Across the Panama Canal in 90 seconds!

[Scarpozzi]

I never realized that the Panama Canal was so large... I had always seen pictures of one of the locks... And in Team America World Police, it looked so much smaller also.

 

[Acanthus]

Originally posted by: edro13

Originally posted by: Kvaerner Masa

That vid needs benny hill music.

Done!

:laugh:

OMFG! LOL!!! 10000% better! ROFL!

hahahha nice job :laugh:

 

[rh71]

Originally posted by: jumpr

Originally posted by: mobobuff
I forget everything I learned in Global Issues in middle school... what are locks for again? I know they raise and lower the ships, but why are they there?

Because the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean have different depths, and if they just dug the canal and let the water flow, the nation of Panama would quickly be underwater.

Also, VERY COOL video. You can see that there's rain during it, which is why all the people disappear. When they come back out, they all have umbrellas.

So what was it like before the locks ? Or did the oceans start differentiating in depth only then prompting these locks to be built ?

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

The locks where built so ships could get from the pacific to the atlantic and vice versa, without having to go all the way around South America. I've seen pics of Aircraft carriers going though. Talk about a tight fit. The locks are 110' wide, by 1000' long. A US carrier is 105'8" at the water line and 990' 1" long at the water line.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: jumpr

Originally posted by: mobobuff
I forget everything I learned in Global Issues in middle school... what are locks for again? I know they raise and lower the ships, but why are they there?

Because the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean have different depths, and if they just dug the canal and let the water flow, the nation of Panama would quickly be underwater.

Also, VERY COOL video. You can see that there's rain during it, which is why all the people disappear. When they come back out, they all have umbrellas.

WHAT???

OMG, what about the Cape Horn (southern tip ofSouth America)??? ALL THE WATER WILL DRAIN FROM ONE OCEAN TO ANOTHER!!! RUN AWAY@!!@

It's NOT because the Oceans have different levels (all the oceans are connected). Sea level is sea level. At most it varies by 20 feet because of differing tides. But the locks raise and lower the ships 85 feet.

It's because Lake Gatun, the man made lake which is the main portion of the canal, is ABOVE sea level. So ships are raised up to lake level, then dropped back down to sea level.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: funboy42
I liked how when they were coming to the locks a crowd of people showed up on the bow of the boat. After they went through they all dissapeared till they come to the next locks and the bridge. I guess the hell with looking at the country around there but the locks going up and down is the shite.

The travel time is 9 hours. Two meals times passed in the video. Plus, it's pretty obvious the weather got bad when they hot Lake Gatun. The country is pretty, but not worth standing in a tropical rainstorm for.