The Panama Canal S to N

SHINE TRANSITS THE PANAMA CANAL NOVEMBER 09 Tomorrow the 4th Nov, we leave our berth at around 6.30 am, we have been here almost a month and now with a full crew head for the Atlantic. First we anchor near the entrance and await the pilot , then we expect to be at the miraflores locks system around 9-9.30. http://www.pancanal.com/eng/photo/camera-java.html wave and we'll wave back!! The transit normally takes all day and we will show up on some of the other webcams. We have used an agent for the paperwork etc and Associated Shipping did a professional job . Alex Risi gets a thumbs up from us. Doing everything we asked of him.. The Panama Canal extends across Panama from Colon on the Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean Sea) side to Balboa and the Pacific Ocean. The canal was constructed in two stages. The first between 1881and 1888 by a French company, then followed by the Americans, with their construction completed in 1914. In 1883 it was realized that the tide level at the Pacific side was almost 19 feet higher than the Atlantic side. Engineers concluded the difference in levels would be a danger to navigation. It was then proposed that a tidal lock should be constructed near Panama City to preserve the level from there to Colon. Eventually, due to some new thinking, and in an effort to do it right the first time, it was decided that the original plan should be modified and a widely accepted lock system should be used. As an example, when a ship traveling from the Atlantic side reaches the Gatun Locks, a series of three locks raise that ship about 85 ft. to Gatun Lake. Then it's a 40 mile trip to the locks at Pedro Miguel, locks that lower the ship 30 feet. At the Miraflores locks the ship is lowered an additional 52 feet to Pacific Ocean sea level. During the invasion of Panama by the United States in 1989, in their successful effort to remove the de facto ruler General Manuel Noriega from office, ( we visited the bombed site of the American invasion, which is now slums) The canal was closed for the first time in its history. Managed for decades by the U.S, the canal was returned to Panama on December 31, 1999. The Chinese now assist the Panamanians in the everyday running of the canal. http://www.panamainfo.com/en/panama-glance Our stay here has been wet and very hot , which is normal for this “transition “ period between winter and summer. We have been berthed in the Flamenco Marina which was locally owned and built to handle the growing yacht visitors and sports fishing boats. Although only 5 years old it is failing badly due to poor design and construction. Repair gangs are a permanent sight. Our anchor had to be laid to take some strain of the shaky berth. Many berths (OURS)are open to the ocean!! We ordered diesel fuel here but we heard the tanks were emptied into the marina owners vessel on the weekend and many vessels had to miss out!! We will take fuel on the Atlantic side and lucky we had enough for our transit....The marina staff were helpful but their hands are tied.. We are all looking forward to seeing the Caribbean again with our first stop being the San Blas Islands of the “Kuna” indians. The people still live like they did hundreds of years ago and the modern progress of Panama city has little effect on these islands. From there we will visit Cartegena in Columbia then on to the ABC Islands , Aruba,Bonaire and Curacao. More after the transit..