Panama Canal Transit

Who knew I'd married a Panama Canal Cruise Junkie? After absorbing the contents of a several-hundred-page book on all aspects of the canal, Kathy was just itching to see the whole thing. During the passage, we wandered from deck to deck, inside and outside the ship, jockeying for the most interesting vantage point for that particular moment. We attended the first lecture on board in a series by a retired Civil Engineer who seems to have the Canal as his passion: he'd mention some arcane fact and Kathy would whisper "I knew that". She skipped the rest of the talks.

OK it was interesting. I don't think I'd join the lecturer in more than thirty passage through the canal, but the history, the engineering... all make for an interesting spot to pass through. Once.

I couldn't do justice to Kathy's knowledge or the book (which I haven't read) — but those interested in a treatise on the canal can look at "The Path Between the Seas" by David McCullough.

 

Selected photos (click on any image for full-sized version)

All hands on deck(s) to watch the transit Another cruise ship, ahead of us throughout the transit Ships this size are called "Panamax class", and squeeze through with 2 feet(!) of space on either side. Arrows (foreground of previous pix) gives variety of instructions Special locomotives help stabilize ships in the locks — but they don't actually tow. The water in this pix is the only space between our ship and the canal lock walls. You see the ship's rail on the left and the lock bumpers on the right. You could reach out and touch it. The gates weigh up to 745 tones but are so well balanced, they are moved (hydraulically) by only a 40HP engine, in a couple of minutes Alternative (visual) navigation mechanism