Quest for new wood

[capncarl]

Can't elaborate now, looking for some new woods. Saw some Rose Wood, Mahogony and teak.
Anybody recognize the photo?

capncarl

[poolhound]

Panama canal maybe?

[LCHIEN]

Looks like Panama canal.

[atgcpaul]

Looks like Panama canal.

That's my guess, too.

Man, they don't leave much space between the ship and the wall!

[cwsmith]

Yes, it's the Panama Canal.

The ships have gotten a heckuva lot bigger than they were when the canal was originally built.

My grandfather had four framed pictures (rotoscopes) of the canal when it was being built. I have no idea where or to whom they went?


CWS

[JR]

Yes, it's the Panama Canal.

Rats. I was going to say it was the Rideau Canal. I never get these things right.

[poolhound]

And how are you going top get 50 bd/ft of teak and rosewood back in your suitcase? And do I get some for guessing right?

[capncarl]

I packed several suitcases inside larger suitcases to haul home treasures but have yet to find any wood. The few places I went that might have wood I was afraid to go into the areas without an armed escort. I more stop before we head home and I have my eyes open for wood. I did get a couple of ideas for placemat/hot plate mats that uses wood tiles.
capncarl

[cwsmith]

The few places I went that might have wood I was afraid to go into the areas without an armed escort. I more stop before we head home and I have my eyes open for wood.
capncarl

You know Carl, IF I were to find myself down there, I'd have my eyes open for a lot more than just wood!



I remember reading where one of our crews (Ingersoll-Rand) was down there one time and had a Fer-de-Lance drop into the back of their truck as they scraped some branches traveling over one of the roads running parallel to the canal.

I generally try to stay away from any places shared by poisonous snakes.

CWS

[capncarl]

CW, in south Ga. we have a mess of nasty snakes, rattle, copperhead, coral and cotton mouths, so I've learned to watch out for the critters, but I know what you mean. Yesterday in Costa Rica we went on a jungle monkey watching canal ride, I spotted several big nastys and pointed them out to the guide. Very common here.
Today was a rum factory and the only snakes I saw were in my head!
Can't find any wood, guess they have already burned it so I will just have to fill my spare suitcase with rum and t-shirts.
capncarl

[LCHIEN]

That's my guess, too.

Man, they don't leave much space between the ship and the wall!

Yeah, I think in the old locks, they were 110 feet wide and they put ships up to 108 feet wide through the locks.
The USS Iowa BB-61 class battleships were intended to defend either coast and were designed specifically to fit though the Panama Canal locks. 108 ft 2" wide. By contrast the IJN Yamato was built by the Japanese for Pacific Theater only; it's beam was 127 feet.

A couple of web pictures of Iowa class battleships transiting the locks:

[cwsmith]

Carl,

I guess that's why I live up here in NY... about the only poisonous snake we have to deal with are rattlers, and those are pretty well found in only specific areas.

It sounds like you are having a lot of fun though. Hopefully before your trek comes to an end you will find what you are looking for. Meanwhile, ENJOY!


Loring,

Those a couple of interesting pictures. I wonder how the new expansion is coming along. I think it was supposed to be completed within the next year or so, IIRC. Also I read somewhere that Nicaragua was considering their own canal. Don't know if they ever went ahead with that project.

CWS

[LCHIEN]

...

Loring,

Those a couple of interesting pictures. I wonder how the new expansion is coming along. I think it was supposed to be completed within the next year or so, IIRC. Also I read somewhere that Nicaragua was considering their own canal. Don't know if they ever went ahead with that project.

CWS

Post Panamax locks called the Third Set of Locks Project are due to open April 1, 2016 - Real soon now. Should double the capacity of the Canal.

The Nicaraguan Canal (Spanish: Canal de Nicaragua), formally the Nicaraguan Canal and Development Project (also referred to as the Nicaragua Grand Canal, or theNicaragua Interoceanic Grand Canal) is a planned shipping route through Nicaragua to connect the Caribbean Sea (and therefore the Atlantic Ocean) with the Pacific Ocean. As of March 2016, no significant construction has taken place.^[1] It had been announced that construction of ports and locks would start before the end of 2015, but no money has yet been deposited for construction.^[2] In November 2015 the date of commencement for major construction works was put back to late 2016.^[3]

Financing has been a problem, they may never get it financed. One of the big backers was some CHinese interests but the collapse of the Chinese stock market has left that unsettled.

[cwsmith]

Thanks Loring,

I had only remembered reading about it sometime in the recent past. It may very well never come to fruition in my lifetime, unless the economy and the political situation of the world makes some serious changes soon.

Thanks,

CWS

[LCHIEN]

Thanks Loring,

I had only remembered reading about it sometime in the recent past. It may very well never come to fruition in my lifetime, unless the economy and the political situation of the world makes some serious changes soon.

Thanks,

CWS

It's a very expensive, risky undertaking. It does compete with a monopoly whose alternative is to take the trip around the Horn or unload, ship cross-panama by rail and load another ship on the opposite coast. But it only makes sense if they charge too much or don't have enough capacity. The present expansion should double capacity... they are adding a third set of locks but the size is equivalent of the two existing combined. The cost is high. I think the cruise ship I was on had to pay US$200,000 passage for the passengers and crew. It was under 2000 passengers.