The Panama Canal

As the Panama Canal precipitated this trip there is a degree of inevitability that this will be a longish blog.

The geography of the canal is the first eye opener. The strip of land joining Latin and South America runs almost East West rather than North South. Strangely the Atlantic is actually West of the Pacific. (Yes it may be worth getting a map out!!) It is 51 miles long (82kms).

It was started by the French back in 1880. Due to yellow fever (20,000+ deaths) and a hopeless design – they adopted their Suez design which was all one level. OK in the desert but not in the Panama where there was basalt to cut through (in the days of pick and shovel) and significantly different tidal regimes between the coasts which would have created quite a bore! When the French went broke the Americans took over. With larger machines and locks they opened it in 1914. It is a truly magnificent engineering project.

Here is a map of the Canal which I found helpful and shows 4 discrete sections, the southern 3 (Miraflores) locks, the Culebra cut, Gatun Lake and then the 3 Gatun locks down to the Atlantic. The total lift of the locks is 85 ft.

Prior to transiting we had a day in Panama city and went to the Miraflores locks visitor centre.  This gave us a great overview of the canal (literally in the case of this picture). The original locks are to the right (two closer and one further away) and the new wider locks with their ponds (to save water) in the foreground. 

At ground level here is the first lock and in the right background the new (3 year old) wider locks.

What surprised many of us is the size of Panama City. It is in stark contrast to the towns of our earlier Latin American shore visits and more like an Australian Gold Coast with numerous high rise. Interestingly, although clearly canal charges have played their part, the the main income is derived from imports and exports.

As we started our transit early a pre-sunrise get up was required (well for some). The reward was a beautiful sunrise.

Panama city seemed to be a calling point for many birds including thousands of pelicans. They all seem to be migrating with many other birds including Frigates.

As part of the transit we were allowed out on a few of the front decks. A marvelous viewpoint (well at least before others got up!). 

The sun really picked up the spiral of one of Panama’s more noteworthy buildings.

And this is the island at the end of the causeway which formed part of the small boat harbour we used when tendering ashore.

The first structure to greet canal entrants is the Americas bridge.

Where, shortly after, is the berth of “Union” a sailing training ship which is unusual as it has four masts. The evidence for trading was then apparent with container cranes on both banks.

We locked up with a mixed cargo vessel which handled bulk cargo below decks but could also manage some containers on top. It does not look like we are aligned for the right hand lock but

shortly after were not only aligned but ready to take on board lines from a row boat (which you can just see). Apparently other ways of getting a line aboard have been tried but a 2 man row boat has proven to be the most reliable.

We were travelling through the original locks which have mules (which is an interesting term given they have never had animals helping with operations.) The new locks use tugs.

These are small railway engines that help to keep a ship in the middle of the lock by pulling on wire hawsers attached to the ships bollards.

For QE there were two mules on the bow and two aft on each side (a total of eight). They operated under instruction from the pilot with lights flashing and bells ringing to confirm any instruction. In a later lock a ship was coming the other way and the cable arrangements can be seen. Some are slack while others get tightened to keep the ship on line. The mules only help with alignment and a ship moves forward under its own power.

They must be quite elaborate affairs to be able to keep cables tensioned consistently whilst running up and down some quite steep slopes as well as different distances from the lock’s edge. They have a cogged traction system so they do not slip. However, there were some quite jarring halts when one could imagine the whole engine being dragged into the lock.

The cable arrangements were only on one side of the vehicles so the middle islands were also fitted with a turntable to enable them to be turned around.

As we moved up through the third lock the Centennial cable stayed bridge came into shot. Keep driving to the left and you can get all the way to the USA- but probably not get in!

Once under the bridge we entered the Culebra cut. This was a huge earthworks operation and material has been used for filling operations at the ports at each end of the canal. It is a narrow and winding cut with one way traffic. (Apparently Culebra means snake which is clearly appropriate.)

This is the Northern end of the Andes!

Eventually the cut opens up into Gatun lake which in its day was the largest man made lake. (It now ranks No 3.) This enable ships to pause and wait their turn to enter the cut. It contains some 5.2 cubic kilometres which is just as well as each lock ends up releasing 100,000 m3 of water. The whole system only operates thanks to the very high annual rainfall.

Although QE with all her bow thrusters and pods does not often need the assistance of tugs they are in abundance to help other vessels. Some of them clearly enjoy their work. This one played a little ditty on his horn, did a quick 360 and then replayed the ditty before moving off. A tug fly by!

Although the mules help, the fit for QE was quite tight. (She is 106 ft wide and the locks are 110 ft wide - 2 ft either side - plenty of room!). Here you can see the pilot, first officer and captain anxiously looking at how the ship is lining up. The glass floor helped. However, there were a couple of bumps and I could imagine the disappointment of the team of deckhands as they realised there was another painting job coming up to rectify the scrapes of hull on rough lock wall concrete.

Beyond Gatun locks a new elegant cable stayed bridge has been constructed – but not opened apparently as the approach roads have not been completed!

As a result crossing the canal is by a swing bridge at the bottom of the locks and can be seen in the middle foreground. 

It is a one way affair.

It appears to be propped from the bottom to enable it to take traffic loads. An unexpected final example of some clever engineering. 

After some 9 hours we left the canal and entered the Atlantic (some might say Caribbean sea). A fantastic experience which really exceeded my expectations.