Saturday, June 16, 2012

Canal Crossing

Chantey V scheduled transit time at Miraflores Lock is 8 to 9 am PST Sunday June 17th, 2012
UPDATE Transit time at Gatun Lock DELAYED to around  11  to 12 noon PST MONDAY June 18th, 2012.
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 Panama Canal
The famed Panama Canal was carved through one of the narrowest portions of the long isthmus that joins the North and South American continents, by poor, mostly immigrant workers, thirty thousand of which gave their lives to the enterprise.Since 1914 the sets of three locks have functioned flawlessly for almost 100 years. The Gatun Lake and Dam, part way across, was at one time the largest man-made lake and dam in the world. An amazing feat! Presently another canal access  is being cut alongside to accommodate even larger super-tankers. In 1989, some years after a student uprising that cost seventeen lives, the United States relinquished control of the canal to the Panamanians, an historic moment for this small country.
And in the midst of all this, here we sit, Chantey V rafted with our buddy boat Tension Reliever , making our transit through one of the biggest super-structures on the planet. Sort of makes one feel rather insignificant, doesn't it?

1 comment:

  1. Glad to see you made it through! We are hanging in the Loreto area, still enjoying the sea.

    Nicki & John

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