I went back this morning and got to see a half-dozen or so go through and, wow, what a spectacle. Considering it's almost 100 years old, and considering the technology they had at the time, and how many people died, etc., etc., it's pretty darn amazing. It was built by the US government over a period of about 10 years, and was finished ahead of schedule and under budget. My, how times have changed.
I visited the Miraflores locks, on the Pacific side. (The ships I saw were traveling from south to north, from the Pacific to the Atlantic.) The locks raise the ship 26 meters into what was once the world's largest man-made lake. This is necessary because otherwise the waterway isn't deep enough to accomodate the ships.
Ships of any size can go through. They are charged according to weight. The ship below paid a toll of $273,000 to go through. (Yes, over a quarter-million dollars!) The alternative is to sail all the way around South America, an additional 8,000 miles.
In the distance you can see ships queueing up to come through the other way in the afternoon.
The locks are about 1,000 feet long, and if it appears to be a tight squeeze, it's because ships are built specifically to fit through the canal. An additional set of locks is being built which will allow ships twice the size (!) to fit through. They're scheduled to open in 2014, the canal's 100th anniversary.
I must say I felt a bit proud to be an American as I watched the ships rise up and pass through. It's amazing what this country can accomplish when our priorities are in order. And sad what happens when they aren't.
Here's a before-and-after set of another ship going through, showing the lock before and after it's filled with water:
I came to Panama specifically to see the canal and it was worth the trip.
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