And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
It's possible to spend all day watching the Miraflores locks in action. If you ever get to visit Panama and have the time, fishing in Lake Gatun is great.
In the mid 90s, we just hired a boat with all the equipment and off we went. The fishing was fantastic and the peacock bass huge -- especially since we normally see them in aquariums and not in a favorable environment for them to grow.
That was Project Plowshare. It was to show the commies that if they wanted to destroy the Panama Canal locks that a new route could be cleared quickly. Of course other agencies were looking at it for being able to dig ditches right now.
I have actually been there and done that - on a submarine no less.
Submarines don't have to be stealthy all the time. Sometimes you just need to get from point A to point B. In my case we needed to get from the Atlantic to the Pacific and our new home port. Going through the canal saves a lot of time and distance. Besides, we had a nice "steel-beach" cookout while transiting the canal.
Fun fact: The Atlantic entrance to the Panama canal is actually *west* of the Pacific entrance. Yeah, it's true. It's because the isthmus of Panama is shaped like the "P" trap of a drain at that point.
You know where it is when it's transiting the locks. After that, submerge and clear datum. An hour later, you only know it's a speck located somewhere in 2500 square miles of ocean. At 2 hours, it's 10,000 mi². At 3 hours, you can narrow it down to somewhere in 22,000 mi². At 4 hours, it's 40,000 mi². (For reference, the entire state of Ohio is a shade over 40,000 mi².) Lemme know when that's stealthy enough for ya.
It's possible to spend all day watching the Miraflores locks in action. If you ever get to visit Panama and have the time, fishing in Lake Gatun is great.
ReplyDeleteDo you need a license to fish, or is that only in America?
DeleteIn the mid 90s, we just hired a boat with all the equipment and off we went. The fishing was fantastic and the peacock bass huge -- especially since we normally see them in aquariums and not in a favorable environment for them to grow.
DeleteLicense-Free fishing is only (legally) possible in five countries:
DeleteBelgium.
Cyprus.
Estonia.
New Zealand.
Norway.
Sweden.
United Kingdom
I remember reading in Pop Science mag long ago that they were going to use nuclear bombs to dig a new canal without locks.
ReplyDeleteThat was Project Plowshare. It was to show the commies that if they wanted to destroy the Panama Canal locks that a new route could be cleared quickly. Of course other agencies were looking at it for being able to dig ditches right now.
DeleteYeah, there were a lot of recockulous retard schemes, back when idiots thought radiation was safe to walk through an hour later.
DeleteWonder why they chose to transit the canal? Kind of defeats the stealth purpose of a sub.
ReplyDeleteI have actually been there and done that - on a submarine no less.
ReplyDeleteSubmarines don't have to be stealthy all the time. Sometimes you just need to get from point A to point B. In my case we needed to get from the Atlantic to the Pacific and our new home port. Going through the canal saves a lot of time and distance. Besides, we had a nice "steel-beach" cookout while transiting the canal.
Fun fact: The Atlantic entrance to the Panama canal is actually *west* of the Pacific entrance. Yeah, it's true. It's because the isthmus of Panama is shaped like the "P" trap of a drain at that point.
Did it on my boat also. Steelbeach cookout. Command would not take day to cross equator before heading to shipyard for decomm.
ReplyDeleteYou know where it is when it's transiting the locks.
ReplyDeleteAfter that, submerge and clear datum.
An hour later, you only know it's a speck located somewhere in 2500 square miles of ocean. At 2 hours, it's 10,000 mi². At 3 hours, you can narrow it down to somewhere in 22,000 mi². At 4 hours, it's 40,000 mi². (For reference, the entire state of Ohio is a shade over 40,000 mi².)
Lemme know when that's stealthy enough for ya.
I think this is the USS Henry M. Jackson (SSBN-730).
ReplyDeleteDont think deck aft of sail flat/long enough for missile compartment. Aft deck was more squared off.
ReplyDelete