Continental divide

[Quasar1011]

Is the continental divide marked along the canal? If so, is it a decent photo opportunity? What are the other best photo ops along the route?

[BillB48]

It's not marked, at least that I am aware of. The Divide is in Gaillard Cut in the vicinity of Gold Hill, which is near the new Centennial Bridge that crosses the Canal. Photo ops, that's a hard one, you really have such a selection from the bridges, locks and of course right now there is so much work going on the Pacific side with the construction of the access channel for the new locks. Where the new locks are being constructed you can't see much of them from the Canal proper, in any event that's a work in progress. On top of that you just don't know what interesting ships you will see on your transit. Just come armed with plenty of MBs on the memory cards:)!

[Richard in Panama]

In order to create the Canal the US had to dig through the Continental Divide at Cuelebra Mountain and so it did. Cuelebra Cut, renamed Gaillard Cut after David Gaillard the engineer from the US Army Corps of Engineers who managed the tremendous task of cutting through and basically moving a mountain, is the Cut through the Continental Divide. There isn't much to see that looks like what we in the US think of as the "Continental Divide" since over the years it has been continually shaved down to prevent landslides. "Gold Hill" and "Contractor's Hill" likewise have continually been terraced and cut down.

 

But there are lots of photo ops in the Canal. The locks of course are the highlight, and going under the two bridges. There are wide vistas in Gatun Lake. Hopefully you will have another ship in the locks with you which I think makes the shots more interesting. Keep moving around the ship for the best shots. And just before [or after] depending on the direction of your transit you will pass the small El Renacer prison on the banks of the Canal which is where Noriega is being held. Makes an interesting shot to show to the folks back home.

 

Regards, Richard

[Quasar1011]

Thanks Bill & Richard! The wife & I will both have cameras, which also have movie settings. I'll probably take movies going under the bridges or passing other ships, or going through the locks, while she takes still photos. My hands aren't as shaky. ;)

[pilotdane]

The ships do not move too quickly so I find movies of going under the bridge or passing others to be rather boring since everything seems to happen in slow motion. Edited when you get home though it could be fun for your friends to see. One fun thing I wish I'd taken a movie of was the construction workers waving with their excavators. It's a funny sight to see a hundred ton machine waving at you and it makes you think they are glad to see something other than a container ship pass by.

[Quasar1011]

The ships do not move too quickly so I find movies of going under the bridge or passing others to be rather boring since everything seems to happen in slow motion.

Well I won't be on the cruise ship (we leave the next day), I am booked on My Friend Mario's full-transit. Wouldn't a smaller ship move faster? Then again, he did say it would take 8 hours to transit.

 

Nice tip about the construction workers. Do they work on Saturdays?

[Cornishpastyman1]

Is the continental divide marked along the canal? If so, is it a decent photo opportunity? What are the other best photo ops along the route?

 

Thanks to Bill for the thought that Gold Hill is the midpoint of the Gaillard/Culebra cut. As the cut is about 8 miles long that would seem a reasonable assumption. I wish I'd thought to ask when I went through it.

 

This

picks up my transit at the start of the cut and shows Centennial Bridge and Gold Hill.

[BillB48]

The Continental Divide is really a lot closer to the Pacific side in this part of Panama than you would think. Enjoyed the video again:)!