Panama Canal

from Ouse News - Spring 2022

Chairman’s Corner

The aim of the B&MK is to construct a full-size navigation linking the Grand Union Canal at Milton Keynes with the River Great Ouse at Bedford. This objective will only be achieved step by step, taking advantage to remove an obstruction as and when the opportunity arises. It is up to us to be vigilant and make representation to the appropriate body as soon as we become aware of a potential problem or opportunity.

Keith Alderton

Following on from our talk by Richard Thomas on the history/building of the Panama Canal and the article in the autumn edition of Ouse News, we have received a first-hand account of a passage through the Canal:

Transit through the Panama Canal by Mimi Alderman

We arrived at the entry of the Panama Canal very early in the morning. At 04:00 Arcadia entered the SW Lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme for her final approach.

At 05:21 the vessel passed the breakwater and into the Cristobel port area before picking up the pilots at 05:25. For the next 30 mins Arcadia steamed slowly through the approach channel embarking and disembarking local authorities for clearance purposes. Once fully cleared Arcadia embarked the 24 strong Canal fore and aft mooring teams before entering the first set of locks, Gatun Locks.

By 07:15 Arcadia was inside the first chamber of the Gatun Lock and made fast to 8 Mules, which are locomotives used in the locks to help guide the ships into position. After being raised she continued on through the second and third chambers, rising a total of 26 metres. Huge rubber covered rollers on the lock corners help to reduce damage to the ship. (What a pity they don’t have them on our English canals!!) It’s a slow job lining up Arcadia at approx 86000 gross tons, into a lock only a few feet wider. The Mules have 2 steel cables attached to the ship to prevent the ship bumping into the sides or gates. Arcadia was required to wait approximately 30 minutes at the exit of the locks for vessel traffic management reasons before getting underway at 09:30 and entering Gatun Lake. Gatun Lake is a large artificial lake to the south of Colón, Panama forming a major part of the Panama Canal.

After a leisurely meander through the man made Gatun Lake, the vessel rounded Gamboa Corner and entered Gaillard Cut, passing under the Centennial Bridge, lining up for the Pedro Miguel Lock. The Centennial Bridge is the second major road crossing of the Panama Canal, the first being the Bridge of the Americas. Arcadia was all fast in the lock with Mules attached at 15:15. Once lowered just over 9 metres, the vessel proceeded out of the lock at 15:45 and made final approaches to the last set of locks, the Miraflores Locks.

At 16:40 the vessel was established and secured in the first of the two chambers of the Miraflores Locks. These locks are the location of the main viewing area for the Panama Canal and as Arcadia passed by friendly exchanges between cruisers and spectators were made.

At 17:10 after descending another 9 metres Arcadia proceeded to the final lock and was lowered the remaining 8 metres to sea level, before leaving the lock and entering the exit channel for the Pacific Ocean at 18:00.

She passed under the Bridge of the Americas at 18:10 and continued through the buoyed channel leaving the Port of Balboa and Panama City on the port side. The final pilot disembarked at 18:36 and Arcadia was on passage into the Pacific Ocean at 18:48. The Bridge of the Americas is a road bridge in Panama which spans the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal.