CANAL TRANSIT, Part 3, Miraflores Lake through Pedro Miguel Locks

As soon as you get above the Miraflores Locks you begin to really see construction on the new locks. The new locks will have three steps together on the Pacific end rather than the two at Miraflores and the one at Pedro Miguel (which are about 2.5 miles apart, not six as I reported earlier.) To connect the new locks with the lake, Gatun lake will need to be extended south to the head of the locks. To do that, the projectcalls for building an elevated canal from the head of the present Pedro Miguel Lock to the head of the new locks. The system of pilings shown in the first photograph, and which extends far up the lake, is the first step in elevating the canal. Once it is completed, it will be back filled and another set of pilings installed on the fill. When it is finished it will be back filled and another set of pilings installed on that fill. The end result will be a wall of piling upon piling upon piling behind which Gatun lake will reach the upper end of the new Pacific locks. If you are a construction buff, you couldn't find a more interesting place to visit.

For much of the way along the east side of the Canal and lake you can see the Panama railroad. It was built originally by Americans to profit from hauling gold miners across the isthmus of Panama to speed their journey to California during the 1840's gold rush. Today, as you've seen

earlier, many ships unload their cargo at the entrance to the Canal and do not transit it. The train hauls double stacked containers every day, both ways from ocean to ocean. You can also, during the week, take the train as a passenger. That trip was on our list of things to do before we left home. In the end, we had more things to do then we could get done and the train trip didn't make the cut.

Panama City isn't the only place where construction and repair is everywhere. These workmen are replacing a bumper strip on the east side of the Pedro Miguel Lock. The two guys in the water were doing the work while the four other guys work for the State of Oregon and were supervising,

and doing a fine job of it, especially the "holder of the nut", the guy sitting beside the ladder. When the worker guys needed another nut, the one on the left would wade over to the "holder of the nut" who would hand him one nut. He would wade back to his partner, they would install the nut, and he would return to "the holder." I watched that happen four times. Maybe the worker guy has a hole in his pocket. (I learned later that I had misidentified "the holder of the nut." He is actually "the supply room guy" who is responsible for all of the nuts and we should be glad he takes his job seriously.)

The Pedro Miguel Lock is uncluttered and very simple looking. The lock itself is about 1,000 feet long and 106 feet wide. The lead up piers on either end make it look long and trim, and since the excitement of going through a lock is behind everyone, it is a time to really enjoy the spectacle of this place and the simple elegance of how these locks work.

The last photo here looks back at Miraflores Lake. Our boat is now at Gatun Lake level and about to leave the lock. From the time we leave Pedro Miguel Lock until we arrive at the Gatun Locks, we will transit the Culebra Cut, now called the Gaillard Cut, and cross Gatun Lake, a distance of about 32 miles. We were told that we would regret the down time involved in this part of the transit. I will tell you in advance that I enjoyed every minute of it.

JCE