The Panama Canal

Ruins of the US Army Fort Sherman in the former Canal Zone built to protect the Panama Canal.

I don't remember when I first learned about the Panama Canal. But, growing up in the post-WWII era it seemed like something that was just there and we took it for granted until it was given away in the late 70's. But, there's much more to the story. The engineering feat that it represented truly makes it one of the wonders of the modern world.

The Public Entrance to the Miraflores Lock and Museum
 

To learn about the canal we went to two museums. The Panama Canal Museum in Casco Viejo and the Museum at Miraflores Lock. After going through them I was disappointed and wanted to learn more so I read two antiquarian books that were published contemporaneously with the opening of the canal.  

The two books I read about the Canal. Both written over 100 years ago.
 

Entrance to the Panama Canal Museum in Casco Viejo
 

Panama was formed by volcanoes that rose from the bottom of the sea between north and south America and over millennia formed the connection between the continents. Because it was formed by lava flows from volcanic peaks there were low points and it was the low point that formed the isthmus between the continents that could be exploited as the site of the legendary canal. The value of this area was not lost on indigenous people who traversed it and later shared their knowledge with the Spanish when they arrived in the early 1500's. From the first days of their involvement the Kings of Spain dreamed of building a connection between the two oceans through Panama.

View from the Centenario Bridge looking at the Pedro Miguel Locks (taken very fast)

The early Spanish built the Camino Real to transport the spoils to Portobelo that were brought to Panama from other colonies for shipment to Spain. Portobelo and Panama became targets of many pirates looking for riches. In more recent precanel days, ships entered the rivers on both sides of the continents connecting with roads and trails that passed through the jungle and hills thereby connecting the two rivers. Later a railroad connected the two sides of the continent. Most of the people going to California for the "gold-rush" sailed from the US East Coast to Panama and crossed the isthmus by carriage or train to the Pacific side and then sailed on to California,

 

The south end of the Miraflores Lock. The double gates serve to protect in the event of a failure.

The first modern canal effort came from the French. The team that assembled to build the canal included Ferdinand de Lesseps who built the Suez Canal. It was their belief that a sea-level canal could be built just like in the Sinai. Although to their credit they realized the huge tide swings on the Pacific side required a lock.. They thought that the mountainous jungle of Panama could be worked with more digging just like digging through desert sand. They had no concept of moving mountains or dealing with the torrential rains of Panama. Besides the engineering obstacles they failed to understand, the French effort was plagued with corruption and eventually the project ran out of money since the construction was financed through public sales of stock and bonds. As news of the corruption and construction failures spread nobody would invest and the effort collapsed. A second French effort was formed but never really got started. By the time the second effort started the new managers believed that a locked system was needed.

A small cargo ship coming into the lock assisted by tugs. The Centenario Bridge in the background.

There were efforts to build trans-ocean links in Mexico and Nicaragua besides Panama. The United States through the time of the French project was studying the concept of a canal through Nicaragua. The US Congress even passed legislation that Nicaragua was the preferred route. But, with the failed French effort Colombia made the US a deal it couldn't refuse. However, after making the deal Colombia believed they could extract more money from the US and the Colombian legislature refused to ratify the treaty. After being repulsed by Colombia the US supported the Panamanians that wanted to secede. The historical relationship between Panama and Colombia is a study onto itself. 

A Panamax ship Pacific-bound in the new larger locks.
 

Throughout most of it's history the government of Colombia viewed Panama as a stepchild. For many years in the 19th Century it was almost totally autonomous. But, then a new government came in and saw Panama as a resource it could exploit. The Panamanians were agitating for independence long before the US came along. Once Panama was independent Panama was willing to give the US everything and more than they requested to complete the canal.

A display from the traffic control center for the Canal.

Having obtained the rights to the Panama Railroad and the canal concession the Americans focused on one critical factor that decimated the French. No canal could be built if they didn't solve the diseases of Malaria and Yellow Fever. Through experience and work in other countries like Cuba they learned about the role of the mosquito in transmitting these diseases and immediately began a campaign to eradicate them. It included draining swamps, paving the streets in Panama and Colon, installing a sanitary water and refuse system, and killing mosquito larvae wherever it was. Through these efforts the American project could succeed. The French project lost thousands of lives to the diseases. 

View of the frontside of the lock with the electric engine that controls the ship. There are mules on each side that the ships tie to that control the passage through the lock. On the left side of the photo you can see the decline to get to the lower level.

At the same time the disease control was being implemented the US assembled a group of leading engineers from around the world to evaluate a plan for building the canal. This august body concluded by majority vote that a sea level canal was best following the French example. A minority reported that a lock system using an inland lake could be used and provided the conditions that were later used to build the canal. US President Teddy Roosevelt had the foresight to accept the minority report to build the canal.

Some of the land-side infrastructure including the Miraflores Hydroelectric plant. One of several that provide power for the canal and Panama. The Culebra Cut can be seen in the distance.
 

Because of the notorious corruption that plagued the French effort the project was given to the US Army Corps of Engineers and would be closely audited to ensure the fidelity of the investment by the US. Maj George Washington Goethals of the Army Corps of Engineers was assigned to build the canal. The concept was the 4 locks on the Atlantic side and 3 locks on the Pacific side with a lake between them to float the ships across the continent.  

Some of the ships anchored on the Atlantic side waiting to cross through the Canal or leave Panama. At any given time there are upwards of 50 ships on each side of the canal waiting to transit. That's about 2 days worth of business for the canal.

The project was built at great cost in labor, material and human loss. But, it was brought in ahead of schedule and under budget. Because there had never been any project of this scale done before machinery had to be designed and built for the work and for the canal operation. Much of it accomplished by the engineers working on the canal. About 200 million cubic yards of material were removed in the construction including massive amounts from the Culebra Cut which is the Continental Divide and the highest point of the route which had to be reduced for the level canal water with the depth for ships to pass and be maintained. During the construction the sides of Culebra collapsed until the engineers figured how far and at what degree the angles of the cut had to be to prevent future collapses.

Shelter Bay Marina sits in what was no doubt the Officer's Club on old Fort Sherman. There are concrete pads in the water for docking seaplanes and the post theater is now the sail loft.

The engineers working this project, nor anyone else in the world for that matter, had ever dealt with a project of this magnitude and with the extreme climatic onditions. For example, the engineers found the highest level of flooding in the Chagres river and doubled it to determine the maximum amount of stress that could be placed on the system that would be contained by Lake Gatun. The base of the Gatun Dam is 1/2 mile thick and made of many different layers of river mud, gravel and concrete and the spillways capable of diverting enough flow so the dam will never be stressed and in over 100 years of performance has never failed. 

The ruins of Battery Mower that featured some of the largest gun emplacements on the Atlantic side of the canal. A rail system internally was used for cars to move the projectiles for the guns.

In spite of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and violent weather the canal has continued operating.Less than 10 years ago the new locks of the Panama Canal were opened that could allow larger ships to pass through. However, the original infrastructure of the canal is still intact. Lake Gatun as originally designed and constructed over 100 years ago supplies water to both sets of lock systems, the hydroelectric power systems and the drinking water for Panama without modification. There is now concern that there is not enough water to sustain the operation. The blame is being placed on climate change but, when you expand the requirements with more than doubling the canal size, Panama City is now 100 times larger than it was 100 years ago and there has been no new water sources identified. What do you expect will occur?

Some of Ft Sherman's current residents

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course the history of the canal includes the history of the Canal Zone which was ceded by Panama to the US for the security and efficient operation of the canal. In the Zone were 22 military installations that included coastal defense batteries, naval stations, air fields and supply depots.With the turnover of the Canal many of the former US installations are being used for wide-reaching purposes. Besides those supporting the canal operations, most have been converted to some commercial purpose mostly supporting Panama's logistical infrastructure. In the area of Colon many have been converted to a large "Duty-free Zone" for tourists to come and buy a wide range of products duty free. Many of the buildings and much of the infrastructure the US left behind that is still in use is still standing and functional. Much of it has turned into ruins. The coastal batteries that were built to withstand heavy naval bombardment are still standing but have been reclaimed by the jungle. 

 

 More scenes from the batteries

 

 

 

 

 

Transiting the Panama Canal is a unique and remarkable experience. But gaining insight into the wonder that is the Canal must give one pause to appreciate the level of human achievement and technological progress represented there.

 

The Ft Sherman Chapel

Old Panama

Sign by the Panama City waterfront declaring it to be the beautiful life. What we think we're living.
 

During our stay in Panama after returning from the States we were able to spend time visiting the "tourist" sites.  As we travel around the Caribbean we try to visit lots of cultural and historic sites in the regions where we stay. The history and geopolitical story of Panama has intrigued me since I first learned about the canal and it's importance in world history.

Ancient cannons guarding the entrance to the Visitors Center of Panama Viejo.
 

Panama has had a significant place in history since Columbus first sailed here in about 1502 in his fourth and final voyage. During that trip he sailed the Caribbean coast including Bocas del Toro and along to Portobelo all of which he named. Shortly after that Spanish explorers and conquistadors began investigating the isthmus and realized the opportunity that it presented because of the short distance between the two great oceans of the world.

The Harbor at Portobelo.
 

In 1519 Vasco Balboa charted the isthmus and in 1521 the Spanish established the parish of Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion de Panama in an area that is now part of Panama City but is about 7 miles from Casco Viejo. Casco Viejo is the area now usually identified as the Old City or Old Quarter.  

The beginning of El Camino Real in Panama Viejo.

In 1521 the City of Panama was laid out and built on the Pacific to serve as the port for the exploration and trans-shipment of minerals across the isthmus to Portobelo where they would be removed to Spain. A highway was established between the two ports called El Camino Real, the Royal Highway and for hundreds of years the spoils of Spanish conquest moved between the City of Panama and Portobelo and then to Spain over the fabled Spanish Main.

The tower of the old Cathedral still standing.
 

The Spanish failed to fortify the City because it was assumed there were no threats in the Pacific. However, in 1671 the infamous English Pirate Henry Morgan attacked it having come across the isthmus but the inhabitants burned the City rather than have it fall into the hands of pirates. 

The inside of the cathedral and houses along the next street.
 

The survivors then moved to a peninsula about 7 miles north and built the new City of Panama on what has become known as Casco Viejo, or the "Old Quarter." 

An interpretive placard depicting the Cathedral and major buildings that surrounded the plaza.
 

Old Panama is distinctive because it isn't actually a safe harbor for ships. Ships anchored offshore near islands in the Bay and the cargoes were brought to shore in small boats. The new Panama was closer to the anchorage where the ships were unloaded. Now, those islands are part of the mainland having been connected with spoils from the construction of the Panama Canal.

Inside of the ruins of Iglesia del Arco Chato. One of the earliest examples of brick arches without keystones that have survived earthquakes when the church didn't.  Located in Casco Viejo.

The external facade.

 Here's an interesting site with pictures of the 7 principal cathedrals still in use. https://www.thelostandfoundhostel.com/blog/the-seven-churches-of-casco-viejo

The new Panama remained relatively unchanged for about 200 years until the US got interested in building the Panama Canal. Up to that time Panama was a step-child province of Colombia and the present fate of the Panamanians depended on the Governor of Colombia who was in power at the time. After the failed French attempt to build a canal the US proposed to buy out the French interest in a deal 

The entrance to the Panama Canal Museum in Casco Viejo.
 

with Colombia that they reneged on. The US then helped the Panamanians gain their independence and quickly made a deal with the new government. As part of its program to control and eliminate the mosquitos that were largely responsible for yellow fever and malaria on the isthmus and a major cause of the French failure, the US as part of its Canal project paved the streets of Panama and Colon; installed a water and sewer system; and electric power.

Panama City Hall

Views of Herrera Plaza dedicated to Tomas Herrera, a significant military and political leader in Panama. In Casco Viejo

 

                            Casa Casco, one of our favorite restaurants.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the opening of the canal and modern utilities the city began to grow. Today, the Panama of the pre-canal days is the area known as Casco Viejo and is probably less than 5% of modern Panama City. Over 500 years of history exists in one of the oldest and most influential areas of the western hemisphere. Settlements in the western hemisphere predate Panama by a few years. But, Panama was established and its influence in history begun less than 30 years after the discovery of the western hemisphere. Even today it is one of the very few true crossroads of the world where traffic from every corner passes making it a truly unique and culturally rich community.

Panama's BioMuseo that traces Panama from its earliest development from volcanoes through present day.

Panama Viejo or "Old Panama" is a World Heritage Site as it should be and I can't help but marvel at the accomplishments of these early settlers and what has been accomplished in the intervening years.

Visit old Panama and share the rapture of this history.

    The modern skyline of Panama City from the rooftop of Casa Casco in Casco Viejo.

 A closer view of the modern Panama Skyline.

The States and Getting Ready for Cruising, Maybe

 Beachwalk on Caranero Island in Bocas area.

It has been several months since I updated our blog. Partly from being busy, partly from malaise, partly having an ongoing parade of issues, partly because of internet issues but mostly from uncertainty about everything. 2021 seemed to be the year that everything that could go wrong. Did go wrong. It has been 7 years since we bought this boat and have been living aboard cruising so I called it the "7-year itch." If you've never heard of it, the "7 year itch" was a 1950's movie about a theory that after 7 years people in a relationship reach a point of turmoil and point of reckoning. So I think our boat reached that point and we are having to deal with it. Well, that's my story

Lunch in Coconut Grove during our first quick Miami stop. 

 The seal we had to get called an Apistile

 

We continue to move on and look forward to getting back on our plan. Besides the gremlins on the boat the world has been in a constant state of change in dealing with Covid and the economic consequences. Looking ahead, new health protocols will play a big role in where we can go and what we can do as they have for many cruisers so far. So while passing through this vortex over the past 6-8 months we flew back to the States to do what we usually do in the summer time. We go back to take care of personal business; see family and friends; shop for things we need to bring back; and have a short glimpse back into our former lives. 

Stopping for dinner at Iron Hill Brewery in Lancaster on our trip there.
 

This year going back to the US was unsettling. Living very remotely and mostly in a state of isolation when we return to crowded bustling highways, stores and spaces it's a big adjustment. As an example, last year when we flew back to the States we got in an airplane of about 200 people when before that the most people we had been close to at once for months was 5-6. We also don't hear the local news and are not subject to the influences of local media so how people are acting seems very different. The first few years was easy because we weren't that far removed but the longer we go the more removed we become. 

Pretty Illinois field and flower farm near friends where we stay when in that area.
 

As we made our travel plans there were many things to consider. We had events with friends and family that had been planned that we needed to consider, scheduling our medical appointments and time to visit the people we needed to see. We also were handed some business that should have been addressed by a firm we paid to manage our paperwork for our Panamanian residency. When the documents came back the Panamanian Consulate did not complete them correctly. So, our first order of business back in the US was to visit the Panamanian Consulate in Miami to correct this. So, we scheduled a day there and got the matter resolved quickly that gave us time to play a little bit before heading on. 

Watching my grandson do his first solo flight.
 

The next day we had to leave for DC so we could drive to Pennsylvania to attend a luncheon for one of my nieces that just got married. With that air leg in mind we concocted a plan to do all our flying in one large loop. From DC we flew to Chicago, from Chicago to Dallas and from there back to Miami. The trip made it easy to see everyone we needed to and the airfare was very cost effective. Another one of the shocks we experienced in our trip was the high cost of hotels and rental cars. It took a significant amount of work to find good pricing and by mixing the use of points from my hotel and rental car 

Watching my youngest grandson play soccer.
 

accounts to keep the costs down. For the first time we used Air BnB and used Uber much more extensively. We found off-airport rental car locations that in several instances saved us over a thousand dollars on rentals. We stayed in hotels when the prices were reasoanable, Air BNB's when they weren't. In several instances we reused hotel locations when we found ones with good rates. We also stayed with several friends that helped keep down the hotel costs. But, in the entire trip from Bocas del Toro, we used 8 flights, 5 rental cars, 60 nights in hotels, countless Ubers, most of our meals in restaurants or takeout and it was good to get back after getting everything done. 

Our view from our quarantine hotel.
 

When we returned to Panama there was a requirement that travelers from the US needed to do a 3 day quarantine and get a negative test before reentering Panama freely. Panama had negotiated rates with 8 hotels that were published. Since I have elite status with Marriott I looked at those properties and the Westin at Playa Bonita had a reasonable rate. I figured if we had to be stuck in a room we would be stuck in a nice place. The hotel upgraded us to a huge 2-room suite with balconies. They 

Cathedral ruins of Panama Viejo built in the middle 16th Century.
 

gave us a complementary fruit plate on our arrival and as a welcome gift the next day they gave us a bottle of wine with a cheese and cracker platter. As Sam says in "Casablanca," sort of takes the sting out of being occupied. We got to the hotel late Thursday night and Sunday morning tested out so it was really only 2 days and 3 nights. We got meals by room service. So after 2 months of nonstop go-go in the US a 2-day break was welcome. We had a great view of a beautiful beach and the ocean.

The Panama BioMuseo displaying the natural history of Panama
 

After leaving captivity we remained in Panama City to do what we needed to obtain our residency status and do some sightseeing. Panama City has a tremendous amount of history and of course the canal. Panama City is very cosmopollitan with restaurants of all types and for the most part everyplace we ate was very good. In addition to the ever popular Casco Viejo (Old Quarter) we walked from our hotel to Panama Viejo. Panama Viejo (Old Panama) was Panama City before Casco Viejo. It was the original Spanish port built in 1521 where the riches being extracted on the Pacific side of South America were shipped to Panama and then transported overland to Porto Belo where they were dispatched to Spain. 

The newly renovated Bocas Town Hall
 

Panama Viejo was sacked by Henry Morgan and the townspeople burned it to deny the pirates any haven. After its destruction the new Panama was built at the current site of Casco Viejo. Since the opening of the canal the city has grown substantially and beyond the site of Panama Viejo. 

A ship enters the Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal
 

It was wonderful to get back home after being gone more than 2 months. Being accustomed to our lifestyle of the past 7 years we tolerate the diversions back to the States and the tourism is fun but we really miss our home. Even though the boat is a lot of constant work. It's home and it's wonderful. 

After sightseeing enjoying a rooftop bar at Casacasco in Casco Viejo
 

From the time we finally arrived back home in October until we left to go back to the San Blas in February we did some fun things and enjoyed socializing with friends but mostly we did work. We worked to get our boat ready for more adventures but we did some longer term projects as well. We replaced the anchor light that was dying before we left. I replaced the galley faucet with a new and upgraded one. I was able to finish an update on all of our boat teak to keep it fresh looking and tuned the rig which is an annual event. But on to the cause of our delays. 

Amekaya sporting her new bottom paint
 

We had scheduled a routine bottom painting in October and after dropping off our dinghy for some canvas upgrades we motored over to the yard in Almirante for haulout to have the bottom repainted. That's when we began to discover issues. The first one we discovered on the way to the Boatyard. Our engine wouldn't go above 2500 RPM at wide open throttle. We normally run about 3000 rpm and the max is about 3800 rpm. So we needed to discover that issue and resolve it. Then while at the Boatyard 

Participating in a harbor cleanup dive with Bocas Dive Center
 

in checking I discovered we needed a new Cutlass bearing. The cutlass Bearing is a metal tube with a slotted rubber liner that supports the drive shaft where it goes through the hull allowing water in to cool it but not enough water to be an issue. I didn't have a spare for it. When the bottom work finished we motored back to our slip. I ordered a new Cutlass Bearing from the States and we chased down the engine issue. After some analysis we decided to replace the injectors. So, we ordered those. A seatrial after replacing them showed they were the culprit for the engine woes. One of them seemed to be defective. 

Horseback riders on the beach and on Sunday they do rodeo events in the corral.

Not everything we did revolved around the boat. There were other aspects of life. One day in November I was talking to my oldest son that now lives in Germany and he told me he had found a way to marry his fiance that lived in Vietnam.  He could do a Zoom Wedding. He found a county in Utah that recognized them, he found an official who could perform the ceremony and he setup all the technical connections. So one Saturday in November we sat down to watch the computer wedding the power went out in town and knocked out the internet. We missed it. I later saw the unedited video of it. So I'm happy for them.

Watching the video of my son's wedding in November.

While we were working on our issues one of our good friends went into the hospital just before Thanksgiving for initially unknown causes but they soon diagnosed it as Prostate Cancer but nobody knew how bad it was. After being kept a few days he was released but only a few days later returned to the hospital and passed away. We went to Changuinola where the hospital was to be with his wife and have been helping her through the affairs.

  Our friend Jim Baumgart who passed away in December.

While doing the engine analysis we debated about where to replace the Cutlass Bearing. I could do it myself but would need a yard with tools I didn't have and we wanted to be on our way to the San Blas. We thought about leaving and going to Linton Bay in the eastern part of Panama but we didn't want to do any damage to the engine and I didn't really get a sense of how good the work there would be. So, I decided to do it at the Bocas Boatyard. It was close, we liked being in Bocas and if we got stuck it 

Chiquita banana boat being loaded at the Port of Almirante.
 

wouldn't be a bad place to be stuck. Initially things didn't go badly. We got the old bearing out and the new one installed. Everything reassembled and launched. But, when we tried to motor out the boat shook from the vibration. It was too late to haul us back out so we spent the night on a mooring next to the Chiquita Banana dock. The next morning they pulled us back out and re installed the prop correcting several issues that were discovered and relaunched us and we still had vibrations. The Boatyard wouldn't haul us out again because of other boats needing to be launched and not knowing exactly the cause we limped back out to the mooring and called for a tow back to the marina. 

Amekaya decked out for Christmas.
 

Perplexed, we discussed with lots of people searching for insight. A consensus seemed to be that it was that the engine was now out-of-alignment. I worked on that but it didn't seem to help. This was all happening over the holidays and the Boatyard was closed. After the holidays we scheduled a return and the Manager announced that the parts of the prop were not aligned properly. I'm not sure how he 

Putting the gear cone back onto the shaft nut that determines the prop pitch. This part was initially reinstalled incorrectly and was one of the first issues fixed but not the real issue.
 

suddenly arrived at that epiphany but, after hauling us out he removed the prop and reinstalled it. The next morning they dropped us in the water and we went backwards. Again they lifted us out but this time they were too busy with another boat so I removed the prop and reinstalled it myself. The next morning they dropped us in the water and it worked. 

On a jungle walk we saw this 3-toed sloth climbing up off the ground.
 

We still needed some tweeks to the engine alignment but we could now see that the light at the end of the tunnel wasn't a train. What a relief having resolved that issue. Now that we could see a realistic exit it was a scramble to cleanup all the loose ends of tasks to be able to go. I had both of our outboard engines serviced, we started provisioning for long term remote anchoring, did a shakedown on all the systems, had necessary air conditioning reparis completed and checked out everything to avoid more surprises. So after too many months bound to the marina we left for Linton Bay Marina on 08 February 2022 as we went off to the San Blas. Or so we thought. 

A sunset over Bocas