Transit through the canal is on a first come first serve basis, unless you pay 19% extra on top of your toll to secure a booking slot. There are 12 slots every twenty four hours. The size of each ship determines how many ships will fit in each channel for each slot. We paid extra and had the 7:00-9:00 AM booking as well as the 12:00-2:00PM booking. Others just wait their turn. Gatun Lake becomes the holding area as they wait. We counted 11 ships, plus ours waiting at one time for transit through the canal.
Look carefully to find at least 5 ships waiting.
On our way back NE through the Gatun Lock the second time, we have a container ship beside us. They often hold nearly 2,000 containers.
In the middle ( and right ) of the photo are the locomotives responsible for making sure the ships stay in the middle of the canal channel. They attach to the ships by very heavy cables. Our ship needs 8 locomotives to keep us centered.
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