Guice Offshore mini supply vessel GO Quest recently sailed through the Panama Canal, during which her crew captured some spectacular images of the versatile 170-ft. DP1 Master Boat Builders-designed ship passing through the Gatún Locks, the oldest and most historic part of the Panama Canal.
Watch the video here:
Like every vessel in the Guice Offshore fleet, the GO Quest is dually certified by the U.S. Coast Guard for Subchapter L&I and thus approved for full international operations to support a full spectrum of marine industries.
Situated along the Caribbean side of Panama to the west of Colón, the massive Gatún Locks are the largest in the Panama Canal and the closest locks to the Atlantic Ocean.
The first concrete was laid for the Gatún Locks’ construction on August 24, 1909 as the first structure in the Panama Canal’s series of locks. The Gatún Locks themselves were made by cutting out a hill bordering the lake, which itself was manmade in 1904.
The Gatún Locks are about a mile long and have three sets of chambers that raise ships approximately 85 feet, an extraordinary feat of engineering that requires two sets of locks to do the same thing on the Pacific side of the canal. Each of the three Gatún locks measures 1,000 ft. by 112 ft.
Passing through the Gatún Locks only takes about 15 minutes. Sailing the entire Panama Canal takes about 8 to 10-hours.
Altogether, the Panama Canal has three locks. Transiting all of them following a northbound route (Pacific to Atlantic) requires passing through them in this order:
- The Miraflores Locks are the closest to Panama City and the Pacific Ocean. The locks have two chambers and raise ships 54 feet up to Lake Miraflores.
- The Pedro Miguel Locks are not far from the Miraflores Locks. They have a single chamber that raises ships 31 feet to Lake Gatun.
- The Gatún Locks, which lead to the Atlantic Ocean.
Ships traveling from north to south enter the locks in reverse order, which means the Gatun Locks raise them instead of lowering them, and the Pedro Miguel and Miraflores Locks lower them instead of raise them.
If your next maritime job requires international transit, we have the experience to ensure your trip is safe and smooth! Contact David Scheyd to charter a Guice Offshore (“GO”) vessel at david.scheyd@guiceoffshore.com or (985) 273-2769.
