At 0530 Sunday morning the Patriot State began its transit of the Panama Canal under cloudy skies and muggy 85 degree temperatures. The winds were gentle at 3 miles an hour out of the east...and the water temperature was a tepid 78 degrees.

Captain's Log:

Cristobal, at last! At 0530 Sunday morning, the Training Ship Patriot State entered the Canal channel from Limon Bay at the Cristobal breakwater. The Patriot State now enters into one of the most exciting aspects of Sea Term 98...the Canal transit.

The Cristobal section of the canal channel is at sea level...is six-and-a-half -miles long, five hundred-feet wide, and runs through a mangrove swamp that is only a few feet above sea level in most places.

We entered the Gatun Lock at 0900...and anchored at Gatun Lake shortly before 11 a.m. EST. When it was built, Gatun Lake was the largest man made lake in the world. It covers an area of 163 square miles and was formed by the construction of the Gatun Dam on the Chagres River.

We will make it to the Pedro Miguel Lock by mid-afternoon...which is located at the south end of Gaillard Cut. This area of the Canal, by the way, is probably the most interesting part of the Canal transit. It was this section of the canal that required the most extensive excavation. A ship passes Gold Hill to port, which rises 662 feet above sea level, and Contractor's Hill to starboard, which is 370 feet high. The physical beauty of this area is clearly evident. The Pedro Miguel Lock lowers the ship 31 feet to Miraflores Lake, from there it is a short trip to the Miraflores Lock and sea level.

We expect to moor at Ft. Rodman at around seven o'clock EST Sunday evening. While our excited group of cadets are eager for liberty...they will all have to wait one more day for the opportunity to go ashore.

On board the Patriot State are fifteen members of the United States Embassy staff in Panama. They have been joined by eight Panamian graduates of Massachusetts Maritime Academy...and both of the Canal Pilot's are also MMA graduates. We are all quite proud of this...it certainly speaks well for the academy.

Our journey so far has certainly been both exciting and educational. More from the ship tomorrow!