Panama Canal
“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us”
Anonymous
On my recent cruise, I traveled through the Panama Canal. The Panama Canal stretches across the Isthmus of Panama for 50 miles.Many of my Highland Springs friends have made this transit and fall into one of two camps. The transit through the canal is amazing or as interesting as watching paint dry.I chose amazing because of the outstanding engineering feats accomplished in the original construction and those that continue to this day.
Originally begun by the French in 1881, the project ended in bankruptcy due to many failures, mostly of design and disease. The French did not plan a series of locks and there were rock slides every day halting progress. In addition, diseases such as malaria and yellow fever took their toll. In all, 22,000 French died in the attempt to construct the canal. The United States paid the French $40 million for their equipment and paid the Panamanians $10 million and construction began again in 1904. The project was completed in 1914 and saved the shipping industry 8000 miles in transiting from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Today tolls bring 2 billion dollars to Panama, representing 12% of the countries GNP.
Under the initial 1903 treaty, the US controlled both the waterway and surrounding lands as US territory. The families that lived in the Canal Zone were called “zonies” and formed fast friendships that continue for many today.
President J Carter returned the ownership to the canal to the Panamanians, with a clause that it was to maintain permanent neutrality. Full control was turned over on December 31, 1999. Today the Chinese operate the locks under the control of Panama authority.
In 2016 a new series of larger locks was opened for huge container vessels and mega cruise ships. For example, a container ship through the new portion can carry 14,000,20 foot containers.
My cruise ship, the Marina, transited through the West locks beginning at 8:20 AM. Each lock takes approximately one hour for the gates to close, the waters to rise and lift the ship and then the forward gates to open. The ship Captain has to relinquish control of the ship to a lock pilot in the bridge and the ship is guided by the pilot and 6-7 Mitsubishi locomotives with only inches to spare on each side of the ship. The entire transit took all day and there was an expert commentator giving information as we made the transit. There are three separate canal locks, Miraflores, Pedro Miguel, and Gatun. Between the locks are artificial waterways and the beautiful Gatun Lake. The canal’s waterways must be constantly dredged as the jungle can reclaim its land in mere months. The ship displaces 26 million gallons of water a day.
The cost to transit varies. The lowest charge ever made was to a swimmer and was 36 cents. A cruise ship pays the basic fee of approximately $140 a bed, plus tugboat cost, the ground wires to the locomotives and the pilot. Container ships pay different prices based on the number of full and empty containers and the size of the ship. Average costs equal around $300,000.
This gigantic and complex engineering feat is truly a marvel and much more exciting than watching paint dry! The next column will focus on Central America. I hope you will join me as I relate the influence the US has had on these countries.