Panama Canal
We travel, today as a seasay yet we pass through the Panama Canal. I guess, since we don't stop we call it a seaday. The trip will take us from the north to the south of the ismus of Panama. Seems odd that we will end up going east to west while we take this north-south route but the world turns as it must.
Coming from the Atlantic side we pass thru a single set of three locks, up 87 feet in total. Then we traverse the system of man made lakes using the path of the river that once ran 45 feet below our boat. We pass over towns and villages drowned when the area flooded for navigation. As we pass littletufts of tree covereed land on either side of the navigation channel,  I can't help but think those  "islands" were once hill tops.This "Ditch" stands as a monument to human engineering and effort . It cut off  sea travel of many thousands of miles,  and I  believe, months of seatime if you had to travel around the South American tip and into the Pacific Ocean. Yet, i don't know that the people displaced cared much. Our narrator brought onboard for the passage said those displaced had received replacement housing and such for their imposition.
To move nto a lock means you travel agonizingly slow. A baby can crawl faster than the boat moves. Yet, any faster could cause damage to the boat, canal and the pocket book. Once in the lock setup, some locomotives on either side of the lane attach to the ship to keep it in the center of the lock. The lock has a width of 110 feet. Our boat measures 106 feet at it's beam. We need to stay dead center to make the locks work without dmage to us or the lock.. Forward motion comes from the ship's engine. All boats going through the Canal use their own power to move. The little locmotive, "Mules", merely center the ship in the lock. As soon as we are centered and int he lock, the gates at either end close, valves are opened and water to the tune of 50 million gallans flow  into or out of the lock.  It works just like the Soo.  They work 24-7 in both directions, timing every ship movement. When you see it in action you realize the immense choreography going on.
It took an hour plus to pass through the Atlantic side locks.. Five hours .or so, to move across the lake and then the Gatun lock on the Pacific side comes into view. This lock has one step.We started at sea level, 0 feet, rose to 85 ASL. now we begin the step back down process. Gatun lock brings us down the first 27 feet. into Gatun lake. Then,  a mile distant, we meet the last two locks to bring us back down. Also we see Panama City in the distance.
Finally, we emerge into the bay that weill take us tothe Pacific Ocean. We must pass under the Bridge of hte America's  a huge span that will not cause fear as we pass under as did the bridge in Tampa. Our last information piece from our narrator before he departs for a cruise the other way, let's us know that the construction on our starboard side shows the  New locks which should be in operation next year. We had rain during our passge. during the last two locks we had clear skies then clouds quickly formed , dumped hge amounts of water, cleared up and left a lingering mist, almost as fast as this description.  So as i looked at he construciton, took pictuees and squinted, i still couldn't see the new canal, lock system or anything else. Just a lot of concrete and cranes. I trust his narative.
Out to seea for another seaday and Puntarenas, Costa Rica.