The trip through the Panama Canal was an all day event, and started with no less than five special tug boats joining us as we approached the first set of locks on the Atlantic side at Gatun.

Special canal pilots are already on board. The captain of every vessel must surrender navigational command of his ship for the entire journey through the canal.

The tug pictured attached itself to the stern of the ship with heavy cables. Other tugs flanked or preceded us.