The Panama Canal was commenced by Ferdinand de Lessups as he led the French in the 1880s to commence digging along the Isthmus of Panama. However, the French abanded the project due to disease, money and engineering issues. The U.S. took over the project in 1904 but it took a further ten years to complete.
As we approached the start of the locks from the Atlantic Ocean we came under a new bridge, then, surprisingly, a row boat came out to assist in attaching the guidelines to each side of the ship.
