Locks & Lakes of Panama

Fab day today of both weather and activities; got some underway time to boot!
We picked up a 1/2 day Canal excursion at Flamenco Island Marina by Panama Marine Adventures. Our vessel, appropriately the Pacific Queen, was only 1/3 full but even still we had the best seats over the bow.
Departing the marina, we picked up our Pilot and went under the Bridge of the Americas right into the lower level of the Miraflores Locks. We were lucky in that they took us and another tour vessel (nowhere near as nice as the PQ) by ourselves for both of these locks.
The Miraflores Locks put us on Miraflores Lake which is fed by the Rio Grande and is on the eastern side of the Continental Divide.
Next up were the Pedro Miguel Locks but by this time we caught up with the MV Bastille Street, a tanker, with which we were obliged to share the lock.
At Miraflores, we easily fit inside both of the inner doors, so the Canal Authority kept the water level up to save water ( see photo). This was not the case at Pedro M. where our lock mate was 180 meters.
Pedro empties onto Gatun Lake; although it is the east side of the Divide, the Culebra (formerly Gaillard) Cut allows the lake to pass through the Divide and link up with Pedro.
Side note: the French plan was to dam the unruly Chagres high up in the mountains; John Stevens figured out that it could create a lake for passage rather than have to dig a whole bunch more canal.
Passing through the Cut was an experience. It is hard to imagine and harder to describe the Herculean effort required to open the passage. I recommend David McCullough's "Path Between the Seas" for a detailed account.
Lastly, we passed the Chagres River where it now empties into Gatun Lake. Our trip concluded at Gamboa where we were bussed back to the marina. A wholly satisfying voyage.Read more