26 NOV 22 Panama Canal

 

This post is based primarily on Don's notes, occasionally supplemented with MT's notes from our cruise in November 2022. When information from other sources is added—for further explanation to readers or to satisfy our own curiosity—that is set off in a text box (as this one).
Most of the photos that accompany this post are from Don’s camera (with a caption indicating the time it was taken); those from MT’s iPhone are indicated by “MT” placed at the beginning of the photo caption. Photos from any other source (such as the public domain Wikimedia Commons), occasionally used for clarification, indicate that source in the caption.

The Viking Daily newsletter showed today's weather forecast as "An afternoon thunderstorm 80° F" and "Sunrise: 6:17 AM."

Don woke at 6 am (MT was already doing laundry).

There were no optional shore excursions today. The Viking Daily newsletter described today's activity, "Scenic Cruising: Panama Canal," as follows:
"Forty-eight miles long, the Panama Canal; crosses the narrowest stretch of the Isthmus of Panama. Witnessing this engineering marvel at work is truly memorable. At the Caribbean and Pacific ends, a vas series of locks lifts and lowers your ship 85 feet from sea level, guided by electric engines that do the job performed by mules on more ancient canals. Between, this astonishing waterway divides continents at the river-like Gaillard Cut and the enormous Gatun Lake. Far from the mechanics of the locks’ chambers, the canal is embraced by the lush beauty of Panama. Emerald-green forests stretch into Soberania Park to the south and Gatun Lake is dotted with tranquil islands like so many jewels.”

 

The Viking Daily also listed the schedule for “Panama Canal Partial Transit Timings” (this was the first time we were aware that “Panama Canal Transit” did not mean going all the way across to the Pacific side) as follows:
5:30 AM Pilot for transit
7:00 AM Entering Gatun Locks
8:35 AM Clearing locks
10:00 AM Anchoring at the lake
11:30 AM Resuming Pilot on board
12:30 PM Entering Gatun Locks
2:05 PM Clearing Locks
3:35PM ETS Cristobal
The above times are estimates and are subject to change by local officials.
Please note that the canal transit commentary will not be broadcast through guest staterooms; however, it will be available from your veranda [balcony]. If you would like to her the commentary in your stateroom, please turn on your TV to the “Bridge Camera.” Guest Lecturer Gary Evans will be providing the commentary.

Schematic of Panama Canal, illustrating the sequence of locks and  passages, starting from the Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean Sea) at the top left and ending at the Pacific Ocean at the bottom right (By Thomas Römer/OpenStreetMap data, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=196786). According to the commentary during our partial transit, Gatun Lake is 87 ft above sea level; the chart at the bottom of this photo shows it as 85 ft; the Wikipedia entry on the canal, in which this photo appears, says 87 ft in another place. 

Map of Panama Canal provided by Viking, with Cristobal, Gatun Locks (3 Stages), and Lake Gatun at top left, near the Caribbean Sea and  Pacific Ocean at bottom right.

Saturday, ‎November ‎26, ‎2022, ‏‎6:13 AM - Viking Star: view from our balcony of bridge near Colón, around sunrise (photo taken with Don's camera).

6:13 AM - Viking Star: view from our balcony of bridge near Colón, around sunrise (photo taken by Don's android phone).

‏‎6:25 AM - Viking Star: view from our balcony of same bridge from other side.

6:26 AM - Viking Star: "Bridge Camera" on TV in  our stateroom, looking ahead to the canal.

‏‎6:27 AM - Viking Star: view from our balcony back to the bridge near Colón.

‏‎6:29 AM - Viking Star: view from our balcony toward the canal.

‏6:41 AM - Viking Star: "Bridge Camera" on TV in  our stateroom, approaching the canal.

The Viking Daily newsletter listed “Scenic Beverages” at 6:30-7:30 am, saying “There will be Mimosas and Bloody Mary’s available during the Panama Canal entry. Explorers’ Lounge & Aquavit Terrace (7).”

 

That sounded better than the Bridge Camera view. So, at 7:00 am, we went to the outside railing of the Explorers' Lounge (Deck 7 forward) to watch the Canal Transit. It was already crowded, but Don found a place where he could see and take photos over people at the rail. According to the commentary, 

7:01 AM - Viking Star: view, from Explorers' Lounge, of the first lock; the ship ahead of ours was already at a higher water level.

7:01 AM - Viking Star: view, from Explorers' Lounge, of the first lock, close up.

At this point, we went down to the Jogging Track around Deck 2, where MT could see better.

7:10 AM - Viking Star: view, from Jogging Track, of electric "mule" guiding the bulk carrier (cargo) ship "Ocean Beauty" on its way down to the Caribbean end of the canal, with some of its crew waving to us from the bow; at far right, next to the forward port-side end of Viking Star, is another mule guiding our ship in the other direction.

MT 7:13 AM - Viking Star: view, from Jogging Track, of mule guiding the bulk carrier (cargo) ship "Ocean Beauty" on its way down to the Caribbean end of the canal.

MT 7:14 AM - Viking Star: view, from Jogging Track, of mule guiding the "Ocean Beauty" toward a bridge near the Caribbean end of the canal (mild telephoto 51 mm).

7:14 AM - Viking Star: view, from Jogging Track on the forward starboard side, of three mules guiding our ship toward the first lock. (According to our onboard commentary, the mules do not pull the ship but guide it under its own power with a pilot aboard.)

MT 7:16 AM - Viking Star: view, from Jogging Track, of a small (pilot?) boat.

Then we went back up to the Explorers' Lounge (Deck 7) for a better view., despite the crowd.

7:25 AM - Viking Star: view, from Explorers' Lounge, of both sides (down and up) of the first lock, as the gate on our (up) side began to open just a crack; visible at bottom right is the bow of Deck 3, to which we did not have access.

7:29 AM - Viking Star: view, from Explorers' Lounge, as the gate on our (up) side of the first lock began to open more (away from us).

7:31 AM - Viking Star: view, from Explorers' Lounge, as the gate on our (up) side of the first lock opened more.

7:37 AM - Viking Star: view, from Explorers' Lounge, as we entered the first lock,  with mules ahead of us on the left.

7:45 AM - Viking Star: view, from Explorers' Lounge, as we approached the second lock.

7:47 AM - Viking Star: view, from Explorers' Lounge, at the gate of the second lock; observation tower (station "44") by next set of gates (telephoto 109 mm).

MT 7:48 AM - Viking Star: view, from Explorers' Lounge, back to the gate on the downward side of the second lock (telephoto 67 mm).

8:02 AM - Viking Star: view, from Explorers' Lounge, of gate of the second lock beginning to open.

8:07 AM - Viking Star: view, from Explorers' Lounge, as we entered the second lock.

8:08 AM - Viking Star: view, from Explorers' Lounge, of mules down below as we entered the second lock.

8:10 AM - Viking Star: view, from Explorers' Lounge, of station "44," "Gatun 1915" at the top of the second lock (telephoto 93 mm).

8:10 AM - Viking Star: view, from Explorers' Lounge, of mule guiding us up to station "44," "Gatun 1915" at gate (still closed) at the top of the second lock.

MT 8:11 AM - Viking Star: view, from Explorers' Lounge, mule guiding us to station "44," "Gatun 1915" at gate (just starting to open) at the top of the second lock (telephoto 81 mm).

8:23 AM - Viking Star: view, from Explorers' Lounge, station "44," "Gatun 1915" at gate (opening) at the top of the second lock, with third lock ahead.

8:26 AM - Viking Star: view, from Explorers' Lounge, as we entered the third lock, with Gatun Lake ahead.

8:31 AM - Viking Star: view, from Explorers' Lounge, as we approached the gate at the end of the third lock, with Gatun Lake ahead.

We seemed to be right on schedule for "8:35 Clearing locks."

The next item on the schedule was "10:00 AM Anchoring at the Lake."

 

Gatun Lake is an artificial lake created in 1913 by damming the Chagres River. The lake provides the millions of liters of water necessary to operate the locks each time a ship passes through. The water to refill the locks is taken from the lake by opening and closing enormous gates and valves and letting gravity propel the water down from the lake, which is 85 ft (or 87 ft) above sea level. 

At 9 am, we went to the World Café (Deck 7) for breakfast, which we ate on the Aquavit Terrace outside the Café on the aft end of Deck 7.

On the way there, Don took our dinner menu to The Restaurant (Deck 2) and pic ked up a map of the canal and Sudoku puzzles from the Explorers' Desk (Deck 1).

From 11:15 to noon, we walked around the Jogging Track (Deck 2), which ran around the outside of The Restaurant.

At 12:30 pm, we went to the Pool Grill (Deck 7) for our habitual lunch of seared ahi tuna, etc.

At 1:15-3:15, we watched the movie "Six Minutes to Midnight" on the TV in our stateroom.

MT 5:46 PM - Viking Star: view, from our balcony, of sunset (telephoto 99 mm).

MT 5:46 PM - Viking Star: view, from our balcony, of sunset with a ship on the horizon (telephoto 94 mm).

At 6 pm, we went to The Restaurant (Deck 2) for our pre-ordered dinner.

MT 6:22 PM - Viking Star: The Restaurant - MT's starter; she had pre-ordered "Sicilian Vegetable Caponata - roasted tomato plum dressing, Sardinian bread."

MT 7:30 PM - Viking Star: MT's menu for The Restaurant the next evening, with choices circled.

At 8 pm, we watched the movie "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" on the TV in our stateroom (we found it under the "Crime" category), although that movie was scheduled to be shown  "under the stars" on the Pool Deck (Deck 7) at 8:30 pm.