Western Railroad Discussion > Panama Canal

In todays JOC update it is stated that the leaks in the new locks at the Panama Canal can be repaired in one month so they do not expect any delay in opening of the canal April 2016.

However El Ninio is having its effect due to lack of rain which has reduced the water used in the canal and they may have to reduce draft levels. They did not indicate what those levels might be which would indicate the effect on container ships.

Dale Smith

With the Arctic Circle thawing out i wonder how huch of a roll it will play in ocean container traffic? (China Japan Alaska Canada Greenland Europe) ect.

I am not sure about thawing as Russia operates seven icebreakers compareed to one for the USA

I also understand Pres Obama has approved the purchase of another ice breaker to attempt to keep the northern passage open

Dale Smith

The idea of Icebreakers is kinda mis-leading. They are for the interim time when there is 'less' ice in the Passages. In the past the passages were iced over for most if not all year. Now there is more time with navigable ice conditions, the Ice Breakers are for the transitions when ships often get stuck in growing or shifting ice.

The lack of Ice Breakers has been discussed for a decade or two. They typically are moored at Seattle and then go to the Antartic. The Russians have been all over 'most'  the Artic. Indeed there is the story of the Russian Cruise Ship pulling an American Icebreaker out of pack ice near Ellesmere Island.

Part of the political football of ice breakers is who will build it for the Americans, Todd Shipyard?, Norway, Korea? Then wil the US Navy oversee the operations or will the Coast Guard use it for Border enforcement and Drug control, or what. there was an interesting article with the many sides to the issue, I'll see if I can find it.

Here ya go:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/navy-ships/a8513/where-are-americas-badly-needed-icebreakers-14829862/



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/02/15 21:30 by TCnR.

Well from what I've read, I doubt the Artic's melting if the ships still have to use Ice Breakers just to get through the Artic Ocean or even heading to Nome!

"One month" to fix the problems seems pretty quick if there were issues with the pours.

Now, if the one month refers to shoving some gunite into any visible cracks, yeah, that'll do for a while.

Took a trip through the Canal in late April this year, awesome, here are a couple iPhone shots that might explain cause and effect.
first shot is a container ship and the blue 'smoke' is concrete being ground out of the side of the lock acct the ship hitting it.

second shot is a pretty good leak between pours in the middle lock at Gatun.

I imagine there are other possibly much larger leaks elsewhere, but maybe not bad for one hundred years.

Worth the trip, a Wonder of the age.

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boxcar1954 Wrote:
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> Took a trip through the Canal in late April this
> year, awesome, here are a couple iPhone shots that
> might explain cause and effect.
> first shot is a container ship and the blue
> 'smoke' is concrete being ground out of the side
> of the lock acct the ship hitting it.
>
> second shot is a pretty good leak between pours in
> the middle lock at Gatun.
>
> I imagine there are other possibly much larger
> leaks elsewhere, but maybe not bad for one hundred
> years.
>
> Worth the trip, a Wonder of the age.


The leaks they're talking about are on the new, larger locks that are not in service yet.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/03/15 20:42 by PHall.

Ach, right you are, just passed over 'new'. 
Here is a shot off the stern of the ship, new Gatun locks to the left, present Gatun channel in the middle, and the little nub in dent to right? The only remnant of the French effort. It wanders several hundred feet up toward Gatun Dam. Amazing.  

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