World Trip 2005

Canal de Panamá

Grant Macandrew

Panama is famous for the Panama Canal, one of the engineering wonders of the world. The first atttempt was by a French company in 1881, headed by Ferdinand de Lesseps, which had successfully built the Suez Canal, and was planned to be at sea level. In 1899, work was abandoned when the canal had already cost the lives of an estimated 22 000 workers, chiefly through yellow fever and malaria.

An American company commenced work in 1904 and completed in 1914 for the loss of a further 5 000 workers. They retained control over the canal and its surrounds until 1999, when it became controlled by the Panama Control Authority. Contrary to expectations, Panamian control over the waterway has increased tonnage and eficiency of operations, which is a source of national pride for this small coutry. At $50 000 a crossing on average and 14 000 ships a year, the canal is a major part of the Panamian economy. The canal also affects shipbuilders - ships are built to a Panamax standard, a maximum permitted by the lock size.

This is the Miraflores locks, closest to Panama City, one of several sets which raise a ship 26 meters above sea level. The Miraflores are two-stage locks, 33.5 meters wide and 320 meters long, each taking a 100 000 tons of water and raising a ship 8 meters. From the observation point five stories up, it is hard to appreciate the sheer size of the engineering - those lock gates are 25 meters high, 20 meters wide, 2 meters thick and weigh 660 tonnes each. Up to eight mules (electric locomotives) position the ship in the lock, which can be as little as 60 cm from the lock wall, and pull the ship through. All water is gravity feed, from a catchment system left in rain forest and stored in fresh water lakes. Fortuantely, Panama has no shortage of water, with an average rainfall of 2 meters a year.

I spent some time watching ships coming through and visiting the museum at the Miraflores lock. As I drank coffee, the sirens went off and all visitors were asked to leave. I thought there might be something a little dangerous and exciting about to happen - but by the look of the big black cars leaving the site soon after, I think I was just the end of a meeting. In contrast, my transport that day was an incedibly old bus with dodgy gears, a great way to see and mix with local people.