One up, one on the way.
In comes the water, millions of gallons to raise us 45 feet.
A different perspective from our visit to the museum!
Into the next lock.
Each one of those depth markers is a mosaic of small tiles. And the lock doors are the original ones, which have worked for almost one hundred years. The US did well back then, didn’t we?
This is the Miraflores Lock Museum seen from the lock. We watched the cruise ship from that observation platform on the fourth floor.
The four line handlers must adjust the bow and stern lines to keep Sea Venture centered as the water flows into and out of the locks. It’s quite an interesting process. As we enter the lock area, men on the wall toss monkey fists with lead lines to our line handlers. The boys on the boat then tie the lead lines to our big lines, and the lock men pull them up and drape a prepared loop over the huge cleats at the lock sides, choosing which cleat based on the instructions from our Advisor, Enrique. At the end of the lock, once we’re ready to move forward, they drop our lines, and our line handlers must haul these quickly onboard so that Michael can engage forward gear and not foul the propeller. These are the moments of greatest activity of the trip, but Federico and his sons are pros, and Enrique was relaxed, in charge, and very professional.
Full up.
The big ship leaves before Enrique gives the word to release Sea Venture. We’re so grateful, as the prop turbulence when that ship started forward movement was immense.
The locomotives used to haul big ships through the locks.
En route to the next set.
Wow, N.! Just wow. Great shots.
Thanks, Nicole. We had so much fun. I’m glad I’m posting all these now — one never knows when one will need a memory jog!