My day on the Panama Canal

Doesn't time fly, well just a week ago I was sat in the sun going through the Panama Canal, and today I am back in work!

I did say in my blog about the canal on 30th January that I would try to get some photo's up when I got back, so before I write a review of the cruise I thought I would give you a quick review of my shore excursion.

So as a port Colon Panama does not have a massive amount going for it, well last Sunday about 80% of the passengers on Celebrity Equinox were in the Theatre trying to get away on an excursion of 1 kind or another, with approximately 450 people travelling to canal to do the same excursion as us.


So first by coach, and there were 10 of them, taken to the Dredging division of the Canal just before the start of the Gailard Cut. Then we went through the Pedro Migel and Miraflores locks to the Pacific Ocean, before returning to Colon by coach.

With so many people we were on 2 smaller trip boats, we got the best of the 2, early 20th Century boat with about 75 people on board - the Isalmorada.  A bit of history, she was once owned by Al Capone and used to run alcholol from Cuba in the prohibition!

Not only was the boat excellent, so was our guide, Uncle Marty, a Panamanian with a smooth American accent who was a mine of useful information about the boat, the canal and many other things during the day. In fact did you know, that the original plans were for smaller locks but were changed to allow 2 boats then being built to get through, an American warship, the Pennsylvania and an early cruise ship that never actually made it, the Titanic!

So if you have been on a canal or even a river cruise the locks work in the same way to change the level of water and raise or lower the ship it is just the size which is so different. Its strange to see an Ocean going cargo ship moving through the landscape!

So just a few photos:-

A car transporter in the Pedro Migel Locks

The next few photos show the opening of the Miraflores locks, notice the double doors in the first stage then the bottom door opening to the Pacific side.

The interesting thing, as the last door opens saltwater from the Pacific meets freshwater from the canal and is an excellent feeding place for Pelicans. 2 spotted waiting for the gates to open and get their rich pickings!

The canal has been operating for nearly 100 years, and when that milestone is reached the new locks they are now building will allow larger ships to use the Canal. Panama is spending nearly US$5 billion and you can just see the construction work close to the Pacific locks.

If you want to be geeky, well we all do at times, why not follow the link to the live webcams on the canal.

So was it worth it? I think so and the bonus for me was that being on a small boat we got to see the locks and see some of the feats of engineering that brought this place to life. An excellent day out.

Another Port of call, Panama Canal

So another in my short series of Port reviews, and as we are currently in the 'Caribbean Season' I thought it would be worth looking at the Panama Canal - this is one of the Man Made Wonders of the world, and a place that many of my customers want to visit.

Why not read my Port review of Santorini, click here.

In 1914 the Panama Canal joined the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, changing international trade forever. The 50 mile-long pathway through the Isthmus of Panama created a significant shortcut for ships that previously had to make the perilous journey around the southern tip of South America.

 

So lets have a few facts first-

1. The United States uses the canal the most, followed by China, Japan, Chile and North Korea.
2. Early planners of the canal wisely thought ahead, anticipating that the width of cargo ships would probably increase in the future. However, modern-day cargo ship widths in general are now exceeding that so-called “Panamax” benchmark, thus there are strict limits on which ships can fit through the locks. An expansion to double the waterway’s capacity is set to be completed in 2014.
3. The Canal transports 4 percent of world trade and 16 percent of total U.S.-borne trade.
4. In 1928 American adventurer Richard Halliburton swam the length of the Panama Canal. All vessels crossing the canal must pay a toll based on their weight, and Halliburton was no different. His rate? A whopping 36 cents.
5. More than 60 million pounds of dynamite was used to excavate and construct the canal.
6. The fastest transit was completed in 2 hours 41 minutes by the U.S. Navy’s Hydrofoil Pegasus in 1979.
7. In 1963 florescent lighting was installed, allowing the canal to begin operating 24 hours a day.
8. Nearly 20,000 French and 6,000 American workers died during the completion of the Panama Canal.
9. Between 12,000 and 15,000 ships cross the Panama Canal every year – about 40 a day.
10. In 2008, a Disney cruise ship paid the highest toll to date, $330,000.

So how can you get there by cruise ship, well you will find that Princess Cruises and Holland America do have ships that do a full transit, starting in Florida and going to California or visa versa. They also do part transits, with the ship entering, usually on the Caribbean side, doing some scenic cruising and then exiting back to the Caribbean.

Celebrity Cruises have a couple of repositioning cruises that transit the canal, and do stop in Colon Panama on some Equinox sailings so that you can do an excursion and come back through the canal on a small pleasure boat.

There are a number of options here, why not come back at the end of February and look at my photos from my trip there next month.