecture 6514
Side of Canal with gate flush against it 6517
Lock 3 begins to fill 6523Ships pay for the privilege of using the canal and the price is based on weight. It cost TSS $100,000 to cross the canal! The least amount ever paid was 36 cents by a man who swam through part of the canal. I think our announcer said the most ever paid was $240,000. The largest ships that can go through the canal are naval destroyers.

Workers cross foot bridge as lock reaches highest level 6530
Gate into Gatun Lake begins to open 6548
Gate swinging wider 6549and wider 6550
TSS sails last stretch of the Gatun Locks toward Gatun Lake 6554
Mule pulls TSS to the end of the track 6555TSS Captain (in white) keeps a sharp eye on Canal Line Handler crew 6550
Lake Gatun, here we are! 6557
Tug boat guides TSS out of lock and into Lake Gatun 6562
We anchored in Gagun Lake for about 1-1/2 hours, waiting our turn to continue through the canal.

Looking back at Gatun Locks from lake 6566
Scenery along lake shore 6567
Dam along shore of lake 6570
There are plans in place to widen and update the canal over the next 25 years. Then even larger ships can go through and the country of Panama can earn even more money for its economy.