TO VIEW PREVIOUS POSTINGS USE THE "BLOG ARCHIVE" UNDER OUR PHOTO ON THE RIGHT. THEN CLICK ON THE DAY OR DAYS YOU MISSED. ALSO CLICKING ON THE PHOTOS WILL ENLARGE THEM. I RECOMMEND THAT.
Since the link with canal transit photos I posted the day we transited the Panama Canal required a Google account by you, I took the time today to put them on this post with the captions. The transit is so special that I wanted everyone to view these photos. So if you could not see them before you can now. There are over 100 photos here.
Entering the first of the two Miraflores locks
There are two lanes and the arrow shows which lane the approaching ships will go into. Also note the row boat. These guys throw the lines to our ship that will be attached to the "mules", electric tugs, that will keep us centered in the locks. There are also some on the other side of the ship.
There is a Panamax cargo ship in other lane. Each of the locks will raise our ship 27 feet each above sea level.
Nearly 27 million gallons of water escaping into the Pacific Ocean bringing the water in the chamber down to sea level so ship in that lane can enter. Same amount of water is lost from Gatun Lake on Atlantic side when ship is lowered back down to sea level. So a total of 54 million gallons is lost every time one ship transits the canal. They need a lot of rain and the rain forests down here to operated the canal.
Gates opening next to us. Hydraulic motors used to operate them. Each of these doors weighs 662 tons.
In the lock before being raised 27 feet. Note height of our ship in relation the mules next to front of the ship. On right is the visitors center where people can watch ships going through these locks.
The bulls eye is where the "line throwers" practice throwing the lines to ships. One guy is practicing now. The throwers have competitions to see who is most accurate.
After being raised 27 feet. Note the mules now.
Control tower as we move into the second lock.
Visitors center
Miraflores control tower
Now in the second lock
View from camera on ship tv
Ship pulling up in lock next to us.
You can see the lines from mules to the ship that just keep the ship centered in the lock. The ship moves through on its own power.
This ship carries grain or ore.
We have now traveled a mile across the Miraflores Lake and are approaching the Pedro Migel lock. It is a single lock that will raise us 31 feet.
They can switch the mules to other lane with this turn table.
Looking back at the Miraflores Lake.
TV view again
Pedro Migel control tower and lock doors opening on other lane.
Doors open now in fit in the walls of the chambers.
Note location of deck prior to being raised.
And position of mules prior to raising.
Tells position in feet within the chamber. Our balcony is 450 feet to front of chamber and 530 feet to rear.
Now note deck after being raised.
And position of mules after raised 31 feet. We are now 85 feet above sea level and entering Gatun Lake.
Boats used to pickup the linemen who were boarded back prior to entering the canal.
Centennial Bridge. Named to commemorate the 100 years since Panama became an independent country.
This boat picked up probably 25 line men.
You can see the Gaillard Cut now going through the Continental Divide.
Going under the Centennial Bridge
There are lights all along the canal banks as the canal is in operation 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Ships can tie up here awaiting time for them to proceed further.
These boards are used by the canal pilot to line up on and stay in the center of the canal when coming to turns.
Continental Divide
Crossing Divide now. Will be passing through the Gaillard Cut now for about 8 miles before entering Gatun Lake.
Closer look at one of the line up boards.
When the two on the left with crosses line up, it tells the canal pilot he is in the center of the cut.
Tug boat following us.
The yellow looking trees bloom this time of the year to indicate that the rainy season is about to start.
Prison where Panama's political prisoners are kept. Ex-president Noriega was kept here.
Some prisoners were out whistling at us.
Approaching Gamboa. The bridge is a train bridge over the Chagres River.
Gamboa is kind of a canal maintenance town. The dredges and barges are kept here.
This is one of the dredges. Dredging is a constant operation.
The dirt & rocks they dredge up are put in these barges.
This crane was captured by the US in 1942 during WWII. It was kept in Long Beach, CA, before finally being restored and moved down here. It is on a big barge and is used to lift the lock doors when they require maintenance.
Here you see what was dredged up for bottom of canal.
Like a floating service barge.
We will follow this "drive on drive off" car ship. It holds 3000 to 5000 cars depending on size of the cars.
Dredge in operation
Doors closing after it entered the first of 3 chambers that will lower it 85 feet back down to sea level.
Gates closed now so it will start flow out of this chamber into the next one ahead of it.
Tugs with us entering the lock just in case ship loses power and cannot steer.
Cargo ship going through the "new" lock completed in 2016.
Mules hooked up to enter the Gatun Lock. Just waiting for ship in front of us.
Not much clearance.
Large container ship coming opposite direction.
Chamber doors opening. Each door weighs 662 "tons"! Each hinge alone weighs 37,000 pounds.
Doors going into walls
Besides the container ship, I got one of the ship's cameras that records video in case of an accident. Like man over board!
Hydraulic arm of a door.
Here you can see the container ship is using its own power to go through chambers.
Just 3 feet on either side of our ship to walls. Notice height of where I am on deck 5 to where mules are. This is before we are lowered 27 feet in the first chamber.
You can see the wet sides where water was before lowering.
This is after being lowered.
After lowering
Approaching Gatun Lock control tower.
On side of the control tower
Ready to be lowered 27 feet again in middle chamber. There is a 3rd chamber for the final 27 feet but I am standing in the sun and getting hot and burnt. You get the idea of how the canal works now.
Destinations team getting selfie with sign on control tower
Looking at last chamber of the Miraflores lock on tv.
On Atlantic/Caribbean Ocean side
Looking forward from lock at Atlantic Bridge.
Crocodile getting some sun on the sandy area.
First boat picked up the canal pilot. This one picked up 17 lines men.
Lines men leaving our ship.
Canal pilot station
This is the new "Third Bridge" or "Atlantic Bridge". I was suppose to have opened 5 years ago but not open yet. They say June of this year now.
This is port Cristobal. It is run by the Chinese as is the port of Balboa on the Pacific side.
