12/01

Traversing the Panama Canal. We awake to a large bay dotted with ships waiting for their turn to enter the canal. Freight has different rules to passenger (and different rates) so they must often wait a good few days before entering the system. Around 0800 we start to approach the first chamber of the Milleflores Lock, although it's almost 0900 before we actually enter it. We use the right lane here.

A row-boat brings out the cables that hook onto the electric rack-railway that controls the fine movement of the ship in the locks. The engines are called 'mules' and look like shunters, but with the addition of internal drums of cable which play in and out to keep our ship trim against the wind blowing across our bows. At one point two enormous tugs keep us pressed hard against the concrete divide fighting the wind, as the cables are secured at both ends of the ship. We then inch forwards until the mules on the other side are attached and they then pull the ship square-on and into the first chamber of the lock.

Once we're in the lock the gates are closed and the water in the higher chamber is equalised with our chamber to bring us up 27 feet. We are dragged into the second chamber and gates sealed again, so that we can then rise another 27 feet and be dragged until we sail out into the Milleflores Lake. We then sail 2 miles across this mini lake before entering the third and final chamber in the Southern / Pacific side - up another 31 foot to bring up to the level of the Gatun Lake, which spans Panama between the two lock sets, and is the majority of the Canal's 71 km path.

A conversation with a lovely Ghanaian lady, who has lived in Toronto since childhood, brings home that people don't necessarily understand locks - I guess being a northern Englander I just assume that everyone would understand, but it's fun explaining all the detail to her. We enjoy watching Sea Cloud II, a fabulous tall ship carrying just 94 passengers in abject luxury in the adjacent channel at one point.

We sail across the Gatun Lake during lunch and we enjoy a selection of pickings from our Neptune lounge on the balcony rather than going inside and missing something. We are in the last batch passing S-N today so already the ones going N-S are passing us ready to drop down through Milleflores Lock into the Pacific.

Much earlier than expected we pass others waiting patiently and are quickly allowed to enter the upper chamber of Gatun Lock, left lane this time. Here all three chambers are one after the other, so the process is quicker and in around an hour we have dropped down 85 feet in three steps and are sailing out into the Atlantic (albeit known as the Caribbean Sea in this section.) As we leave we see many ships at anchor waiting to make their passage South to the Pacific, it brings back memories of when we did it this direction in 2003. That time we had arrived late afternoon and only saw the first lock as the rest of the journey was overnight.

It's interesting to see the building work in advanced stages for a third lane, which is set aside from the two existing ones. At both ends this is being built with a much larger specification, so that the 100 year restriction known as Panamax will be extended. For now, ships can be no bigger than 965 ft long and 106 ft wide, this is going up to 1200 x 160 and better draft too, it will be known as New Panamax. In container terms it will increase the cargo capacity from 4400 TEUs (that's small containers to you and me) to 12000, a significant increase. Due to completed April 2016 there are some delays but it's still expected in this year.

Did you know that until relatively recent times, the canal was owned and operated by the USA? After France tried and repeatedly failed to build it, the Americans succeeded against huge odds and considerable loss of life, mostly to malaria. Opening in 1914 it has been phenomenally successful, and in 1977 President Carter negotiated for it's return to Panama in 1999. Contrary to popular opinion, the Panamanians have run it very successfully since then.

The Canal is very much today's itinerary so no cooking or other activities to report, we managed a teeny weeny three miles!

However it is Cellar Master's dinner this evening, so we have a ridiculously early start, some two hours sooner than our normal aperitif time! But it all worked out lovely. We bumped into our next door neighbours Brad and Carolynne who are All American lovelies, great company! Dinner is an alcohol -fest supported by food: scallops, short-rib ravioli, celeriac soup, filet, cheese, chocolate decadence cake all with matching wines, and then the Beatles in the piano bar with digestifs.

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