MORE ABOUT THE PANAMA CANAL

I hope you can see the huge crocodile with his jaws wide open in this photo. We saw him just after we finished our transit in the Panama Canal--maybe he was saying good bye! This is another view from the bow of the Coral Princess-container ship is in front of us in the Panama Canal--Gatun Locks

More facts about the Panama Canal that I find fascinating and for all the engineers that I know (from notes taken during the onboard lecture):
§ 1855-the railway system was built across the isthmus
§ 1881-1914—construction including both French and Americaan
§ August 15, 1914—inaugural use of the Panama Canal (the Ancon was the 1st ship)
§ 1963—24/7 canal transit began
§ 5 pilots will board the Coral Princess; one will be on the bridge, the other at the stern. A helmsman will be at the wheel the entire time. The pilots take control of the ship as it approaches the channel
§ 8 “mules” made by Mitsubishi and powered by electricity (70,000 lbs. of force) will be used to guide the ship; the ship will proceed under its own power because it has thrusters. If a ship does not have thrusters, it is pulled by tugboats
§ the Panama Canal lock system was the first major application of electrical power—it takes 1500 electric motors to run
§ There will be less than 2½ ft. clearance between our ship and the canal. The Coral Princess has a 105 ft. beam
§ The Bridge of the Americas on the Pacific side is 400 ft. high so that any ship can pass through. On the Caribbean side there is only a drawbridge. Actual transit begins after the ship passes under the bridge
§ We will be sailing from south to north (many think the canal is west-east)
§ Panama increased the transit cost after they took over the canal
§ A new set of canals/locks is being built-target completion is 2015. The original canal will remain in use. The original canal will be deepened and widened, too. The new canal will accommodate ships that are up to 54 ft. wider, 235 ft. longer, and 10 ft. deeper
§ Miraflores Locks are on the southern side—2 sets of locks (one mile). One million cubic yards of concrete was used for each lock
§ Miter gates on the Miraflores locks are the largest in the world—weigh 800 tons each. They recess when a ship passes through. Tides are more significant on the Pacific side and range from 18 to over 20 ft. / Leonardo da Vinci first conceived the idea of mitered gates for canals—it takes 10 minutes to fill or empty a lock
§ Ships are raised from 31 ft minimum to 85 ft. above sea level.
§ Security is very significant—armed guard
§ After passing through the Miraflores Locks, we enter the 9 mile “Calebra Cut” which slices through the Continental Divide.
§ Just past Gamboa we will meet the Chagres River which becomes Gatun Lake (with lots of wildlife including crocodiles)
§ Gatun Lake is manmade by an earthen dam. Indigenous population had to move when the lake was created. In 1914 it was the largest manmade lake—164 square miles. People were fearful of the dam at first because the Johnstown Flood in Pennsylvania had just occurred.
§ After Gatun Lake we approach the three Gatun Locks, still the largest and longest in the world. They are basically the same as the Miraflores Locks. However, with the Gatun Locks there was a more massive use of cement and they took four years to build.
§ After the Gatun Locks there is a short approach channel to the Caribbean
§ We will cross the French canal and head to Limon Bay.
§ The official end to the canal passing is when we pass the breakwater, first created by using “spoil” (earth and rocks) from the Calebra Cut.
§ 9 million gallons of water are used per ship/2 billion gallons per day; when the new canal is build the locks will recycle water more. The water is not wasted, of course, because it does not disappear
§ Most ships that pass through are container ships that hold 4400 to 6000 containers (each about the size of a cargo train car)
§ 3rd most common ships are auto carriers
§ Our passage on February 15, 2010 will cost about $330,000. That includes the reservation, tolls, insurance, and other charges. The least expensive passage is for pleasure boats under 50 ft.--$1200