4/16/10 - Panama Cruise - Panama Canal Transit
Today started early with the Pilot on board about 4:45a. We obviously weren't up for that but we were up early enough to see the sun rise at a little after 6:00a and know that we were already starting the transit.
This is The Bridge of the Americas in the early morning light. The Bridge of the Americas crosses the Pacific approach to the Panama Canal at Balboa, near Panama City. It was built between 1959 and 1962 by the United States at a cost of 20 million U.S. dollars. From its completion in 1962 until the opening of the Centennial Bridge in 2004, the Bridge of the Americas was a key part of the Pan-American Highway.
One of the dredgers along the canal. The Panama Canal must be continually dredged to prevent it from being clogged with mud.
Countryside before coming to Mira Flores, the first set of locks.
More countryside before coming to Mira Flores, the first set of locks.
Susan and Mike with the Bridge of the Americas in the background
Mike watching the transit from the back deck right outside our room. We didn't have a balcony cabin but our cabin looked onto this deck and was just a door away. And, as you can see, there was nobody else there.
A white moth on the wall next to where Mike is sitting the the picture before.
It is approximately 6:45a and we have arrived at the first of the Mira Flores locks. This is called a mule. Mules are train locomotives that help steer large ships through the Panama Canal to prevent a ship from hitting and damaging the canal; they don't actually tow the ships. Lines run from the mule to the ship and are tightened on both sides so that the ship stays in the middle of the lock. Notice the two lines coming from the mule that are attached to the single line at the water level. The ship gets a line to the mule where they attach their two lines and the two lines are pulled back to the ship and attached. See the next picture where you can see the tightened lines.
Another picture of a mule. You can see how close the ship is to the mule and you can see the tight lines going from the mule to the ship. The mules run on tracks with a toothed rail down the middle to help the train climb steep inclines. The tracks run along both sides of the canal. Large ships are steered by 4 mules on each side of the ship, two in the front (bow) and two in the rear (stern). Each mule weighs 50 tons and operates with two 290 horsepower units.
The gate is open at the Miraflores Lock. The locks, which have a total of six steps (three to raise the ships 85 feet to the level of Gatun Lake and three to lower to the ocean level). Each of these steps has two lock chambers, allowing two ship to go through at once.
The gate at the Miraflores Lock is beginning to close.
The heaviest leaves weigh 662 ton; the hinges themselves each weigh 16.7 t (36,817 lb). Each gate has two leaves, 65 ft wide, which close to a V shape with the point upstream; so that the force of water from the higher side pushes the ends of the gates together firmly.
Miraflores Lock. When the gate is completely closed, people can go across the gate. The Panama Canal has a total of 46 miter gates, varying between 353 and 662 tons.
Gate at Miraflores Locks. The gates are hollow and buoyant, much like the hull of a ship, and are so well balanced that two 25 hp motors are enough to move each gate leaf; if one motor fails, the other can still operate the gate at reduced speed.
Closed gates at Miraflores Locks. notice the depth of the water in the foreground compared to the depth of the water in the other lock.
Closed gates at Miraflores Locks. These are mitered gates which all of the gates along the Panama Canal are. The mitered, or pointed shape points upstream. The pressure of the water from upstream against the mitered gate helps to force a good seal.
Another ship going through the locks next to us
Mira Flores Locks. All the lock chambers in the Panama Canal are 110 ft wide by 1050 ft long. Ships are raised or lowered a total of 85 ft. On the Atlantic side, the three steps of the Gatun locks is 85 ft; the lift of the two-step Mira Flores locks (which is where we are now) is 54 ft. The lift at Mira Flores actually varies due to the extreme tides on the Pacific side, between 43 ft at extreme high tide and 64.5 ft at extreme low tide; the tides on the Atlantic side, however, are very small.
The lock chambers are massive concrete structures. The side walls are from 45 to 55 feet thick at the bases; towards the top, where less strength is required, they taper down in steps to 8 ft. The center wall between the chambers is 60 ft thick, and houses three long galleries which run the full length of the center wall. The lowest of these is a drainage tunnel; above this is a gallery for electrical cabling; and towards the top is a passageway which allows operators to gain access to the lock machinery.
Miraflores Locks. The lake in the background is Miraflores Lake.
Workers at Miraflores Locks
Countryside around the Miraflores Locks
Terraced hillside on Miraflores Lake.
Terraced hillside on Miraflores Lake.
Terraced hillside on Miraflores Lake.
Terraced hillside on Miraflores Lake.
Miraflores Lake
Coming up to the Pedro Miguel Lock.
Coming up to the Pedro Miguel Lock.
Pedro Miguel Lock
Pedro Miguel Lock
Pedro Miguel Lock
Pedro Miguel Lock. Each chamber along the Panama Canal contains a pair of auxiliary gates which can be used to divide the chamber in two; this is designed to allow for the transit of smaller vessels — such as canal tugs — without using the full quantity of water. You can see them here.
They were originally incorporated because the overwhelming majority of all ships of the early 1900s were less than 600 ft in length, and would therefore not need the full length of the lock chamber. Nowadays these gates are rarely used; instead, small boats such as tour boats, tugs, and yachts are passed in groups.
