PANAMA CANAL TRANSIT
October 6, 1999

Part 2 -- Miraflores Locks

Click on an image for a larger view

Five miles north of The Bridge of the Americas is the Mirafloras Locks. Mirafloras consists of two sets of twin locks, which raise a northbound ship approximately 54 feet - from sea level to the manmade Mirafloras Lake. Because the Pacific ocean has an eighteen foot tidal variation, the mitered gates at the lower end of Miraflores Locks are the tallest in the system. A green directional arrow directs ms Noordam into the west lane.

Panama Canal Linehandlers board the ship as she nears the locks, and toss heaving lines to two crewman in a rowboat, called a pangas. These lines are rowed ashore and attached to heavy cables, which are then pulled aboard the vessel. The other ends of the cables are secured to electric towing locomotives - also called mules, which run along tracks on both sides of the lock chamber. Vessels enter and exit the lock chamber using their own power - while the locomotives guide and position the hull in the center of the chamber. The ms Noordam required six locomotives - four at the bow and two at the stern.

This series of photos shows ms Noordam moving through the lower and upper Miraflores locks chambers. Each chamber is 1000 feet long and 110 feet wide. To raise the Noordam, the mitered gates are closed, a valve is opened, allowing fresh water from Miraflores lake to rushed down a series of 18 foot culverts running below the chamber. The water is then channeled into smaller cross culverts, and finally flowing into the chamber itself through 100 holes in the concrete bottom. The vessel is lifted to the water level of the next chamber, where the process is repeated. No pumps, only the force of gravity is used to fill and empty each chamber.

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