Saturday, 14 December 2024

Transiting the Panama Canal

Today we are sailing through the Panama Canal from north to south, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific, from Colon to Balboa, Panama. In April 2013 I sailed through the canal from south to north on a Holland America cruise from Valparaiso, Chile, to Ft Lauderdale. At that time, the new larger Panamax locks were being built and I had some extraordinary views of the construction. 

Above Photos from April 2013 on HAL's ms Veendam

Today the Marina is using the older locks for smaller ships. This is Will's first time through the canal. When we rise at 7am we are just entering the canal, approaching the first set of locks and passing under the newest bridge spanning the canal.

Gatun Locks

The Gatun Locks (1914), are the first ones we encounter as the Marina enters the canal from the Atlantic. This set is the only three-step lock on the canal. After rising three steps the Marina will sail into Gatun Lake, which was formerly the largest man-made lake in the world. During the building of the canal, the Charges River was flooded to create the lake. Thousands of residents were forced to move to other areas. It takes about an hour to move through the locks.

View of the Atlantic Bridge (2019), as We Enter the Canal

Sailing Under the Atlantic Bridge

Preparing to Enter the First Lock

Three Steps at Gatun Lock

Charges River Dam Just Beyond the Gatun Locks

Looking Back from the Aft Deck of Marina

For the rest of the morning and the early afternoon, we sail quietly through Gatun Lake, enjoying the lush scenery and existential silence. . . 

. . . and passing an Azamara cruise ship heading in the other direction.

In mid-afternoon we reach the Continental Divide at the Galliard Cut and the Centennial Bridge.

The Continental Divide at the Galliard Cut

The Centennial Bridge

We then move on to the final sets of locks, the Pedro Miguel and the Miraflores, which take Marina down the final steps to the Pacific Ocean.

As we enter the final locks, we have a fine view of the much wider Panamax locks

Just as we are falling in the final lock, a truly gargantuan cargo ship pulls into the lane next to us:

We exit the canal under the Bridge of the Americas and sail to our berth at the cruisport on Amador, an island at the end of a long causeway from Panama City. It is about 8pm when we dock and we are ready for a good dinner after all that navigation work.