We spent the rest of today traversing the part of the canal from Gatun Lake to the Atlantic, this time mostly by daylight. After the pilot joined us, we still had a long wait before it was our turn to go through the locks that would take us from the level of the lake down about 80 feet to ocean level in three steps. We had plenty of time to watch other ships maneuver into place.
Finally the ship with which we were to share the locks got into position.
Once we got into the approach to the locks, the “high tech” component of the exercise became apparent – the rowboat. They apparently never found a better way to get the cables from the ships to the “mules” (locomotive-type machines that run on tracks along the canal) than good old-fashioned manpower. The row boat approached the ship,
the rope handlers, who had come aboard previously, threw a rope from the ship to the rowboat (the on-board videographer is shown here videotaping the whole process).
The guys in the rowboat attached a cable to the rope and the rope handlers pulled the cable on board and secured it.
The other end of the cable was attached to the mule
and pulled tight.
There were 4 mules, 2 at the bow and 2 at the stern that kept the ship centered in the lock. Then the lock gates closed behind us
and the water started draining out.
Once the water was down to the level of the next lock and the gates in front of us were fully opened,
we moved into the next lock, the mules following alongside.
It was interesting to see that the rope handlers had plenty of leisure time while we transited the locks.
Finally the ship with which we were to share the locks got into position. Once we got into the approach to the locks, the “high tech” component of the exercise became apparent – the rowboat. They apparently never found a better way to get the cables from the ships to the “mules” (locomotive-type machines that run on tracks along the canal) than good old-fashioned manpower. The row boat approached the ship,the rope handlers, who had come aboard previously, threw a rope from the ship to the rowboat (the on-board videographer is shown here videotaping the whole process).The guys in the rowboat attached a cable to the rope and the rope handlers pulled the cable on board and secured it.The other end of the cable was attached to the muleand pulled tight.There were 4 mules, 2 at the bow and 2 at the stern that kept the ship centered in the lock. Then the lock gates closed behind usand the water started draining out.Once the water was down to the level of the next lock and the gates in front of us were fully opened,we moved into the next lock, the mules following alongside.It was interesting to see that the rope handlers had plenty of leisure time while we transited the locks.
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