Panama City and the Canal

September 30, 2014
What a wonder of the world? It is truly amazing how the canal was built. It swag started by the French in late 1880's and failed because of disease and not the right equipment. In 1903 the US and Teddy Roosevelt tried again. The locals called him the" cowboy president"! It is amazing how they dug the canal and the narrows. It was a MD saved people from the diseases from draining water from standing and netting.
The locks are operated by gavity and no pumps.. The pipes that fill each lock is 180 feet wide. It  will fill the lock up or empty in 8 minutes.. The lock system was developed because the water elevation is higher in he middle. So you have to be raised or lowered depending on the direction you are traveling. There are three locations of the locks- Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and Pedro Miquel. To take a ship though the canal one has to wine money for the fare to the canal authority at least 48 hours prior and then you will receive your assigned time. Then you will wait in the bay until your time is coming.. As a shop captain you will surrender the ship over to a canal ship,pilot and they take the ship though the canal.  It takes an average of 8-10 hours to go though the canal. The alternative is 30 days around South American. Our tour boat that seats 400 cost $3500 for the passage though two locks. The Panamian government makes $2 billion dollars per year from the fares. The canal allows 35-40 ships per day to go though the canal.
The canal authority are expanding with new locks to allow the larger ships pass though. We watched couple of ships that only had 12 inches of clearance on each side.. It is amazing..
We enjoyed our time in the canal museum and watching the ships in the locks.
I am amazed how people in the early 20th century worked with not so modern equipment to build some great things in the world-- Panama Canal, Rushmore presidents, Hoover dam and the Alaskan hi way.