2 August 2013 Panama Canal

I will do my best to give the best info I can, this is all thanks to Hutch our Port Lecturer who gave us the lecture the day prior and then a running commentary from 5.00am until 5.00pm today.  The entire ship was up early in readiness for our very big day.  It is indeed the 8^th wonder of the world, it is 100 years since it was finished, I will not do it justice but will do what I can. 

Christopher Columbus did four trips across the Atlantic from Spain.  On one trip he sailed up the river at the start of what is now the Panama Canal and into the lake, but the mountain range stopped him from going further.  Without him knowing it he got to within 12 miles of the Pacific, a great shame that he did not go further.  (It was 1513 before the first European discovered the Pacific.)

In 1513 the Isthmus of Panama was claimed for Spain.  The Panama Canal is the result of a saga of human ingenuity and courage that goes back to that century. Since then the idea of building a route that would join the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans was conceived.  The first firm effort to build an all-water route Panama began with the French in 1880, but financial troubles and diseases made the initiative fail.  After its independence in 1903 Panama negotiated an agreement with the United States for the construction of the canal.  The first works began in 1882, the French abandoned the idea, all the equipment was taken over by the jungle and 20% of their workforce died (nearly 30,000 people).  The French wanted $109,000.000 it was agreed to pay $40,000,000 but took three years to get this finance OKed.  The US paid $10,000,000 in gold and then agreed to pay $250,000.00 p.a for 99 years.  The first engineer in charge of the program left after a year in fear for his life because of disease.  On August 1, 1905 a fellow by the name of Stevens was appointed, he ordered all work to stop, he was obviously a very clever man with vision because he ordered a whole infrastructure to be put in place before any work was commenced.  He was a very successful railroad builder.  He built houses, recreational facilities etc. he eradicated Yellow Fever which was major killer of the workmen, he drained the swamps etc sprayed everything with insecticide, raised all the work platforms etc thereby keeping the men out of the water and keeping them healthy.  He also was instrumental in getting the families of the men to live there as well.  Work continued, he also resigned after a time. 

“The interoceanic waterway uses a system of locks with two lanes that operates as water elevators and raises the ships from sea level to the level of the Gatun Lake, 26 metres above sea level, to allow the crossing through the Continental Divide, and then lowers the ships to sea level on the other side of the Isthmus. 

The water used to raise and lower the vessels in each set of the locks is obtained from the Gatun Lake by gravity and poured into the locks through a main culvert system that extends under the locks chambers from the sidewalls and the centre wall.”

The locks only use fresh water. 

It was finished on August 15, 1914, under budget, and on time. The cost being between 352 and 385 million US dollars.  There were 5609 lives lost.

 “The Canal initiated round-the-clock operations on May 12, 1963, with the installation of new fluorescent lighting in Culebra Cut and the three locks.”

On May 10, 1913 two steam shovels met; President Woodrow Wilson was informed and he pushed the button which ignited the explosion and the water first flowed from the Atlantic to the Pacific.   It has only been closed twice in 1974 for 12 hours and in 1989 for one day.

“At noon on December 31, 1999, Panama took over full operation, administration and maintenance of the Canal, in compliance with the Torrijos-Carter Treaties negotiated with the United States in 1977.” 

There are extensive works currently under way to expand the canal so that larger ships can pass through.  At present only ships up to 294 m long and 32m wide can pass through the locks. When finished ships up to 366 metres long and 49 metres wide will be accommodated.  This is an immense undertaking.

I keep adding things in quotes, I have taken these from a pamphlet we have been given.  All the other info is what I took from Hutch’s lecture, now if anything is incorrect it will be my error, not the info he gave us. 

“Canal Expansion

In 2014, when the Panama Canal completes 100 years of operation, the expansion will be complete.  At that moment, the waterway will double its capacity to handle the increasing demand of worldwide trade.

To ensure the social and environmental feasibility of the project, the expansion complied with the environmental impact studies that include mitigation measures such as reforestation, wildlife rescue and archaeological and paleontological rescue.

Furthermore, the expansion will help mitigate climate change, since bigger ships will transit through this route, reducing the global emissions of CO2 that result when using alternate routes.”

Water will also be saved, as there will be a lake which will hold the water used for the locks and it will be pumped in and out enabling the water to be reused.

This is just a little bit of info about our entering into the canal and then into the locks.  The ship has two tugboats to assist the passage thru. The Pilot comes on board, the captain relinquishes his control to the Pilot, there are line handlers, electricians a great many people involved for each ship to pass thru.   When our ship enters the lock there is only 25 inches either side of the ship, and 10ft 3ins under the keel, we are attached to eight mules, four either side, the very first mule was made by General Electric and now they are made by Mitisbishi at the cost of $1.9 million US dollars each, there are 100 mules in operation throughout the lock system.  At present there are two lanes and they can be used in either direction, there was a container ship beside us going in the same direction as us.  Before the ship enters the lock it waits its turn, and whilst it is doing that it sits at anchor in the lake. Even though the ship is attached to the mules, it does go thru under its own steam.  The funny thing being, the lines have to be attached to the ship from the mule and the only way this can be done is by two men in their rowboat, with all the equipment and the cost of the whole process and the only way it can be achieved is by these fellows in the rowboat.    

A great amount of water is used for this whole process, if it is low rainfall they can then get the water from the Maddern Lake but if it is extremely low then the ships cannot pass thru at all, if that had been the case two weeks notice has to be given.  I am sure this does not happen often. 

I am sure at some point we will be told what the actual cost for our passing thru will be and I will let you know then, I did read an article maybe 6 months ago saying it was about $250,000.00 per ship, I can totally understand this, anyway when I know I will let you all know. 

I could go tell you all more but Sam says Sabine you will have bored your readers to death.  Hope not.  I learned about the Panama Canal when I was in grade 3 and for whatever reason it totally fascinated me, I did not ever imagine getting the opportunity of going thru but it way surpassed any imaginings I had.  All the best Sabine and Sam  XXX