Panama Canal

Shipping through the Panama Canal was fascinating. Just looking at the terrain surrounding the canal one can only imagine how incredibly difficult this project was. The French tried and spent $ 30-40 million dollars and abandon the effort as unachievable not long before the USA decided to take it on.

First things first Teddy Roosevelt had to get access to the land “the Canal Basin” . It was Columbian territory, there was no Panama . The Columbians said no. So mighty Teddy in a very diplomatic way simple backed a coup told the people of “the unrecognized panama territory” America would protect them so in 1903 the people of “Panama” decided to become there own country w/ the help of America the rich and powerful. America sent bags of $ instead of troops to sway the Columbians to go home . By the end of the weekend a bloodless coup was finished. Panama was recognized by the US as it’s own state and promptly sign the sovereignty rights to the Canal basin over to America. The Canal project took from 1904-1914 to complete

They had to dig out mountains and jungles engineer a lock system and do it all when technology was far more primitive . They used steam shovels that could dig up 8 tons of earth at a whack! They then loaded the earth and rocks on to a ever changing rail system they were building along side the canal.

It took us roughly 9 hrs to pass through 3 lock systems at a cost of $130,000

Some 14,000 vessels go through the canal each yr!

We are sailing in the Caribbean sea on our way to Puerto Limon Costa Rica.

Hope all is well, We will bring back some nice weather soon! Go Celts!

Best Capt j

“Traveling in the company of those we love is home in motion.” Leigh Hunt

Lat 9’ 7 min

Long 79’ 42 min

Depth of canal 60 ft

Sea water temp 86’

air temp 86’