TNC On Tour Panama Canal

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The Tuesday Night Club on Tour

Panama Canal

Complete passage through the Panama Canal, onboard P&O MV Arcadia.

We pick up our port pilot and immigration officials. Note the only lifejacket is worn by the British crew member on Arcadia!

Dawn over the Bridge Of The Americas at Balboa.

Bridge Of The Americas

Aerial shot of MS Arcadia approaching Miraflores Locks. (P&O)

Having be guided towards the RH lock at Miraflores, the arrow signal flips over to show the next lock to be ready.

Miraflores, bird cam.

Miraflores. Electric mules lined up ready to hitch up.

Miraflores. Bottom gates. All the gates are original, from 1913.

Electric Mule. Rack driven, third conductor rail is under a ground flap. The conductor shoe sticks through a slot.

ALL operations, including winch and line work is under the control of ACP staff. (P&O)

After flinging some light lines up, these are used to draw up the mule tow cables. (P&O)

MS Arcadia front equipment floor. ACP line men in control. (P&O)

MS Arcadia front equipment floor. ACP line men hook up the tow cable. (P&O)

MS Arcadia. Some of the Pakistani crew. (P&O)

MS Arcadia , now settled in the bottom chamber of Miraflores Lock.

MS Arcadia , Miraflores Locks.

Aerial shot of MS Arcadia in Miraflores Locks. (P&O)

Miraflores Locks. A container ship follows us up in the parallel locks.

Miraflores Locks. Top chamber of 2.

Miraflores Locks.

MS Arcadia in Miraflores Locks. (P&O)

Miraflores Locks. the by weir!

Exiting Miraflores Locks.

Miraflores Locks by weir.

MS Arcadia leaving Miraflores Locks. Note the rubber fender wheel.

Miraflores Locks.

Study of the mules. (P&O)

A preserved original mule.

Looking back at Miraflores Locks, the Princess cruise ship Pacific Princess follows us up. (this is NOT the ship that starred in "Love Boat", but a 2003 replacement - was one of the defunct Renaissance Line ships. Princess now has three of these and Oceania cruises has four. We were interested in this ship as we are going on one of the sister ships - now Oceania Nautica, in 2009.

Funnel cam, looking back down Miraflores Locks. (P&O)

MS Arcadia - funnels. (P&O)

Shot of MS Arcadia about to go down Miraflores Locks, from another cruise. (P&O)

Shot of MS Arcadia going down Miraflores Locks, from another cruise. (P&O)

Escorting tug.

Shot of MS Arcadia going down Pedro Miguel Locks, from another cruise. (P&O)

Pedro Miguel Locks. Single lock, doubled.

Pedro Miguel Locks. Centennial Bridge in the background.

Pedro Miguel Locks.

Pedro Miguel Locks. The two sets of gates are a safety feature.

Centennial Bridge.

The entrance to Pedro Miguel Locks.

Pedro Miguel Locks.

Pedro Miguel Locks. Running repairs.

Simon Westall, MS Arcadia Senior second Officer, looks on from the wing bridge.

Pedro Miguel Locks.

Study of the locks. (P&O)

Study of the locks. That is some ground paddle outlet! (P&O)

Study of the locks. (P&O)

Above Pedro Miguel Locks are signs of the expansion program, course of cut to new Pacific Locks.

SS Arcadia passing under the Centennial Bridge. (from another passage P&O)

Leaving Pedro Miguel Locks

Centennial Bridge.

The start of the new cut down to the new Pacific Locks.

Centennial Bridge.

Centennial Bridge and MS Arcadia from the air. (P&O)

MS Arcadia in Gamboa Cut. (P&O)

Gamboa Cut.

Gamboa Cut. Cliff stabilisation after the widening / deepening project.

MS Arcadia in Gamboa Cut. (P&O)

Galliard / Gamboa Cut.

Galliard / Gamboa Cut. Deepening and widening project.

Gamboa Cut.

Trip boat.

The Panama Canal Railway. Gamboa Cut.

Gamboa. The Chagres River enters from the north.

Yes we did slow down for the rowers!

The main workshops at Gamboa.

The main workshops at Gamboa. The Titan Floating Crane.

The main workshops at Gamboa. The Hercules Floating Crane.

Gamboa. Suction dredging.

I can't quite make out what is happening here!

Terrapins. (from P&O sortie)

Crocodiles.

Yet more crocodiles.

Swampy area, at start of Gatun Lake.

We pass our first ship.

Gatun Lake.

MV Pacific Princess catches us up! Gatun Lake.

Gatun Lake.

Craft waiting for passage. Gatun Lake.

Gatun Locks - these are a double triple staircase.

Gatun Locks.

Power house. Gatun Locks.

Gatun Locks.

Gatun Locks. The small "gates" in front are a swing road bridge.

Gatun Locks.

MV Pacific Princess comes alongside in the other lock. Gatun Locks.

MV Arcadia (Left) and MV Pacific Princess (Right). (P&O)

Gatun Locks.

MV Pacific Princess. Gatun Locks.

Gatun Locks.

Old Mule scrap line. Gatun Locks.

Gatun Locks.

Looking back at Gatun Locks.

Now we are out of the channel beyond Gatun, the pilot leaves. The pilot boat bought back the ships photographers / cameramen.

Tug station.

Looking back at Gatun Locks.

Caribbean Sea, next stop Margarita! Colon Port to the right.

Ships waiting for Gatun Locks, or Colon Port.

P&O pictures of MV Arcadia going up Gatun Locks.

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