Look Who's in the Canal Today (part 2)

[Essiesmom]

This is part 2, because I started an identical thread several years ago and I don't want to go searching for it...

Today we have Radiance of the Seas, being followed by Nieuw Amsterdam, eastbound starting in Miraflores Locks

 

 

 

 

[Essiesmom]

Pedro Miguel locks

 

 

 

 

[BillB48]

Looks like a beautiful day for a transit even though Canal authorities would rather be dealing with a record breaking deluge.

[Essiesmom]

Nieuw Amsterdam at Pedro Miguel

 

 

[Essiesmom]

Radiance going from first to middle lock at Gatun

 

 

[Essiesmom]

Nieuw Amsterdam again following Radiance through Gatun.

 

 

[BillB48]

This might be going a little to deep into the weeds for some, but I will throw it out there any way.  I was watching the two pax ship while they were in Pedro Miguel and I wondered what was taking so long, mainly why it was taking what seemed to be a longer period to get the HAL ship into the east chamber.  Then it dawned on me, they held the spilling of the east chamber down to Miraflores Lake level, instead using it to fill the west chamber where the Radiance is positioned (first picture).  You can see where the water in the east chamber is dropping.  Where the water would normally go is into Miraflores Lake, however what they are doing is cross spilling through the center wall and filling the west chamber to raise the Radiance up to Gatun Lake level.  Now this method will only fill the chamber half way up, so half of the total fill will still come from Gatun Lake.  In the end the lockage will only cost half as much water as it would normally be required.

 

 

In the next picture they have spilled the remaining water from the east chamber to Miraflores Lake and let the HAL ship enter and filled the west chamber the rest of the way with water from Gatun Lake.  All this just to save a half a chamber, but it does show to what extent they are going to conserve water.  The rain situation is not looking particularly good at this point as this should be some of the rainier times of the season.

 

[Essiesmom]

10/19  Viking Mars  at Gatun

 

[Essiesmom]

Viking Mars at Pedro Miguel and Miraflores

 

 

[Essiesmom]

Busy day, two westbound, one eastbound.

First at Gatun we have ARM  Cuauhtemoc (Mexican Navy training ship) and Oceania Vista

 

 

Edited October 22, 2023 by Essiesmom

[Essiesmom]

Then Viking Mars passed through the Miraflores and Pedro Miguel locks

 

 

[Essiesmom]

Cuauhtemoc and Vista arrived together at Pedro Miguel, with Vista blocking Cuauhtemoc from our view

 

[Essiesmom]

The two ships were side by side at Miraflores, but Vista had to wait for her lock to fill.  @BillB48they did what you said they did the other day at Pedro Miguel.  With the two ships in the lock, I could see the water go down in the one lock and come up at the same time next door.

 

[Essiesmom]

Then finally Viking Mars made it to Gatun Locks

 

[BillB48]

When the Canal started the cross spilling procedure, they estimated it could save the water used by about 5 lockages per day compared to operating normally.

 

Guess the Mars did a turnaround at Ft. Amador?

[Essiesmom]

Yes, turnaround on Friday.  EM

[Essiesmom]

Today we have Eurodam eastbound.  Miraflores first.  Then Pedro Miguel where the weather got a little damp.  In the first Pedro Miguel pic, can you find the six birds?  Hint: four are on the antenna towers.  There are only five in the last pic.

 

[BillB48]

Would not have seen them without the hint.  Looks like just enough rain to make the dining venues crowded!

[BillB48]

A slightly different offering for Who's In The Canal...  some pictures  of a miter gate being removed and locked up to Miraflores Lake.  The miter gate will be laid over where it will look like a barge and later transported in the repair facility at Mt. Hope on the Atlantic side.  It will lock up at Pedro Miguel and down at Gatun to reach Mt. Hope where the miter and quoin seals will be renewed as well as a new pintle socket will be rehabbed.  At a future date after the matching leaf has been removed the chamber will be dried at the reciprocal pieces in the locks will be renewed. 

 

 

 

Only the very top of gate is visible in the lower left.  Gate was removed from the side wall

 

 

Moving into the upper level

 

[Essiesmom]

Sunday was Rotterdam on a partial transit, Agua Clara locks.  
 

 

[Essiesmom]

Today we had a surprise guest, The World.  Looking behind her you might notice the weather looks a bit challenging.

 

[Essiesmom]

An expected visitor was Ruby Princess

@BillB48is there any reason that the flag should be at half staff at Cocoli?

[BillB48]

8 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

An expected visitor was Ruby Princess

@BillB48is there any reason that the flag should be at half staff at Cocoli?

 

Most likely it is All Saints Day (Dia de Todos Los Santos) observed much in the same manner as Dia de Los Muertos is in Mexico.  Actually it is observed over two days.  This is also a big month for Holidays in Panama.  Today is Independence Day from Colombia, tomorrow is Flag Day, then comes Colon Day, later in the month there Independence from Spain and I'm sure there are some I have not mentioned. 

[BillB48]

EM, I checked with my on the scene expert and he confirmed the flag was half staff for All Saints Day. 

[Essiesmom]

Yesterday was Scenic Eclipse ll