Going Through The Agua Clara Locks in Panama

It is January 18, 2020 and we are starting the day early by going through the Agua Clara Locks in Panama. This set of locks is on the Atlantic side where the tide change is much lower than the Pacific side (Pedro Miguel Locks). After going through the locks we disembarked the ship on Gatun Lake. Lanee headed toward Panama City, and I went on a tour of the Visitors Center and the Gatun Lake.

Gatun Lake

Gatun Lake provides the water used to raise and lower vessels in the Canal. The lake was created in 1913 by damming the Chagres River. Gatun Lake is an essential part of the Panama Canal, providing the millions of gallons of water necessary to operate the Panama Canal locks each time a ship passes through. At the time it was formed, Gatun Lake was the largest human-made lake in the world. The impassable rainforest around the lake has been the best defense of the Panama Canal. Today these areas remain practically unscathed by human interference and are one of the few accessible areas where various native Central American animal and plant species can be observed undisturbed in their natural habitat.

Gatun Lake currently covers about 180 square miles, a vast tropical ecological zone and part of the Atlantic Forest Corridor. Ecotourism on the lake has become an industry for Panamanians.

Panama Canal Locks

The original Panama Canal locks were 110.0 feet wide and 1,050 feet long, with the walls ranging in thickness from 49 feet at the base to 9.8 feet at the top. The central wall between the parallel locks at Gatun is 59 feet thick and over 79 feet high. The steel lock gates measure an average of 6.6 feet thick, 64 feet wide, and 66 feet high. It is the size of the locks, specifically the Pedro Miguel Locks, along with the height of the Bridge of the Americas at Balboa, that determine the size of ships that may use the canal.
The 2006 expansion created larger locks, allowing bigger ships to transit through deeper and wider channels. The allowed dimensions of ships using these locks increased by 25 percent in length, 51 percent in beam, and 26 percent in draft.

The 2006 Expansion of locks allowed larger ships access to Gatun Lake


This view shows Celebration Bridge, then to the left is expanded channel and to the right is the old channel	Bottom of the picture shows expanded channel and top shows old channel; to the left is Gatun Lake	View as you approach the expanded channel from the Atlantic; at the top of the picture is Gatun Lake

Being guided into the first lock. There are two tug boats that accompany the ship through the locks; one in front and one in back. Looks like a big job.

The expanded locks can handle larger ships than the original locks. Two large sliding steel gates are at the end of each of the three locks. The gates are closed and the pumping of water begins, when the ship is in position.

A large rope is used to keep the ship in the center of the lock. This weighted rope is thrown to the ship and tied to the rope.
The rope is pulled across using a wench. The rope is then secured on the side of the lock.

To raise the ship, water is pumped from the resevoir to the lock.
The water is very turbulant and the tugs are challenged to keep the ship centered. Once the water reaches the correct height the gates are opened. The ropes are returned to the ship and you do the same thing two more times.


Being guided into the first lock.	There are two tug boats that accompany the ship through the locks; one in front and one in back.	Looks like a big job.


The expanded locks can handle larger ships than the original locks.	Two large sliding steel gates are at the end of each of the three locks.	The gates are closed and the pumping of water begins, when the ship is in position.


A large rope is used to keep the ship in the center of the lock. This weighted rope is thrown to the ship and tied to the rope.	The rope is pulled across using a wench.	The rope is then secured on the side of the lock.


To raise the ship, water is pumped from the resevoir to the lock.	The water is very turbulant and the tugs are challenged to keep the ship centered.	Once the water reaches the correct height the gates are opened. The ropes are returned to the ship and you do the same thing two more times.