Panama Canal: Layout

A schematic of the Panama Canal, illustrating the sequence of locks and passages

**I was stationed in Panama three years and even now, I don’t quite get this. All I think I know is that the Pacific Ocean is higher than the Atlantic. Greg says it doesn’t matter, “When you come in from the Pacific side you get picked up and then dropped down to the Atlantic side and when you come in from the Atlantic side, you get picked up and then you still get dropped back down to sea level. No matter what side you’re coming from, you get picked up; you just get picked up more on the Atlantic side. "

Miraflores= Pacific
Gatún = Atlantic

I probably really need someone like Richard to explain this mass of information below!?!?

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The canal consists of seventeen artificial lakes, several improved and artificial channels, and two sets of locks. An additional artificial lake, Alajuela Lake, acts as a reservoir for the canal. The layout of the canal as seen by a ship transiting from the Pacific end to the Atlantic is as follows:

Due to the local geography the main direction of sailing is North-West, whereas the global direction from Pacific to Atlantic is East.

**From the beginning of the buoyed entrance channel in the Gulf of Panama, ships travel 13.2 kilometres (8.2 mi) up the channel to the Miraflores locks, passing under the Bridge of the Americas

**The two-stage Miraflores lock system, including the approach wall, is 1.7 kilometres (1.1 mi) long, with a total lift of 16.5 meters (54 ft) at mid-tide

**The artificial Miraflores Lake is the next stage, 1.7 kilometers (1.0 mi) long, and 16.5 metres (54 ft) above sea level

**The single-stage Pedro Miguel lock, which is 1.4 kilometres (0.8 mi) long, is the last part of the ascent with a lift of 9.5 meters (31 ft) up to the main level of the canal

**The Gaillard (Culebra) Cut slices 12.6 kilometres (7.8 mi) through the continental divide at an altitude of 26 metres (85 ft), and passes under the Centennial Bridge

**The Chagres River (Río Chagres), a natural waterway enhanced by the damming of Lake Gatún, runs west about 8.5 kilometres (5.3 mi), merging into Lake Gatun

**Gatun Lake, an artificial lake formed by the building of the Gatun Dam, carries vessels 24.2 kilometers (15.0 mi) across the isthmus

**The Gatún locks, a three-stage flight of locks 1.9 kilometres (1.2 mi) long, drop ships back down to sea level

**A 3.2 kilometer (2.0 mi) channel forms the approach to the locks from the Atlantic side

**Limón Bay (Bahía Limón), a huge natural harbour, provides an anchorage for some ships awaiting transit, and runs 8.7 kilometers (5.4 mi) to the outer breakwater