One of the lochs of the canal, it took us about 7 hours to travel the entire distance from Pacific to Atlantic.
These (5 of them) little boats (and Marines) were escorting the sub we saw as it transited through the canal.
A US SSN crossing from Atlantic to Pacific (under escort from 5 of the little boats shown above)
USS Dewey on the Pacific side.
One of the cuts that had to be completely excavated (basically draw a line from the top of that big mound on the right to the shore and account for all the water and you have an image of how much earth had to be moved to make just this one cut).
Excavation marks on the canal wall.
A Panama City Fire Training facility. :)
(Just on the South side of the canal)
The bridge of the Americas
Info on the canal: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Canal
Brief on the canal: The Panama Canal is a ship canal which joins the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific ocean. One of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken, it had an enormous impact on shipping between the two oceans, replacing the long and treacherous route via the Drake Passage and Cape Horn at the southernmost tip of South America. A ship sailing from New York to San Francisco via the canal travels 9,500 km (6,000 miles), well under half the 22,500 km (14,000 miles) route around Cape Horn.[1] Although the concept of a canal near Panama dates back to the early 16th century, the first attempt to construct a canal began in 1880 under French leadership. After this attempt failed and 21,900 workers died, the project of building a canal was attempted and completed by the United States in the early 1900s, with the canal opening in 1914. The building of the 77 km (48 mi) canal was plagued by problems, including disease (particularly malaria and yellow fever) and landslides. By the time the canal was completed, a total of 27,500 workmen are estimated to have died in the French and American efforts.
Since opening, the canal has been enormously successful, and continues to be a key conduit for international maritime trade. The canal can accommodate vessels from small private yachts up to large commercial vessels. The maximum size of vessel that can use the canal is known as Panamax; an increasing number of modern ships exceed this limit, and are known as post-Panamax or super-Panamax vessels. A typical passage through the canal by a cargo ship takes approximately 8–10 hours. In fiscal year 2008, 14,702 vessels passed through the waterway with a total 309.6 million Panama Canal/Universal Measurement System (PC/UMS) tons.
While the Pacific Ocean is west of the isthmus and the Atlantic to the east, the journey through the canal from the Pacific to the Atlantic is one from southeast to northwest. This is a result of the isthmus's "curving back on itself" in the region of the canal. The Bridge of the Americas at the Pacific end is about a third of a degree of longitude east of the end near Colon on the Atlantic.[2] An estimated 14,000 ships pass through the canal each year. Only 1,000 ships per year passed through the canal at its beginnings.
Since opening, the canal has been enormously successful, and continues to be a key conduit for international maritime trade. The canal can accommodate vessels from small private yachts up to large commercial vessels. The maximum size of vessel that can use the canal is known as Panamax; an increasing number of modern ships exceed this limit, and are known as post-Panamax or super-Panamax vessels. A typical passage through the canal by a cargo ship takes approximately 8–10 hours. In fiscal year 2008, 14,702 vessels passed through the waterway with a total 309.6 million Panama Canal/Universal Measurement System (PC/UMS) tons.
While the Pacific Ocean is west of the isthmus and the Atlantic to the east, the journey through the canal from the Pacific to the Atlantic is one from southeast to northwest. This is a result of the isthmus's "curving back on itself" in the region of the canal. The Bridge of the Americas at the Pacific end is about a third of a degree of longitude east of the end near Colon on the Atlantic.[2] An estimated 14,000 ships pass through the canal each year. Only 1,000 ships per year passed through the canal at its beginnings.
Info on the USS Dewey: (DDG-105) will be an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer in the United States Navy. Dewey is the third Navy ship named after Admiral of the Navy George Dewey, hero of the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War.
She was authorized on 13 September 2002 and is scheduled to be built by Northrop Grumman Ship Systems. The keel was laid on 4 October 2006 at the company's shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi.
On 26 January 2008, Dewey was christened in a ceremony in Pascagoula, by Deborah Mullen, the wife of Admiral Mike Mullen. Dewey is set to be commissioned in 2010, as the 55th Arleigh Burke class destroyer.
She was authorized on 13 September 2002 and is scheduled to be built by Northrop Grumman Ship Systems. The keel was laid on 4 October 2006 at the company's shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi.
On 26 January 2008, Dewey was christened in a ceremony in Pascagoula, by Deborah Mullen, the wife of Admiral Mike Mullen. Dewey is set to be commissioned in 2010, as the 55th Arleigh Burke class destroyer.
