Panama Canal Journey - Pacific entry
This one goes out to all my science & engineering buffs... We began at the Cocolí Locks on the Pacific Coast in Panama City for the almost 44 mile NNW transit of the isthmus. Three sets of locks on the Pacific side, each one 1,400 feet long by 180 feet wide, renovated in 2016 to accommodate the increasingly large vessels at sea. Four sliding gates weighing 4,000 tons each separate the locks. Ship enters, gate closes behind, water level rises, ship progresses on the 85-foot rise to the Gatun Lake. There was a cargo vessel ahead of us to give perspective. Once through the first set of locks, it's under the Centennial Bridge, past the Continental Divide and on to the lake. I personally like the neon arrow on the bank indicating "enter here", and the picture of the bridge passing under the bridge (mariners will get that one)Read more