LIVE FROM THE "BRINGING THE MAGIC HOME" 8/20 REPO CRUISE

[AlvaroLuis]

According to Alvaro (our friend the pilot on the May repo) the Magic will enter the Miraflores at 0820 central time zone this morning. He said give it 20-30 minutes either end. If you go back a couple of pages you can see the whole day and the time schedule he has posted.

He will be on shore taking pictures this morning with his family. Thanks Alvaro!

Linda

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE!!!!

Looking out the window it seems like we'll have a sunny morning here in Panama... can't guarantee what the afternoon will be like

Just checked with traffic control office and there's been a slight change in the schedule. The MAGIC will be entering Miraflores locks at 0900, so you guys can relax (yeah right!)... grab a cup of coffee and wait for the next couple of hours (it's 0620 in Panama right now!)

If they point the cameras towards the south end of the locks, we should be able to see the MAGIC making the approach to the locks from around 0840-0845

Just another change, they will be arriving at Gatun locks around 1500 this afternoon. For the passing under the Centennial bridge just add 30 minutes to the original time posted yesterday...... that would be around 1145.

I'll be taking the camera with me and will post the pictures as soon as I get back home. Will also try to email one or two from my cell phone (haven't done this before... so no guarantees... ) to Kelli and hopefully she'll be able to repost to this thread... Hey Kelli... guess you won't be able to do that OTHER thing you were planning for this morning (in case you DID plan to do something else... I doubt it! )

First pilot should be boarding soon...... so... MAGIC... your adventure is about to begin.... enjoy it!!!

 

[seaulater]

aLVARO YOU'RE AWESOME. I would try to go back to bed, but I'm just too dang excited to see the Magic and hopefully the webcam will show you and your family too waving away!

 

[Verandah Man]

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE!!!!

Looking out the window it seems like we'll have a sunny morning here in Panama... can't guarantee what the afternoon will be like

Just checked with traffic control office and there's been a slight change in the schedule. The MAGIC will be entering Miraflores locks at 0900, so you guys can relax (yeah right!)... grab a cup of coffee and wait for the next couple of hours (it's 0620 in Panama right now!)

If they point the cameras towards the south end of the locks, we should be able to see the MAGIC making the approach to the locks from around 0840-0845

Just another change, they will be arriving at Gatun locks around 1500 this afternoon. For the passing under the Centennial bridge just add 30 minutes to the original time posted yesterday...... that would be around 1145.

I'll be taking the camera with me and will post the pictures as soon as I get back home. Will also try to email one or two from my cell phone (haven't done this before... so no guarantees... ) to Kelli and hopefully she'll be able to repost to this thread... Hey Kelli... guess you won't be able to do that OTHER thing you were planning for this morning (in case you DID plan to do something else... I doubt it! )

First pilot should be boarding soon...... so... MAGIC... your adventure is about to begin.... enjoy it!!!

Thanks for the updated info, maybe I'll have time to run and get some Krispy Kreme donuts now like John has!!!

 

[kellib36]

I'll be taking the camera with me and will post the pictures as soon as I get back home. Will also try to email one or two from my cell phone (haven't done this before... so no guarantees... ) to Kelli and hopefully she'll be able to repost to this thread... Hey Kelli... guess you won't be able to do that OTHER thing you were planning for this morning (in case you DID plan to do something else... I doubt it! )

GOOD MORNING, MY FRIEND!!!!!!!! You just KNOW I'm green with envy!!! Maybe you should take the photographer of the family to get GOOD pics!!!

About "the other thing"........ Elaine, where are you? I need help here!!!! I've been up for 45 minutes already...bring on the show!!!!!!!

To anyone onboard, how rough was the night? I was worried about you during the refueling......

 

[MariettaC]

Thanks AlvaroLuis.

 

[KYCruiseCrazy]

Its so exciting that I'm just naping on the couch tonight. Thanks to the DIS, I finally figured out today was the crossing. Can't really sleep at all! Wonder how many are sleeping on deck of the Magic for the most excellent viewing spot? LoL

i bet deck 10 was packed last night.

 

[AlvaroLuis]

GOOD MORNING, MY FRIEND!!!!!!!! You just KNOW I'm green with envy!!! Maybe you should take the photographer of the family to get GOOD pics!!!

Good morning Kelli

About "the photographer of the family"... well... she won't get up before 1000 on a Sunday morning for absolutely nothing ... but she will take pictures when the MAGIC leaves Pedro Miguel locks at around 1130.

 

[TinkerBellMom]

Alvaro, you are awesome! Thanks! I'm so glad they are crossing on the weekend! (Yawn..)

 

[kellib36]

Good morning Kelli

About "the photographer of the family"... well... she won't get up before 1000 on a Sunday morning for absolutely nothing ... but she will take pictures when the MAGIC leaves Pedro Miguel locks at around 1130.

Ya gotta have priorities....if sunrise didn't happen so doggone EARLY, I'd have a lot more pics from May!!!!

 

[KYCruiseCrazy]

krispy kream and expresso what a breakfast. im even going to play dcl type music to make it that much more exciting.

 

[Verandah Man]

Well, since we have some time to kill, I just did a little google search and came upon this little article, to help pass the time.



A TRIP THROUGH THE PANAMA CANAL
by Virginia Hirons


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A ship sailing into the Canal from the Atlantic Ocean enters the the Canal through Limon Bay, the port of the town of Cristobal in the Canal Zone. While the ship is still in deep water, a Canal Pilot comes on board from a small boat, (a launch). The pilot has complete charge of the ship during its trip through the Canal. After passing through the breakwater at the entrance to the bay, the ship proceeds south along the seven-mile-channel that leads to the Gatun Locks. The shipyards, docks and fueling stations of Cristobal line the eastern shore of the bay.

GATUN LOCKS

This lock system, which resembles giant steps, or stairs, is made up of three pairs of concrete chambers that lift ships about 85 feet from sea level to Gatun Lake. Small electric locomotives called 'mules' run on tracks along both sides of the locks. They pull ships through the locks. The locomotives run up an incline at the end of each chamber to reach the next higher level. This allows the same set of locomotives to pull vessels through the entire length of the Gatun Locks. Four to 12 locomotives are used for each ship, depending on its size. As the ship approaches the first chamber, its engines are shut off. Canal workers fasten the ends of the locomotives' towing cables to the vessel. The locomotives then pull the ship into the first chamber. Huge steel gates close silently behind the vessel. Canal workers open valves that allow water from the Gatun Lake to flow into the chamber through openings in the bottom of the lock. During the next eight to 15 minutes, the rising water slowly lifts the ship. When the level of the water, is the same as that in the second chamber, the gates in front of the ship swing outward. The locomotives pull the vessel into the second chamber. Again the water level is raised. The process is repeated until the third chamber of the locks raises the ship to the level of Gatun Lake.

GATUN LAKE

The Canal workers release the cables, and the ship sails out of the locks under its own power. As it heads south across the quiet waters of Gatun Lake, it passes the huge Gatun Dam to the west of the locks. This 23,000,000-cubic-yard earth dam is one of the largest in the world. The ship steams across the lake from Gatun Locks to Gamboa, following the 22-mile channel that was once the Chagres River Valley. The tops of trees and hills jut above the water. They were almost completely covered by water when engineers flooded the valley to create Gatun Lake. The long, coarse stems of water hyacinths--which are green-leafed with violet blossoms--float on the surface of the lake and can become entangled in propellers of ships and endanger navigation. A special hyacinth patrol destroys more than 42,000,000 of these plants each year to keep the channel clear.

GAILLARD CUT

When the ship reaches the southeastern end of Gatun Lake it enters the eight-mile-long, 500-foot-wide Gallard Cut, which has a minimum depth of 42 feet. "Cut" is an engineering term for a man-made passageway or channel. The Gaillard Cut runs between Gold Hill on the east and Contractor's Hill on the west. The Gaillard Cut was originally called the Culebra Cut. In 1913, it was renamed in honor of David Du Bose Gaillard (1859-1913), the engineer in charge of digging between the hills. Dredges work constantly to keep the channel clear of earthslides. In some years, the dredgers in the Gaillard Cut remove as much as 1,000,000 cubic yards of earth.

PEDRO MIGUEL AND MIRAFLORES LOCKS

After the ship steams out of the Gaillard Cut, electric locomotives pull it into the Pedro Miguel Locks. These locks lower the vessel 31 feet in one step to man-made Miraflores lake. The ship sails 1 1/2 miles across the lake to the Miraflores Locks. Here, two chambers lower the vessel to the level of the Pacific Ocean. The distances these chambers must lower the ship depends on the height of the tide in the Pacific. Tides at the Pacific end of the Canal rise and fall about 12 1/2 feet a day. Tides on the Atlantic side change only about two feet daily.

Out of the locks, the ship heads down the eight-mile-long channel between the Miraflores Locks and the end of the Canal. It passes the houses and buildings of the towns of Balboa, Balboa Heights, Diablo and La Boca that stand on the shore of the channel. The ship also passes under the Bridge of the Americas (Thatcher Ferry Bridge), an important link in the Pan American Highway. After the pilot leaves the ship, it enters the Bay of Panama and steams toward the open sea. The ship has traveled a little over 50 miles from the Atlantic to the Pacific in about eight hours.


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[AlvaroLuis]

Alvaro, you are awesome! Thanks! I'm so glad they are crossing on the weekend! (Yawn..)

"EXPRESSO" ... dang!!!! I just finished my first cup of coffee... I'll go make some more... stronger coffee!!! Not too strong, don't want those pics to come out all shaky...

 

[disneysooz]

I'm sorry...I am so internet challenged this morning and cannot find the link to watch. Can someone please post the link? DD and I don't want to miss anything! Thanks!

 

[AlvaroLuis]

I'm sorry...I am so internet challenged this morning and cannot find the link to watch. Can someone please post the link? DD and I don't want to miss anything! Thanks!

It's www.pancanal.com ... click on "English"... and then on the left bar there is a link for "Live Cameras"... pick the "Miraflores Locks"

 

[disneysooz]

Great article! thanks for posting....DD and I just read it!

 

[disneysooz]

Found it! Thanks very much for your help, Alvaro! Have a great day today!

 

[Teach]

I'm trying to view the Canal through the links posted here and it won't load. Will there only be so many people allowed to view at a time? I've been trying since 6AM.

 

[DMMarla07860]

this is exciting almost as exciting as when i book my cruise for 8/19/06

 

[kellib36]

It's www.pancanal.com ... click on "English"... and then on the left bar there is a link for "Live Cameras"... pick the "Miraflores Locks"

DANGIT, Alvaro, you have a job to do this am.....git yer butt on down there.....and give Willie a big hug for us!!! (That oughtta be fun to watch!!!)

 

[spros]

Just woke up and was laying there thinking there was something I had to do and then I remembered - the Magic is going back through the canal. If I can't be there, I want to watch. Have I missed anything yet??? And by the way, good morning to the rest of you guys who want to experience this with me. I also have coffee in hand but alas, no krispie cream.