It took 8 hours to cross the canal, arriving after midnight on the Pacific side, ready to ring in the new year!!! 6 locks in total, 3 up and 3 down,the locks are built in pairs which raise and lower ships from one level to another. The Gatun locks are like giant steps to concrete chambers that lift ships from the sea to Gatun lake. Small electric locomotives, called Mulas help to stabilize run on rails along both sides of the locks and towing cables and tied to the ship. The electric mulas help to stabilize, position and guide the ship in the locks. The mulas pull the ship, into the first chamber and massive steel gates close behind the ship. Valves are open to allow water from the 10 like to flow into the lock and the rising water slowly rises the best song in the first chamber when the water level is the same one on the first and the second chambers, the steel gates towards the locomotive help to pull the vessel onto the second chamber and finally to the third. The whole process is repeated until the third chamber raises the ship to the level of the Gutun Lake towing cables are released as the ship continues for 23 miles across the lake to the Culebra cut. The ship moves to the Pedro Miguel locks, where it has one step, lowering the ship down. The vessel then travels across the MiraFlores Lake, and enters the MiraFlores locks which lower the ship by two steps thus reaching the Pacific Ocean!!

Did you know each chamber is 110 feet wide and 1000 ft long, each door of the lock weighs 750 tons. The toll is based on the ship’s cargo space.If its a military ship the toll is based on the weight of the vessel.