Corregimiento Cristóbal

The Panama Canal is 48 miles long and spans the narrowest portion of the Panamanian isthmus.
We began our journey through the by having the Panamanian pilot board our ship at 7:15 AM. It is mandatory that a Panamanian pilot take complete control of all ships sailing through the Panama Canal. It is hard for me to falthum the knowledge base that these pilots must have in order to be able to pilot such a vast range of boats and ships which pass through the canal.
We passed under the Atlantic Bridge. This bridge was completed in 2019 and spans the Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal. The bridge has a main span of 1,740 feet. Interestingly, and concerning at the same time, it was designed by China Communication Construction Company and built by Vinci Construction. It is undoubtedly one of many construction projects which we will see on our journey which is part of China's Belt and Road Initiative.
At 8:30 AM, we arrived at the Gatun Locks which consist of 3 locks with an elevation change of 26 meters or 85 feet. We transited through the older, original side of the canal. We departed the locks at 10:15 AM.
From here, we entered the Gatun Lake which is a lake created by damming the Chagres River. The Gatun Dam also generates hydroelectric power.
The next major point of interest which we sailed passed was Gamboa. Gamboa is a small township built to house employees of the Panama Canal and their dependents. The name Gamboa comes from the name of a tree of the quince family.
Next we sailed through the Gaillard Cut which is an artificial valley that cuts through the Contential Divid in Panama. The construction of the Gaillard Cut is one of the great engineering feats of its time. The banks of the cut feature terracing as a means of bank stabilization.
We arrived at the San Pedro Locks at 1:35 PM and departed at 2:25 PM. These locks consist of one chamber with an elevation gain of 31 feet.
At 3:05 PM, we arrived at the Miraflores. The Miraflores Locks consist of 2 chamber with a gain in elevation of 54 feet. We departed the Miraflores Locks at 4:15 PM.
We then sailed under the Bridge of the Americas and entered the Pacific Ocean.
Our reflection on the Panama Canal is that it is truly an engineering feat. One may ask: Why are the locks necessary when sea level is at sea level be it in the Pacific or Atlantic. The problem originates in the fact that the high tide levels are different between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean thereby necessitating the lock system.
Secondly, our feeling is that it was a mistake for the US to give the canal back to Panama.
*Please note, I have used Wikipedia for some of the information in this post.Read more