Panama - Panama Canal - Turkish Coal Freighter
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Along with some of my colleagues from work, I did a transit through the Panama Canal on the Bulkizmir, a Turkish freighter sailing from New Orleans to Tokyo. It was not your "mainstream" cruise ship, and it was full of coal below the deck. (The ship was selected because it was scheduled to go through the Canal on the day we were, and it was willing to have "civilians" on board.) The crew was delighted to have us on board, and we spent most of our time on the bridge with the Panama Canal pilots. On our day-long trip, we did manage to squeeze in a tour of the ship, including the engine room. It was hot and noisy enough to make me know that I wasn't cut out for a job below deck!
The photo below shows the Bulkizmir coming through the Gatun locks, prior to our boarding. This is on the Caribbean side of the Panama Canal. The Gatun locks have three chambers that raise ships 85 feet into Lake Gatun.
Photo by: Linda Garrison
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