So we have arrived at The Panama Camal.
There will be no going ashore today, just hanging around the ship watching. It is quite amazing really that 99 years ago they managed to escavate and construct a canal from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean. The canal is 80 km long and raises 26m above sea level. Each Lock is 32.3m wide and 294.1m long. The Sea Princess is just over 31m wide and 261m long so there is not much spare room, less than 50cm on each side. This is precision work.
The Mules, the locomotives, that hold the ship in the centre of the lock as we advance and wait for it to fill with water, each have 2 strong steel cables that they reel in or out as needed. Because of this the front and aft section of deck 7, Promenade deck, were closed off.
The majority of passengers were on deck 12 and 14. As we entered the lock at the low water level, I went down to deck 5 to have a look at the view, There was none! All we could see was the wall of the lock. Still there were some who enjoyed a cup of coffee down there.
It was quite an eerie feeling standing on deck and see the ship lifting. There are 2 sets of locks side by side and it was easier to see what was happening by looking at our neighbour. The lock gates are double with 3 to 4 feet between when they open they flatten against the wall in a small recess especially made for them.
So bit by bit we were raised to Gatun Lake 26 m up. That is 8 - 9 stories high. There were several ships that had just been lifted up or waiting to come down to the level of the Atlantic. One passenger near me said he had seen two crocodiles/alligators along the shore f the lake. There were many birds, pelicans and frigate birds and others. We passed under one of 2 bridges here, the Sentenial Bridge.
At the other end of Lake Gatun we entered the single Pedro Miguel lock to take us down to Lake Miraflores. From here we could se the tops of the tallest skyscrapers in Panama city down on the Pacific coast. On the top floor of the administration building there were quite a lot of people watching us and waiving. We also needed to negotiate the 2-lock Miraflores locks to get down to the sea again. On the way out we passed under the Bridge of the Americas.
A third set of locks are being constructed at the moment at both ends of the canal, we could see some of the work as we went past. The new locks will be much larger, 366m long and 49m wide to make room for the newer ships that are too large to fit the current size locks. They will also be deeper, 18.3m against the current 12.8. They are excected to be competed next year.
Now I know why they called it the Pacific. It has been very
calm overnight, no lullaby there. This morning there are only small wavelets,
under a foot high.
I think I got just as many pics as mum doing screen shots from the cruise cam !
entering the canal
exiting the canal
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