Panama Canal, Part 1

I got up at 5:00 a.m., took a quick shower, stumbled about in the dark trying to get dressed without waking my mother and sister, stubbed my toe, cursed, gave up and turned on one dim light to finish dressing, load my camera batteries and walk out to the veranda. I missed the pilot boat, but there were 51 cargo ships (and one other cruise ship, I think) all waiting for a turn to enter the Canal. Go a bit farther forward and there is another fleet of midsize luxury and pleasure boats, also waiting.

Waiting your turn

More ships

As we smoothly moved to the head of the line, our 50 miles transit of the Panama Canal begins. (Why first? Cruise ships pay way more in Canal fees than any other vessel – roughly $448,000 for last April’s passage according to a Q&A with the Captain.) Mom and I went out on the bow, but being surrounded by a sea of people with no view of what’s going on, we practically raced back to the cabin. Because at 6:20 we sailed under the Bridge of the Americas.

Approaching the Bridge of the Americas

Bridge of the Americas

Hot coffee and Holland America’s famous Panama Canal buns (sweet dough with a mandarin orange slice and custard on the inside) ensured the best seats in the house. Just past the Bridge are the Miraflores Locks, the first of three locks in our transit. With a tug boat escort, we eagerly leaned over the railing waiting for our first glimpse of the locks. We and everybody else, I think! Rows of heads, hands and cameras all up and down the ship!

Breakfast – oh so civilized.

Entering the locks

Think I must have covered a half a mile running around our veranda taking pictures. There is so much going on. Men securing the ship to the mules, the mules moving back and forth, the toots and whistles, the loudspeaker announcements, birds, ships – oh I was in heaven.

Almost seems like a Lego set!

There are two “lanes” (if that’s the right term) to the locks and the view of the ship next to you is fascinating. We were so lucky to have entered the right hand lane, as our cabin is on the port side, so we got front row seats to the all the action – the mule right beneath us apparently malfunctioned. The Westerdam had to be tied down, and the faulty mule removed, and all the other mules down the line had to back up one spot and a new mule added at the front. At least, that’s what I gathered from the musical chair mule shuffle! It was pretty neat, because we got a great vantage point to watch the freighter beside us transit the lock. Delayed us about an hour, but it was fun to watch.

Freighter ahead (and above us)!

Lock gates closed behind us

In the 2nd chamber of the Miraflores Locks. Traffic behind us.

The gates are closed as we wait for the chamber to fill and raise us up.

It takes the gates less than 2 minutes to close, and less than 8 minutes for the water to fill the chamber. I know, because I filmed it 🙂

Clear of the Miraflores locks, we enter Miraflores Lake. The 2nd set of locks – Pedro Miguel locks – is only a short distance away (you can see them as you exit the Miraflores Lock). The process repeats, though faster, as the Pedro Miguel Locks have only one chamber, rather than the two of the Miraflores Locks. From the locks, you can see the work being one on the third set of locks, which will run parallel to the Miraflores Locks and allow for bigger ships.

Need bigger locks because obviously ships have left paint behind.

Work on the new locks.

The Pedro Miguel Locks

And then under the Centennial Bridge and on to the 9 mile long Culebra Cut. Saw five large dredgers as we entered the Culebra Cut, hard at work, but I can’t see how they new locks will be finished by next year. Too much still to do.