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| Here we go again, this time we transit from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific...entering the Gatun Lock |
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| Closing the gates of the first Gatun lock basin, Good Bye to the Atlantic Ocean |
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| Instead of being surrounded by the deep blue sea, we are surrounded again by lush tropical forest |
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| Amsterdam creating a wash when exiting the first Gatun Lock and leaving the mirror smooth waters of the access channel behind... |
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| Next one in line - with a little help from your friends. To the left a stand by tug, to the right the rowboat with line handlers |
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| When closed, the locks function as a footbridge for Canal Workers. No way would I cross that narrow path dividing two deep basins, especially not with a barrel full of something balancing on your head. |
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| Don't fall in whatever you do.... |
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| One of the 'mules' keeping Amsterdam in line |
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| 82 feet higher and we are off to the Lakes... |
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| Line handlers climbing up a rope ladder on the side of a larger carrier |
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| Sailboats at anchor in Gatun Lake - awaiting their turn |
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| We anchored for two hours to kill time between locks, here are our neighbours |
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| Courtesy flags, signal flags, pilot flags, quarantine flag...everything flying up there today |
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| Local residents watching the ships float by - from their picnic spot along the terraced bank of the Canal |
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| Approaching Centennial Bridge in the Culebra Cut, one of the narrowest parts of the Channel and the most difficult to construct |
First Panama Lock was scheduled for 7 a.m. means being out on deck before the sun starts baking the ship and steaming the surrounding tropical jungle covered country, and staking out a viewing spot - at least for the momentous 'first' occasion. It does not matter to me how often I transit this one hundred year old construction, almost qualifying for a museum quality antique - I still marvel at the ingenuity, the simplicity and the unfailing reliability of this masterpiece of engineering. Everything still works, from swinging lock gates, swinging road traffic bridge, water piping system, dams to form the critical lake feeding the locks which act like giant controlled cascades at either end, control towers, or even the docking line delivery system - via simple rowboat - and gravity has not changed since the beginning of the universe.
Dividing Continents but connecting The World, that is the Canal's motto. This time around we entered at Colon, the Atlantic side port of the Canal.
The proportionate mix of salt water and fresh water changes from lock chamber to lock chamber. By the time the ships enter the highest elevation, 82 feet above sea level, the buoyancy has diminished, and one experiences the 'tropical fresh water effect', in other words: fresh water is less buoyant than salt water, as anyone who swims in a back yard fresh water swimming pool versus in a salty sea knows. Floating in the sea is easier. Hence, the Amsterdam's waterline rose one foot whilst transiting Gatun lake....that also means one foot more draft.
The new and much larger locking system, scheduled to be completed in 2014, is already facing troubles of the modern world. Delays are experienced because of concrete quality concerns - somewhat surprising, considering that the concrete of the old locks, poured 100 years ago still seems to work perfectly. The new access canal and lock construction is in full swing, and a forest of cranes reaches way up higher than the rainforest's tree tops. Work has been contracted out to a number of countries. As an example, the locks are designed and built by Italian yards, but are going to be transported and installed by Spanish companies. But Dutch, Swiss, US, German....the whole world seems to be taking part in enlarging the capacity of the oceanic connection.
One can imagine the level of security which surrounds this vital artery of global commerce and traffic. One catastrophic lock failure or dam failure (or terrorist attack) could open - literally - the floodgates and let the entire Gatun Lake drain either into the Atlantic Ocean or - via Miraflores Lake, which is too small to hold the volume of water that would flow from Gatun Lakes - into the Pacific Ocean. It is difficult to imagine, but would be a logical consequence, that the entire Lake would be absolutely drained out - not a drop or inch of water left. The bottom of Gatun Lake is higher than the top edge of the lowest locks. To bring the lake level up to minimum operating level, whatever that means, would take at least three years of average rainfall of 200 inches per year - normal right now, however, I have not heard any theories covering the potential effect of global warming.
Hi tech has been superimposed on the old structures - video cameras in every corner.
(www.Pancanal.com) for readers who want to have a look at just about anything regarding the Panama Canal...
There are electronically controlled locks (with a little real time small scale model in ever control tower), cell phones even in the hands of the 'mule' drivers (the heavy locomotives keeping docking lines tight and the ship in perfect alignment during transit)...and I wonder whether the line rowers don't communicate with their line handling buddies aboard the ships via texting or cell phone. Computer screens everywhere and high tech and super heavy duty dredging equipment working 24 hours a day - three continuous shifts. No delay in vessel transit permitted.
Millions of years ago, North and South America were naturally divided and the Oceans mingled freely. When tectonic plate movement pushed the continents together, things underwent a dramatic change on our dear planet. It is said, that the newly created 'wall' caused ice ages to come and go, the warming Gulf Stream to be formed, and the sea at the North Pole to freeze over.
The ship is full, many travellers are on the 'First' transit, many have done it several times. Snippets of conversation cover the spectrum.
This from a seasoned travelling old lady: Seen one lock, seen them all - whilst she continued her knitting and never once looking out of even a window.
A first time transit passenger commented: It's like watching grass grow.
Another was was heard asking before we entered the locks: What time do we have to be back aboard?
And another asked, whilst observing the Gatun locks, three basins side by side for multi lane traffic: On which side did we enter the lock, the one we are in now or the other one?
And another, when it was explained to her that the funny orange thing she saw hanging at the stern of a giant cargo ship is a lifeboat, just like the ones we see during life boat drill on our Amsterdam, except the boat on the Cargo ship is hanging at a perilous looking steep angle. She said: We have lifeboats? I have not seen them. I was at some kind of drill on the first day, but did not know it was a life boat drill.
And a real good one: Do we go up or down in the next set of locks?
Crocodiles - there are no alligators in the Panama Canal - floated around the port side of the ship below the first locks, whilst a couple laid stretched out on their favourite little stretch of sandy beach. A narrator, taken aboard together with the line handlers and three pilots, explained that these creatures are very territorial and very aggressive. Workers are extremely careful when they need to approach their crawling ground for any reason of repair or maintenance. He mentioned, that 'Big Daddy' a big black monster (I have seen on previous occasions) was absent this morning, and all scanning of the beaches and silty waters below did show no sign of him.
As a quick aside, depending on ship size it MUST carry at least one pilot, and up to three. Pilots are trained for nine years, when, at qualification level 9, they are licensed to take any size ship through the canal. Before they graduate, they are permitted to guide an ever increasing ship size through the locks. Amsterdam carried three pilots through the locks, two in the bow, and one in the stern - in addition to a number of canal line handlers, all ship handling employees and the 'mule' drivers are under their direct command.
All employees of the Panama Canal are Panamanian (communication is in Spanish) claims to to contrary by 'developed' countries are patently false.
The crossing was hellishly hot. Late morning, when we were anchored in Gatun Lake to await our time slot at Pedro Miguel Lock, the back pool on the ship was filled not only with water but with a good flock of Vancouverites and Vancover Islanders - who were comparing notes on rainfall back home. Most people had fled into air conditioned comfort inside the ship.
One lady fainted on the forward deck (only open for special occasions like the Panama, the Antarctic and other 'safe' scenic cruising locales) during the relatively balmy morning hours. No one knows whether it was due to heat, excitement or something else.
Staying hydrated, as one calls it now, instead of quenching one's thirst (sounds so more appetizing, instead of something like topping up water in a radiator) was definitely made easy aboard. Stewards either set up shop with a well stocked bar (non alcoholic and alcoholic) in shady nooks or drove their little carts around the decks until we left the very last dock.
By late afternoon I passed - again - under the Bridge of the Americas and Panama City gleamed in the distance - all the sky scrapers lit up by the setting sun. Pilots and Line handlers, as well as our chatty and extremely informative and interesting local narrator, left the ship. Amsterdam threaded her way out into the ocean through the last few red and green buoys (now reversed as opposed to the Atlantic Entrance) an armada of commercial tankers and carriers anchored in the bay and awaiting their turn at the locks.
Some appear to be slowly sinking into oblivion for unknown reasons. Ships have to pay their steep transit tolls 72-48 hours ahead - in cash and US Dollars One large carrier, which I saw in the same spot a couple of weeks ago, appeared to have sunk even deeper into the waters at her stern than earlier observed, her bulbous bow pointing heavenward. Security cameras watch the anchored fleet around the clock to see if anyone points their bow against the wind, has unusual tender traffic, or disappears or relocates somewhere....drug traffic control.
