Day 10 – Transit of the Panama Canal South to North - Jan 12

Day 10 – Transit of the Panama Canal South to North (Thursday, 2012-01-12)

Weather: Sun, Hot and Humid, 36c+, Moderate Winds +15kmh

Today was why Karen and I took this cruise, that was to experience a full transit of the 99 year old Panama Canal. I was up at 5:00am and secured my position on the Seabreeze Deck just below the bridge on the Starboard side at 5:45am. Sun was up at 6:45am, and there was a light breeze, the sun rise over the Pacific was impressive, just remember that the sun rises in the West, just kidding, Panama is orientated in such a way that you go from the South to the North in direction when you transit the Canal from Pacific to Atlantic.

Karen joined me around 9am, just as were entering the first set of locks at Miraflores, she was part of my security permitter to be established to ensure that I had a clear view of video and pictures (690+ images, 2+ hours of video was shot).

But was even more impressive is the skyline of Panama City, population 10million, it is called the Singapore of South America. I have never seen so many high rise buildings, all over 80 stories high. There is one that is 100+ stories with a curved roof starting at 80 stories on an enjoining building and then there is the one shaped like a giant green glass brill bit, also 80 stories. Panama is set this year to have an +8% GDP growth, the place is booming!!

Our passage of the canal cost about $260,000 US$, the canal can handle about 36 ships a day, and that is due to the one-way traffic restriction in the Gaillard Cut, more on this latter. What is key to the whole operation is the electric powered tow locomotives, these run on a cog wheel tracks and can pull any size ship and stop it on a dine as well, they climb 45% grades as though they weren't there, wait for the video clip.

Because Crystal Cruises books an guaranteed passage time slot, we move right into to the Miraflores Lock ahead of the other 20 ships anchored off the entrance, our ship carefully picked our way through the gauntlet to container and cargo ships. We were met first by the pilot boat bringing on the Canal Pilot, who would take charge of our transit. Once in the lock we are hooked up to the Tow Locomotives and they take over moving and stopping our ship as we transit through the two locks. We will gain 85ft to reach the level of Gatum Lake, these are the same locks which opened in August of 1913, even the design of the electric locomotives is the same, all of this is very impressive, in fact some is unbelievable.

One more single set of locks at Pedro Migual and we are at 85ft entering the 8 mile long (one way section) Gaillard Cut, which is very narrow, and can only accommodate ships in one direction, so they have time blocks 8am to 12noon Northbound 12noon to 4pm Southbound, etc.. It works and the Cut is a problem, but to widen it now would require moving 300,000,000tons of dirt, and shutting down the canal for 10 years – not happening.

After the cut you enter one of the largest man made lakes in the world – Gatum Lake, created by building a dam with the material from the Cut, the lake is fresh water, and is replenished by Panama's 200+ inches of rain a year, it is large and impressive.

The exit into the Atlantic Ocean is at Colon, and this is done in a three chamber lock called the Gatum Locks.

It took about 10+ hours to do the transit, if one had to travel via Cape Horn at the tip of South America add +21 days to the journey, the Panama Canal saves lots of time and makes Panama a very rich country in the process.