Bob and Theresa: Panama Canal - Panama Canal Transit

Panama Canal
Panama Canal Transit!!!
Jan 17, 2020

The day is finally here!
We rose early to eat breakfast and be on deck for the transit.
As the day progressed, Rotterdam lined up and went through three sets of locks.
We learned that none of the viewing places were really crowded so we were able to move from place to place and get various vantage points.
We saw a lot, so this post will be a little longer than normal
Bear with me

We were on deck literally at the crack of dawn!
We chose the 6th deck area since it would be in shade early on.

Many ships were riding at anchor waiting in line for their transit. (Average wait is 6 days.)
Rotterdam had paid a special reservation fee of $50K for a specific time of entry, so no queue for us!

Mike and Janet chose the main deck forward

It was very hazy early. Panama City is barely visible even though it is only a few miles away

This colorful structure is a museum dedicated to biodiversity and sits on a sprit of land built out to block the strong currents across the channel

We noticed this rusty houseboat in the channel

We were soon lined up to pass under the Bridge of the Americas. Built in 1962, it connected the two land masses and for the first time.

This very handsome ship may have been one of the WindJammer cruise ships.

There is a large container service site in Balboa is set up to load and unload container ships. The containers are then loaded on a train and transported across the isthmus to another station on the other end. This is a result of the $500-900K fee for a ship to transit the canal.

Not long, even at slow speed, and the Miraflores Locks are in sight.

On the way to the "old" locks, we watched some of the super-container ships enter the new locks.

As the ship approaches the locks, in addition to radio communications, the giant green-tipped arrow on top of the blue and white building tells them the same information

Lining a 68,000 ton ship up with he canal is a painstakingly slow process, made easier by the thrusters that can literally move the ship sideways!

Rowboats are used to carry "messenger" lines to the ships. Over the years, other methods have been tried but the boats have proven to be the most reliable.

The messenger lines are used to bring wire rope (steel cables) out to the ship, two for each "mule" (tractor)

The entrance is wedge shaped with this huge tire "fender" to help any last minute "adjustments" with the least strain on the piers

Large water cannons are positioned to quickly bring under control any fires that occur

Easing into the lock

The visitor center observation level was packed!
Turns out, we were quite an attraction!

We're almost in! Note the men walking across the lock gates.

This huge crane was a spoils of war.
Germany had made three, one of which went to the US

The mules job is to gently tug the ship one way or the other to keep it centered. They do not pull the ship through the canal

Each wire rope is independent and allows maximum flexibility

We cleared by less than two feet on each side!

We're finally in the lock and the downstream doors close.

Here is a view of the spillways for water level control

That WindJammer ship entered the lock adjacent

Zodiacs are kept on the focsle for day trips

Note the turntable for turning the mules and changing them from one side to the other

Shots of the mules from various vantage points

The blade provides electrical connection

How do you keep the wire ropes from snagging when not in use?

In a few hundred yards, we've covered Lake Miraflores and line up for the second set of locks

This shot shows where we started the day, just under the bridge

By this time, we had swapped places with Mike and Janet

Tugs are plentiful to keep ships on track

We see the super-container ships parallel us in the new lock channel

Once again, messenger lines are carried by rowboat

Built in ladders along the lock walls show their age

We are soon lined up to pass under the Centennial Bridge. Opened in 2004, it gave badly needed relief to the Bridge of the Americas

Neat navigation aids - they line up when you are in the right place in the channel

The train runs back and forth carrying shipping containers

While in the relatively narrow cut, we didn't see traffic going south. Now that we are in Lake Gatun we see other ships headed south toward the Pacific

Ships with no thrusters had a tug accompanying them

We saw these towers along the banks and believe they are navigational aids

We both wore sun protecting light weight "hoodies."
Fortunately, the wind and temperature made them comfortable to wear

This is the dam that creates Lake Gatun

You can just see the superstructure of a large LNG tanker in the new locks running parallel to us

We enter the Gatun locks - a three stage drop to the Atlantic side

The opposite side of the lock was occupied by a container ship heading south (to the Pacific). Notice how high she is riding! She's empty heading back to far east.