Cristobal, Panama and Gatun Locks, Panama Canal
After crossing the Isthmus of Panama via motor coach we boarded the MV Sea Voyager at the Caribbean port of Cristobal. Not long after we were all onboard and gathered in the lounge for welcome refreshments a real tropical downpour began outside. However, as we pulled away from the dock about an hour later, the clouds had dissipated and we entered the pathway between red and green lights leading up to the first of the three locks at Gatun. Each lock will raise the ship about 22 feet to the level of Gatun Lake. Everyone gathered on the deck as we approached the side of the left or east lock. The large neon arrow points to the lock which each ship is suppose to use for the transfer up to the lake. Ahead of us was large cargo ship, which would go through the locks with us. This process of saving water is called a tandem lockage. Each time a ship goes up Gatun Locks 26 million gallons of water is used from the lake, so by taking two smaller vessels through at a time saves a tremendous amount of water. From the end of the lock wall came a small rowboat to catch our first line. Then cables were hooked up to the “mules” and we begin to pull in behind the large ship. Other lines were thrown from the port side of the lock and we were hooked by cables to mules on both sides of the lock. The finale of the process was the closing of the gates behind us and water flooded in to raise the ship.
Our progress was steady as we continued in each lock and rising higher finally reaching lake level. As we progressed we learned about the Canal and the engineering of it from our ship’s naturalist, Richard Cahill. Everyone was so intrigued by the process that they lost track of time. The galley graciously held dinner for us until we cleared the last set of locks and completed our journey from one ocean to the next.
After crossing the Isthmus of Panama via motor coach we boarded the MV Sea Voyager at the Caribbean port of Cristobal. Not long after we were all onboard and gathered in the lounge for welcome refreshments a real tropical downpour began outside. However, as we pulled away from the dock about an hour later, the clouds had dissipated and we entered the pathway between red and green lights leading up to the first of the three locks at Gatun. Each lock will raise the ship about 22 feet to the level of Gatun Lake. Everyone gathered on the deck as we approached the side of the left or east lock. The large neon arrow points to the lock which each ship is suppose to use for the transfer up to the lake. Ahead of us was large cargo ship, which would go through the locks with us. This process of saving water is called a tandem lockage. Each time a ship goes up Gatun Locks 26 million gallons of water is used from the lake, so by taking two smaller vessels through at a time saves a tremendous amount of water. From the end of the lock wall came a small rowboat to catch our first line. Then cables were hooked up to the “mules” and we begin to pull in behind the large ship. Other lines were thrown from the port side of the lock and we were hooked by cables to mules on both sides of the lock. The finale of the process was the closing of the gates behind us and water flooded in to raise the ship.
Our progress was steady as we continued in each lock and rising higher finally reaching lake level. As we progressed we learned about the Canal and the engineering of it from our ship’s naturalist, Richard Cahill. Everyone was so intrigued by the process that they lost track of time. The galley graciously held dinner for us until we cleared the last set of locks and completed our journey from one ocean to the next.
