See all our photos from the Panama Canal Crossing
Transiting the Panama Canal involves a fascinating journey through a series of locks that raise and lower vessels between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, utilizing a system of artificial lakes and channels. The process, whether a full transit from ocean to ocean or a partial transit, offers unique perspectives on both the engineering marvel of the canal and the surrounding natural environment. On average, straight through from one ocean to the other, the Panama Canal transit can be completed in approximately 8-10 hours.
The night before we arrived at the Panama Canal, we received the following schedule.
|
Time |
Location |
|
0430 |
Approach to Panama Canal |
|
0500 |
Arrival Standby |
|
0515 |
Entering Breakwater |
|
0600 |
Atlantic Bridge |
|
0645 |
Entering Gatun Locks |
|
0845 |
Departing Gatun Locks |
|
0900 |
Gatun Marinos Disembark |
|
Transit Lake Gatun |
|
|
1145 |
Gamboa |
|
1245 |
Centennial Bridge |
|
1300 |
Entering Pedro Miguel Locks |
|
1400 |
Exiting Pedro Miguel Locks |
|
1425 |
Entering Miraflores Locks |
|
1535 |
Exiting Miraflores Locks |
|
1555 |
Bridge of Americas |
|
1620 |
Full Away on Passage |
We set the alarm for 0515 and arrived on deck just as we approached the Atlantic bridge. It was dark as we approached the bridge and entered the locks.
Frist up was the Gatun Locks, which would take us just under two hours to go through. The Gatun Locks are a massive, three-step lock system on the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal that are used to raise ships 85 feet to the level of Gatun Lake. There are two parallel lanes with three chambers each. The ships guided by electric locomotives (mules) through the chambers.
Next we sail across Lake Gatun, past the town of Gamboa, and under the Centennial Bridge which is part of the Pan American highway, before reaching the Miguel Pedro Lock. The Miguel Pedro Lock is a single step lock which will lower the ship 31 feet. The ship only inches away from the walls as we move through.
We sail across a small lake with a dam and enter the Miraflores locks, the final two chambers where we are lowered 56 more feet before we enter the Pacific Ocean, nearly 8 hours after entering from the Atlantic.
As we exited the locks to sail under the Bridge of America, there were a little “herd” of capybaras on the bank. It was funny, as we passed through the second chamber, we were across from the Miraflores Visitor Center where they had stadium seating for people to watch the ships passing.
