The Panama Canal Transit - Beyond All Expectations Part 5

The Gaillard Cut approaching the Centennial Bridge. Nicknamed “Hell's Gorge,” during the Canal construction, the Gaillard Cut was a cauldron of noise with roaring locomotives and belching steam shovels where the risk of death ranged from drowning to electrocution.

Each boat on the OWR was handed 4 blue Panama lines. We used ours to tie us snugly to the boat on either side of us. Ruth II and Irish Blessing used theirs to tie to us and to attach to the lock wall. The lines on the outsides needed to be constantly either slackened or tightened as the water level changed in the lock.

Exiting the Pedro Miguel lock

Exiting the Miraflores lock. There was a loud announcement as the last OWR boat exited. “Welcome to the Pacific Ocean Oyster World Rally Fleet” It was very touching.

Approaching the final bridge, The Bridge of the Americas.

Panama lines coiled, ready to be returned.

Dangerous maneuver as our pilot, David, was picked up at high speed on the high seas!

Panama City here we come!

A picture taken from a helicopter, as the 4 nests were in the final Miraflores lock.

 “…the passage of the first ship through the canal in the summer of 1914 - the first voyage through the American land mass - marked the resolution of a dream as old as the voyages of Columbus”  David Mc Cullough “The Path Between The Seas"

The first trail across the isthmus* of Panama was paved by the Spanish after the conquest of Peru in 1533. The cobblestone Las Cruces mule trail transported many tons of gold from Peru to Spain.During the early days of the California gold rush (1848) pioneers crossed the isthmus by traveling up the Chagres river and then walking on from Gamboa. In 1850 construction began on the Panama  Railway. After 5 years of struggle, 10,000 casualties, and $8,000,000 spent, the railway opened in 1855 and was an instant success. It still runs to this day.

(*An Isthmus is a narrow strip of land with sea on either side, forming a link between two larger areas of land.)

A full 3 centuries after the Las Cruces trail was laid, a Frenchman, Count Ferdinand de Lesseps, created the Compagnie Universelle du Canal Interoceanique de Panama. De Lesseps was a French diplomat and entrepreneur. He was the developer of the very successful Suez Canal project, which in 1869 joined the Mediterranean and Red Seas, substantially reducing sailing distances and times between Europe and East Asia. Relying on his reputation post Suez Canal he was able to secure huge amounts of funds for the Panama Canal enterprise. Sadly, it turned out to be a total failure and scores of wealthy investors lost their entire life’s savings.

In 1903, when Panama gained independence from Colombia, the United States and Panama signed a treaty which allowed the USA to take over the construction of the Canal. It took 10 years, the labour of more than 750,000 men and women and $400,000,000 to finish the magnificent project.