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Panama 2004
Panama Canal area of Panama
Map of the Panama Canal area of Panama.

Left-click on picture for larger image.

Near beginning of the Panama Canal - the Bridge of the Americas

Looking toward the interior of Panama, under the Bridge of the Americas, near the Pacific (south) entrance to the canal.
 At entrance to Miraflores Locks from the Pacific Ocean

Approaching the entrance to the Miraflores Locks from the Pacific Ocean.
Miraflores Locks - lock water down

Inside the first lock chamber. The gate is closing
.		 Miraflores Locks - lock water up

Now the chamber has filled with water, and the level of the water in this chamber and the next one are equal.
Two 3rd generation 'mules'

These are the locomotives, called "mules," used to keep ships centered in the lock chamber. They are no longer used to provide forward (or back) motion; ships use their own power for fore/aft movement. The mules shown are new, 3rd generation, machines, built by Mitsubishi and assembled in Panama.
 Bob and Judy in Culebra cut. The stone was used to make some of the lock walls.

Judy and Bob on deck in the Culebra Cut. Stone taken from this area was used in the construction of the lock walls.
A typical 'Panamax' vessel (over 100 feet wide)

This is a typical "Panamax" vessel. Panamax vessels are defined as being over 100 feet in width, without regard to their length. The lock chambers are 108 feet wide and 1000 feet long. The widest vessel to transit the canal was the USS New Jersey in 1999, at 107 feet!
 Ships anchored waiting for their time at Gatun Locks

Three Panamax ships at an anchorage in Gatun Lake just before the Gatun Lock, waiting for transit through the three Gatun Lock chambers. The red-hulled vessel will join us in the lock chambers as we make the transit down from the lake to the Caribbean.
Gatun Lock, first chamber; ship ahead of us

We're waiting for entry into the first chamber at the Gatun Lock. The water in the lock chamber ahead of us has just started to be lowered.
 Same, as ship ahead starts to exit first chamber into the middle chamber. Note clearance between hull and chamber wall.

The ship ahead of us has started to move from the first chamber to the second chamber, after the water levels have been equalized. Notice the clearance between the starboard side of the hull and the chamber wall.
Ship ahead of us in second chamber; another ship has entered the east lock chamber

The ship ahead of us is now in the second chamber and the first chamber (for us) has been refilled with water from Lake Gatun. Another Panamax ship is entering the first chamber on the east side of the locks.
 Pilot and captain on wing bridge

The pilot and captain are on the wing bridge.
Panamax ship joining us at top of Gatun Lock

This Panamax vessel is only 650 feet long, and will be joining three of us smaller vessels in the lock chamber. Multiple vessels are permitted as long as the total length in the chamber does not exceed 850 feet. Two tugs helped maneuver the ship into position alongside the entry way where cables from the starboard side mules will be taken aboard. This ship did not have a bow thruster, but some do.
 Looking toward the Caribbean Sea from the top of Gatun Locks

We are in at the forward end of the chamber, rafted to a tug on the port side which is tied up to the chamber wall, and with a smaller boat rafted to our starboard side. The next chamber is visible, as is the Caribbean.

The Panamax ship is moving forward prior to entering the first chamber.

Two mules are attached to the ship forward (and one aft) on each side. Each mule has two cables extending to the ship.

Panamax ship in lock with us waiting for water to lower

Two of the forward mules are visible; two other forward mules are not in the picture, but the cables leading to them are visible. The Panamax ship is almost in position in the chamber.

The water level in the chamber has been equalized with the chamber ahead of us. Now our "raft" will break up and move into the next chamber, to do it all over again.

Panamax ship behind us; two forward mules visible, and two others are out of picture area

View from our top deck. We have begun to move into the next chamber.
 Car 'bridge' open at ocean level of Gatun Locks

As we exit the last (3rd) chamber, the car bridge, which essentially is another gate permitting one-way traffic across the top, is visible. Judy's team crossed this bridge for ten days going to and from villages where they provided medical services to the local population. They usually had to wait for a vessel transiting the lock.
Water exiting the last chamber into the Caribbean Sea

This is where the water being emptied from the last chamber enters the Caribbean Sea. Even though the gate has opened and we're on our way, water is still exiting the plumbing system!
 Exiting the Gatun Locks, heading to Colon

The three smaller boats in the lock have exited; the Panamax vessel is slowly moving forward to exit the last chamber.






Pilot boat comes alongside to take pilot aboard

This pilot boat is coming to retrieve the pilot who has been aboard our boat for the entire transit.
From the time we arrived at the first lock, until we exited the last lock, the transit took about eight hours.
The entire cruise, from dock to dock, took about 11 hours,
although some of this time was used for sightseeing before entering the first lock at our assigned transit time.


Dugout canoes on Lake Gatun

Dugout canoes on Lake Gatun north-west shore near Escobal on north-west shore of Lake Gatun.
 Dugout canoe (with outboard) and owner

Dugout canoe and her "captain." The boat holds about 50 people, and it appears to have been hewn from one tree trunk.
Dugout canoe leaving a small harbor with Lake Gatun in background

Dugout canoe departing small harbor west of Escobal
with Lake Gatun in the background.

For more information about the canal, live webcams of the canal, and a video of the USS New Jersey transiting Miraflores Lock, go to Camera