Panama Canal

From ancient times to the present day, many waterways have been created in the world - artificial channels. The main tasks of such artificial ones are to facilitate the passage of the waterway and reduce the distance. Most famous channels- Panamanian and Suez.

Panama Canal - artificial waterway on the territory of Panama in, crossing the Isthmus of Panama in its lowest part and connecting the Atlantic and. This is one of the most important transport waterways. international importance. The Panama Canal is considered a real miracle of engineering. One of its channels has the highest throughput in the world.

The canal stretched for 50 miles from Panama (on the coast of the Pacific Ocean) to Colon (on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean). It provides passage for over 12,000 ocean-going vessels per year.

History of the Panama Canal

The discoverer of Panama, who took the first step on its land, was the Spaniard Rodrigo de Bastidas. He arrived here in 1501. Vasco Nunez de Balboa sailed on the same ship with a group of settlers who remained in Panama.

The possibility of building a canal through Central America was already mentioned in 1550 by Antonio Galvao. He argued that this canal would greatly facilitate overcoming the path between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. He considered the Darien Isthmus a suitable place for this - a narrow, 48-kilometer strip between Central and. , which at that time owned the American colonies, considered this proposal unprofitable, since it could undermine the country's monopoly on land routes in these areas.

The greatest interest in this idea arose during the California gold rush (1848). In 1850, both countries (both countries claimed ownership of the canal) concluded the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty, according to which the parties refused to acquire exclusive rights to the future canal and pledged to guarantee its neutrality. According to this agreement, both countries temporarily stopped the seizure of new territories around Panama. The future canal was declared open to all who wished to join its construction.

However, despite all the preparations, the canal began to be built, since the United States and Great Britain were not interested in cooperation, each of these countries counted only on personal ownership. Used this.

In 1878, France received from, where it was until 1903, a concession for 99 years for the construction of a canal.

In 1879, the "General Company of the Inter-Ocean Canal" was created under the leadership of Ferdinand de Lesseps, the builder of the Suez waterway. Two years later, work began on its construction.

The canal laying ceremony took place on January 1, 1880 at the mouth. She flew under the French flag. However, in 1886, work was stopped. The difficulties seemed insurmountable. The rocky ground was incredibly hard, besides, the workers began to die one after another. The construction fell into disrepute, to the point that some groups of workers brought their own coffins with them from France. Epidemics of malaria and plague raged in the construction area. There is evidence that about 20,000 people died there.

The company went bankrupt in 1887 due to high prices, financial scams and high mortality of workers. In addition, in France, thousands of shareholders were completely ruined. In May 1891, a court case took place against the owners of the company. It turned out that many officials bribed systematically. A huge scandal erupted. The head of the company, Fernand de Lossepsa, received 5 years in prison.

Work on the construction of the canal was suspended until 1905. Three years earlier, in 1902, the new treaty Hay - Paunsfort, who canceled the previous agreement. The French company was afraid of losing all its capital investments in case of building a canal through and sold to the USA all rights and its property in Panama for $40 million. Thus, the United States actually received a monopoly on the construction of the canal.

On November 3, 1903, Panama announced its secession from Colombia and declared its independence. In the same year, an agreement was signed between the United States and Panama, according to which all rights to use the future canal were transferred to the States for an "indefinite period", in return, the Americans transferred to Panama those located in the canal zone (Perico, Naos, Culebra, Flamenco)

In 1905, an expert council appointed by President Roosevelt recommended building a lockless canal, but Congress, given the mistakes of French construction, adopted a project with locks. The work on the construction of the canal included many elements. It was necessary not only to lay the waterway itself, but also to build ports at both its ends, as well as to build breakwaters, dams, and locks. Much of the road between Colón and Panama City had to be rebuilt as well.

At first, the work was carried out under the guidance of civil engineers, but since 1907 the construction was taken over by the military ministry. The French who started the construction excavated 23 million cubic meters of earth along the route of the canal; North Americans had another 208 million to take out.

Construction, with interruptions, lasted almost 40 years. The first ship passed through the Isthmus of Panama on August 15, 1914, but the discovery went unnoticed by the whole world, as the First World War was going on. The canal began to function in full force after the official opening on June 12, 1920. According to government sources, the construction of the canal cost $380 million.

In 1935, the volume was increased by the construction of the Madden Dam in the upper reaches of the Chagres, which led to the appearance of the lake.

Over the years, Panama continued to press the United States to cancel certain clauses of the treaty. In the end, the States gave in. The US administration ceased to manage the Panama Canal, this happened on December 31, 1999, management passed to the Panamanian administration Autoridad del Canal de Panama (ACP).

Features of the Panama Canal

The length of the canal is 82.4 kilometers. Contrary to general impression, it does not go in a straight line from east to west, but curves. This is due to the geography of the Isthmus of Panama. The channel heads southeast from Colón, ending near Panama City in the Pacific Ocean.

From the huge breakwaters in the Limon Bay, ships go to the three Gatun locks, where they are raised to a height of 26 meters to the artificial lake Gatun. Behind this lake, on a channel 150 meters wide, there are already other locks. There, ships descend first 9, and then 16.5 meters to sea level and enter the Pacific port, protected by giant breakwaters.

The length of the Panama Canal is 81.6 km, including 65.2 km on land and 16.4 km along the bottom of the Panama and Limon bays.

All gateways are bidirectional. They are 305 meters high and 34 meters wide, and they are designed so that ships coming from opposite directions can sail past each other. The thickness of the huge steel gates of these locks is 2.1 meters, and the height is up to 25 meters. Small diesels, moving along the walls, slowly lead the ship through the lock. Typically, one ship requires six of these machines.

The time for ships to pass through the Panama Canal is 7-8 hours, the minimum is 4 hours. The average throughput is 36 ships, the maximum is 48 ships per day.

Panama Canal now

The channel is constantly improving. To this end, the Autoridad del Canal de Panama (ACP) currently has more than 9,000 employees.

There is an investment program that provides for more than a billion dollars in investments for the reconstruction and renewal of the canal. It is planned to purchase additional locomotives for towing ships through the locks, as well as to replace the old lock gates with more modern ones, with a built-in system for monitoring the condition of the barriers.

In 2004, work was completed to expand the Panama Canal. The narrowest section - 13 km, called the Gaillard Cut, has increased by approximately 40 meters. Now two ships can pass in this place at the same time. As a result, the channel capacity is expected to increase by 20%. The construction of three new dams for new lakes is planned soon, thanks to which the amount of water in the canal will increase, as well as new source drinking water and hydroelectric power for the country.

Construction was started by the French in the 19th century, but they were never able to complete the project due to various problems. The American government took over the project in 1904 and completed it a decade later, making history. Now the canal is managed by the government of Panama. The Panama Canal not only benefits merchants by facilitating the transit of goods, but is also important in terms of tourism. Canal cruises are very popular and if you are planning to visit this area then don't miss the chance to cruise the canal. During such a trip, you will be able to see the many exotic sights of Panama. Travel agencies will offer you hundreds of different cruise packages, including a number of popular ports such as New York, Miami, Los Angeles, New Orleans, etc. This tour will allow you to see some of the most beautiful beaches in the world and visit the exotic Panama City.

Channel History
In fact, the history of the canal goes back much deeper - to the 16th century. In 1513, Spanish explorer Vasco Nunez de Balboa became the first European to notice the extremely thin Isthmus of Panama separating the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Balboa's discovery sparked the search for a natural waterway linking the two oceans. In 1534, after no one had been found natural way, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V ordered to explore the possibility of building a canal. The inspectors ultimately decided that the construction shipping channel these places are not possible.

Start of construction
An interesting fact in the history of the Panama Canal is another construction attempt made by the designer of the Suez Canal. No serious construction attempts were made until the 1880s. In 1881 the French company of Ferdinand de Lessep, the designer of the Suez Canal in Egypt, began to dig a canal through Panama. The project was plagued by bad planning, technical problems and tropical diseases that have killed thousands of workers. De Lessep intended to build a canal at sea level, in the style of the Suez, without any locks. But the excavation process turned out to be much more difficult than expected. Gustave Eiffel, who designed the famous tower in Paris, was hired to build the locks, but De Lessep's company went bankrupt in 1889. At the time, the French unprofitably invested more than $260 million in construction, excavating more than 70 million cubic meters of earth. The collapse of the enterprise caused a big scandal in France. De Lessep and his son Charles, along with Eiffel and several other company executives, were charged with embezzlement, mismanagement and fraud. In 1893 they were found guilty, sentenced to prison and fined. After the scandal, Eiffel retired from business and devoted himself to scientific research. A new French company was formed to take over the assets of the failed business and continue the canal, but it soon followed the same path. During the 1800s, the United States was also interested in building a canal linking the Atlantic and the Pacific. For both economic and military reasons, they considered Nicaragua to be a better location than Panama. However, this plan was abandoned thanks to the efforts of Philippe-Jean Bounod-Varille, a French engineer who was involved in both French canal projects. In the late 1890s, Buno-Varilla began lobbying American lawmakers to buy French canal assets in Panama, and eventually convinced many that Nicaragua had dangerous volcanoes and Panama was the less dangerous option.
In 1902 Congress authorized the purchase of the French assets of the Panama Canal. But Colombia, of which Panama was at the time, refused to ratify the agreement. With the support of Buno-Varilla and the tacit approval of President Theodore Roosevelt, Panama rebelled against Colombia and declared independence. After that, US Secretary of State John Hay and Buno-Varilla, as representative of the provisional government of Panama, agreed on the Hay-Buno-Varilla Agreement, which gave America the right to an area of ​​more than 500 square miles in which to build a canal. The channel, by agreement, was completely transferred to the control of the Americans. It was agreed that the United States would contribute approximately $375 million for construction, including a $10 million payment to Panama, and $40 million to buy French assets. A century after the United States completed the Panama Canal, shipping through Nicaragua is still possible: In 2013 Chinese company announced a $40 billion deal with the Nicaraguan government for the right to build such a waterway.

Death of workers
More than 25,000 workers officially died during the construction of the Panama Canal. The canal builders faced many obstacles, including difficult terrain, hot, humid weather, heavy rain, and rampant tropical diseases. Earlier French attempts resulted in the death of more than 20,000 workers, and American efforts fared slightly better - between 1904 and 1913 about 5,600 workers died due to disease or accidents.
Many of these earlier deaths were due to yellow fever and malaria. According to the doctors of that time, these diseases were caused by polluted air and poor conditions. By the early 20th century, however, medical experts had uncovered the key role of mosquitoes as carriers of these diseases, allowing them to greatly reduce the number of deaths among workers. Special sanitary measures were carried out, which included the drainage of swamps and reservoirs, the removal of possible insect spawning grounds and the installation protective screens on windows in buildings.

Capacity of the Panama Canal

Between 13,000 and 14,000 ships use the canal each year.
American ships use the canal most often, pursued by China, Chile, Japan, Colombia and South Korea. Each vessel transiting the canal must pay a toll based on its size and cargo volume. The toll for the largest ships can be up to around $450,000. The smallest toll ever paid was 36 cents, paid in 1928 by the American adventurer Richard Halliburton, who conquered the canal. Today, approximately $1.8 billion in tolls are collected annually. On average, it takes a ship 8 to 10 hours to pass through the canal. Moving through it, the lock system raises each ship 85 feet above sea level. Vessel captains are not allowed to take control during transit; instead, specially trained personnel take control. In 2010, the one millionth ship crossed the canal since it opened.

Who controls the Panama Canal?
The United States transferred control of the canal to Panama in 1999. In the years following the opening of the canal, relations between America and Panama became tense. Questions arose about control over the canal itself and the area adjacent to it. In 1964, the Panamanians rioted because they were not allowed to fly the national flag of Panama next to the US flag in the canal zone. After the uprising, Panama temporarily broke off diplomatic relations with the United States. In 1977, President Jimmy Carter and General Omar Torrijos signed agreements transferring control of the canal to Panama from 1999, but giving the United States the right to use a military force to protect the waterway from any threat to its neutrality. Despite the discontent of many politicians who did not want their country to lose its power over the canal, the US Senate ratified the Torrijos-Carter Accords in 1978. Control was transferred to Panama peacefully in December 1999.

Panama Canal expansion
AT this moment the canal is being widened to accommodate modern mega-ships. Work on the expansion began in 2007 at a cost of $5.25 billion to allow the canal to receive post-Panamax class vessels. These vessels are larger than the so-called Panamax, built to match the size of the canal. The expanded channel will be able to handle cargo ships carrying 14,000 20-foot containers, nearly three times the current capacity. The expansion project will be completed at the end of 2015, but the canal will still not be able to handle some of the largest container ships.

Interesting fact
Approximately 236.4 million liters of fresh water are used for the passage of one ship through the Panama Canal. The water comes from Lake Gatun, formed during the construction of the canal by blocking the Chagres River. With an area of ​​262 square kilometers, Gatun was once the largest artificial lake in the world.

The construction of the Panama Canal has become one of the largest and most complex construction projects carried out by mankind. The Panama Canal had an invaluable impact on the development of shipping and the economy as a whole in the Western Hemisphere and throughout the world, which led to its extremely high geopolitical significance. Thanks to the Panama Canal, the sea route from New York to San Francisco was reduced from 22.5 thousand km to 9.5 thousand km.

Since the 16th century, the narrow isthmus connecting North and South America has been considered a very promising place for creating the shortest route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. In the 19th century, the development of technology and the need for similar way reached the point at which the plan to create a canal through Panama looked quite realistic.

In the 19th century, the development of technology and the need for such a route reached a point where the plan to create a canal through Panama looked quite realistic.

1910 Map of the planned channel.

Inspired by 10 years of construction of the Suez Canal, international company La Société Internationale du Canal Interocéanique in 1879 bought the concession for the construction of the Panama Canal from the engineer Wise for 10 million francs, which he received from the government of Colombia, which controlled Panama at that time.

Fundraising for large-scale construction was led by Ferdinand Lesseps. Success with the Suez Canal helped him raise millions for a new project.

Soon after the canal design began, it became clear that this undertaking would be much more difficult to implement than digging a canal at sea level through a sandy desert. After all, the proposed route of passage, 65 kilometers long, passed through rocky and sometimes mountainous terrain, while it was crossed by powerful rivers. And, most importantly, tropical diseases posed enormous health risks to workers.

However, Lesseps' optimistic plan was to build a $120 million canal in just 6 years. The 40,000-strong team, almost entirely composed of workers from the West Indies, was led by engineers from France.

1885 French employees of the Panama Canal pose for a photograph.

Construction began in 1881.

1885 The workers came to get their wages.

The experience in Suez was a little help. It would probably be better in the long run if they didn't have the Suez Canal in their past.
David McCullough, "The Way Between the Seas"

1885 Jamaican workers push a cart full of earth along a narrow gauge railway.

The project turned into a disaster. It quickly became apparent that building a canal at sea level was impossible and that the only viable plan was to build a chain of locks. At the same time, Lesseps stubbornly adhered to the plan to build a single-level canal.

1900 Workers manually lead excavation.

Meanwhile, workers and engineers were dying from malaria, yellow fever, and dysentery, and construction was interrupted by frequent floods and landslides. By the time the lock plan was accepted, it was already too late. An estimated 22,000 workers died. Construction was years behind schedule and cost hundreds of millions over budget.

1910 Abandoned French equipment in the canal zone.

The company went bankrupt and collapsed, destroying the hopes of 800,000 investors. In 1893, Lesseps was found guilty of fraud and mismanagement, and died in disgrace two years later.

1906 A man stands next to an abandoned French dredger.

In 1903, with the secret support of the United States, Panama seceded from Colombia and in return awarded the US canal rights. The following year, the US purchased the remains of the French company and continued construction.

1906 President Theodore Roosevelt sits in a crane cabin during a visit to a canal construction site.

I took the canal zone and let the congress debate; and while the debate continues, the channel does the same.
Theodore Roosevelt

1908 American engineers sent by President Roosevelt.

Faced with the same disease problem as the French, the Americans embarked on an aggressive mosquito eradication campaign. (Back then, the link between malaria and mosquitoes was still very new theory). This dramatically reduced the incidence and increased productivity.

1910 Mosquito exterminator at work in the canal zone.

The channel of the Chagres River was blocked by the Gatun Dam, creating Lake Gatun, the largest artificial lake of that time. It stretches across half of the narrow isthmus.

January 1907. Earthworks at the site of the Gatun lock.

Massive locks were built at both ends of the canal on the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. These 33 meters wide structures allowed ships to pass through a series of chambers with controlled water levels, rising to the height of Lake Gatun and the channel, 26 meters above sea level.

1910

The most difficult was the passage of the 13-kilometer stretch of Culebra through a mountain range, 64 meters high. 27,000 tons of dynamite were used to blow up almost 80 million cubic meters of earth removed by steam shovels and trains.

1907 An excavator removes soil after a landslide on the Culebra stretch.

Due to a misjudgment of the composition of the geological strata, earthworks were constantly plagued by unpredictable landslides, sometimes taking several months to deal with the consequences.

1910 Railroad displaced after a landslide.


April 8, 1910 A man stands on the west bank next to the Pedro Miguel lock under construction.


November 1910. President William Howard Taft (left) visits Gatun Lock with Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes (seated, right) and Chief Engineer Colonel George Goethals (standing, right).


November 10, 1912. Construction of the Miraflores lock.


August 1912. A man stands in one of the locks.


June 1912. View of the construction of the Culebra stretch from the west bank.


August 6, 1912.


November 1912. View from the top of the Gatun lock looking north towards the Atlantic Ocean.


June 1913. One of the deepest points of the Culebra segment.


1913


1913


1913


November 1913. Workers struggle with the aftermath of a landslide.


1913 Workers during a break at the top of the gateway.


1913 The train and the crane crossed at the Pedro Miguel lock.


1913 Gateway during construction.


1913 Engineers stand in front of the canal's massive lock gates.


August 8, 1913. Construction of the Gatun Gateway between the Atlantic Ocean and Lake Gatun.


February 1, 1914. Men look at the work of a dredge to clean up the aftermath of a landslide in Cucarache.


1913 The spillway of the Gatun Dam, which separates the artificial lake Gatun, main part channel.

On December 10, 1913, a passable water route between the two oceans was finally created. On January 7, 1914, the French floating crane Alexandre La Valley made the first passage through the canal.

October 9, 1913. An explosion near the city of Gamboa opens the way for a canal to the Pacific Ocean.


1913 The explosion of the dam separating the canal from the Atlantic Ocean.

Today, 4% of all world trade passes through the Panama Canal, about 15,000 ships a year. Plans are being made to build additional set wide locks, as well as a competing channel through Nicaragua.

The largest canal passage fee is 142,000 for a cruise ship. The smallest fee was $0.36 for adventurer Richard Halliburton, who swam the canal through the locks in 1928.

1913


1914


October 1913. The gates of the Miraflores lock are opened for inspection.


September 26, 1913. Tug U.S. Gaton is the first to pass through the Gatun lock.


April 29, 1915. S.S. Kronland passes through the Panama Canal.

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At dawn, about six o'clock in the morning, we approached the Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal. We were supposed to have a "scenic" passage through the canal all day.

Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal // dmytrocherkasov.livejournal.com

The entrance to the Panama Canal looks like this. In the distance you can see many ships waiting for their turn to pass through the canal. On the right is the port of the city of Colon and the lighthouse at the entrance to the canal. Here, a pilot boarded us. In the Panama Canal, the captain is obliged to transfer control to him. Navigation here is very difficult, so the training lasts 8 years. In the world, only about 200 people drive ships through the canal. The total length of the canal is about 80 kilometers. Although it's not that much, the passage takes approximately 8-10 hours.

// dmytrocherkasov.livejournal.com

The first stage is to rise from the Atlantic Ocean to the artificial lake Gatun, through the system of the same name locks. The difference between the water levels is 26 meters. It is to such a height, the power of water, that each ship raises. All this is located about a kilometer from the entrance to the canal. Gateways can work in both directions. But as a rule, the work is planned so that at first the flow is in one direction, and then in the other. Along with us, a little ahead, was a large container ship. So we went into all the locks one after another. Every time you could see the next step which awaits us. See, he's on the left. And a small green-red arrow on the pier indicates that we need to go into the right gateway.

// dmytrocherkasov.livejournal.com

Next year will be 100 years since the opening of the channel. And although the French began to build the Panma Canal in 1879, this attempt was unsuccessful. Money was wasted, and miscalculations were made in the design. The construction manager, Ferdinand Lesseps, failed to replicate the success of the Suez Canal. Thanks to political and financial pressure, the right to build was transferred to the United States. This time, all leadership was concentrated in the hands of the army. And after 10 years, the construction was successfully completed.

// dmytrocherkasov.livejournal.com

Watching the ship enter the lock, it seems incredible that we can fit in such a narrow space. Moreover, the price of a mistake here is huge. On average, 36 ships pass this route every day. On the day we passed through the canal, the total number of ships was 57. For passing through the canal, shipowners pay hundreds of thousands of dollars. But still, it is much more profitable than making a detour of 13,000 kilometers, which takes 4 weeks of time.

// dmytrocherkasov.livejournal.com

Every year, 13,000 ships passing this route carry 172 million tons of cargo. Panama receives about $2 billion a year from using the canal.

// dmytrocherkasov.livejournal.com

Sluice doors weigh 680 tons each. When they close, they hide in a niche in the wall of the lock chamber.

// dmytrocherkasov.livejournal.com

They are driven by a gigantic hydraulic mechanism.

// dmytrocherkasov.livejournal.com

Our ship was a Panamax class. This means the largest vessel size allowed to pass through the Panama Canal. Here you can see how much space was left from the side of our ship to the concrete wall. The width of the lock chamber is 33.5 meters. The width of our ship is 32 meters. Accordingly, on each side there were 75 centimeters in ideal case. The length is 304.8 meters, while the length of the ship is 294 meters. I don’t know what kind of draft we had at that moment, but the minimum depth in the chamber was 12 meters 55 centimeters. It all reminds me of trying to get a horse into a regular bath to wash it.

// dmytrocherkasov.livejournal.com

It goes without saying that maneuvering in such conditions, using only ship engines and rudders, is impossible. Each ship is dragged through the locks by special locomotives. They are called mules. In addition to pulling the ship forward using steel 2.5 cm cables, the mules keep the ship in the middle, preventing it from hitting the concrete side. While passing through the locks, I looked at the GPS at what speed we were moving. From the outside, it looked like we were standing still. And only if you look closely at the edge of the side, it was clear that we were still moving forward. It turned out that our speed at that moment was 3 kilometers per hour.

// dmytrocherkasov.livejournal.com

The mules are powered by electricity. Each of them is capable of developing a traction force of 35 tons. Between the rails, there is another additional notched rail. With the help of a special gear, the mule clings to it in order to increase traction with the track. In total, about 100 locomotives are used on the canal. The cost of each of them is 2.1 million dollars. Two people work on them, one in the cab, directly controls the speed and adjusts the cable tension. The second one is located outside, visually monitors the situation, and helps to get and remove the steel cable for towing. See the orange chair outside? This is just for the second number.

// dmytrocherkasov.livejournal.com

Mule operators are controlled by junior pilots, by radio channel. They are constantly on board the ship. Initially, ordinary ropes are brought to the ship. These two workers in the boat are doing just that. They swim up to the board and pass the rope to the crew. Later, with the help of it, steel is pulled on board from the mules.

// dmytrocherkasov.livejournal.com

In addition, tugboats actively help with every maneuver. They help keep the ship in position until the mules pull the ropes. Depending on the weight of the vessel, the number of mules may vary. Here you can see at least three mules on each side getting ready to haul this container ship.

// dmytrocherkasov.livejournal.com

The ship rises solely with the help of gravity and water. In order to eliminate any turbulence and uneven water supply, it is pumped through hundreds of holes in the floor of the lock chamber. Every day, this consumes 7.5 billion liters of fresh water from Gatun Lake.

Artificial Lake Gatun // dmytrocherkasov.livejournal.com

After the locks, we get into one of the largest artificial lakes Gatun. The main difference of the second attempt to build a canal was that the Americans decided not to build a canal to sea level. Instead, they noticed that the area around the Chagres River was an almost perfect place for artificial flooding. An earthen dam was built, with the help of which the river was blocked. The total area of ​​the lake is 418 square kilometers. It is one of the largest sources of fresh water in Panama.

// dmytrocherkasov.livejournal.com

In fact, all ships sail on top of the flooded jungle. The abundance of heavy rains, allows you to maintain the water level in the lake. If the water level drops, then a restriction is introduced on the maximum draft of ships. Some have to be unloaded at the entrance to the canal to comply with regulations. Exceeding the level of 26 meters is also dangerous. Because if the water overflows through the sluice gates, it will not be possible to use the canal. In the area of ​​the Gatun locks, there is a discharge dam to regulate the water level. At the time of construction, it was one of the largest in the world.

// dmytrocherkasov.livejournal.com

Before construction began, a huge amount of work was done to drain the area and kill mosquitoes. The jungle was cut down, swamps were drained, grass was mowed, and puddles were treated with kerosene to kill insect larvae. The French lost 20,000 men to yellow fever and malaria. At that time, it was not yet known that mosquitoes were the carrier of this disease. Thanks to such actions, it was possible to completely eradicate yellow fever in the region, and to minimize the number of cases of malaria infection.

// dmytrocherkasov.livejournal.com

Throughout the route along the lake, various ships constantly came across towards us. Most of all there were container carriers, tankers and just such ships for transporting cars. The cruise ship was ours alone.

// dmytrocherkasov.livejournal.com

But to reach the Pacific Ocean, the builders had to overcome the mountain range of Panama. This is the Culebra notch. In order to dig such a canal, the Americans reconstructed the old French railway, increasing it throughput ten times. Moreover, it was destroyed by the great Panama earthquake of 1882. The earthquake was the final nail in the coffin of the French Panama Canal project. In addition, the investigation revealed that a lot of funds were spent for other purposes. So the word "Panama" in French has become synonymous with scam. In one of the bottlenecks of the Culebra cut, the Centenary Bridge was recently built. It connects South and North America.

// dmytrocherkasov.livejournal.com

The height of the mountains that had to be overcome reached 80 meters. Every 3 years, an amount of rock was exported from here equal in volume to the entire Suez Canal.

// dmytrocherkasov.livejournal.com

Here is the most bottleneck channel. All ships that enter the Panama Canal set special equipment with a GPS receiver. At any time, the pilot on his computer and the dispatcher can see the position of all ships. If visibility deteriorates, and rains and fogs are not uncommon here, traffic is stopped.

// dmytrocherkasov.livejournal.com

In case of unforeseen circumstances and maneuvers, in the Culebr recess, we were constantly accompanied by tugboats.

// dmytrocherkasov.livejournal.com

We met only small ships, and these are tourist boats. I think we were their number one impression of the entire tour. It is not often that cruise ships enter the Panama Canal.

// dmytrocherkasov.livejournal.com

The ground around the channel is very unstable. It consists of soil, slate and clay. During rains, all this absorbs moisture, swells and causes mudflows. Therefore, every day, such floating dredges work on the canal. With the help of a drill on the nose, the soil is crushed, and then, together with water, is sucked out. This pipeline ejects soil about 10 kilometers from the canal. In addition, the channel is expanded in order to increase its throughput.

// dmytrocherkasov.livejournal.com

Where the bottom is especially strong, such floating drilling rigs work. They make many holes in the bottom, into which explosives are placed. Then, after blasting, the rock is easier to remove using dredges or floating excavators.

// dmytrocherkasov.livejournal.com

Finally we came to the second gate, on the way to the Pacific Ocean - Pedro Miguel. These locks lower us 9.5 meters into another artificial lake - Miraflores. On the right, behind the container ship we already know, we see a huge construction. By the centenary of the canal, a large-scale reconstruction began here. The main problem of the channel now is that it is not capable of passing large ocean-going vessels. A century ago, this size of lock chambers seemed fantastic, and suited all needs. But now this is clearly not enough.

// dmytrocherkasov.livejournal.com

The renovation will cost $5 billion. This time, the US military is only building Atlantic locks. From the Pacific Ocean, the work is carried out by a consortium of European companies.

// dmytrocherkasov.livejournal.com

The main problem here is that from the Pacific Ocean, due to high tides, the load on the locks is enormous. And given that the gate will have to be made even larger and higher than the previous one, the task becomes not trivial. Therefore, there will be sliding gates similar to those that are currently operating in Antwerp. New locks are being built in parallel with the old ones, and they will work together. Due to this, it is planned to almost double the channel's revenues.

// dmytrocherkasov.livejournal.com

And finally final stage, on the way to the Pacific Ocean, Miraflores lock. Here we were lowered from the level of the lake to the level of the Pacific Ocean.

// dmytrocherkasov.livejournal.com

On the left side is the building for visitors to the Panama Canal. There was great amount people. They shouted and greeted us in unison in Panama. Before that, there was also a competition for the best welcome poster on the ship. And everyone who did something, from the port side, kept them while passing by. I also wanted to make a wonderful drawing with the word from three letters, but I thought that there would be no time to greet the people with the word "peace" and at the same time take pictures. :-)

// dmytrocherkasov.livejournal.com

When dumping water, you no longer have to worry much about turbulence. So she just exits the portal on the left. Ahead of Panama City, and directly in front of the ship, another drawbridge across the Panama Canal.

Panama City, Panama // dmytrocherkasov.livejournal.com

To be honest, the outlines of Panama City on the horizon made an impression on me. I never expected to see such a modern city with skyscrapers. In some ways, this building is reminiscent of Dubai in terms of the variety of building shapes. Although, due to seismic activity, the houses are clearly not so high-rise.

Bridge of the Americas, Panama // dmytrocherkasov.livejournal.com

Before leaving the Pacific Ocean, there is another bridge across the canal - the Bridge of the Americas. Behind him, you can already see the ships in the roadstead, waiting for their turn to pass along our path only in the other direction.

dmytrocherkasov
13/04/2013

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