Canal – East turned 5! Part II

The morning we went it was over cast so it was perfect for Bonnie & Mom. The Miraflores visitor centre has three observation decks to watch the ships come through the canal.

The Panama Canal is a lock-type canal, approximately 80 kilometers long, which unites the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans at one of the narrowest points of both, the Isthmus of Panama and the American Continent. The Canal officially opened its doors to international trade on August 15, 1914, and instantly shortened vessel voyage times and fuel consumption, while dramatically improving the delivery time for the world’s goods. The waterway also provided an immediate stimulus to the global economies by giving a major boost to international trade. Since that date more than 900,000 vessels have transited the waterway. The Canal was built and operated by the United States until noon, December 31, 1999, when it was transferred to the Panamanian government, in accordance with a Treaty in 1977.

The Canal’s three sets of locks, each of which has two lanes, operate as water lifts to elevate ships 85 feet above sea level to the summit level of Gatun Lake, where they cross the Continental Divide, and are then lowered back to sea level on the opposite side of the Isthmus. During these lockages, which use water obtained from Gatun Lake, the miter gates seal the locks chambers and gravity drains the water to the lower levels. Approximately 197 million liters of fresh water are used for each lockage and ultimately flushed into the sea. Each set of locks features a Control House on the center wall of its higher chamber, from which this entire operation is directed. Miraflores and Pedro Miguel Locks are on the Pacific side where tidal differences are more significant and the Gatun Locks are located on the Atlantic side, where tidal differences are minimal.

Though most vessels use their own propulsion throughout their transit of the Canal, they are assisted when passing through the locks by electric locomotives, which use cables to align the ships to avoid contact with the lock walls. The locomotives also serve to assist vessels by providing towing and braking during lockages. Working in pairs, locomotives move on rails and keep the vessels centered within the locks chambers. Depending on its size, an oceangoing vessel can require assistance from four to eight locomotives.