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Passing through the Miraflores locks on the Panama Canal

Engines like this - called mules - escort ships through the locks. The mules don't actually pull the ship at all, but guide it side-to-side so the wind doesn't blow it into the side of the canal. The engines are called mules because they used to use
Engines like this - called mules - escort ships through the locks. The mules don't actually pull the ship at all, but guide it side-to-side so the wind doesn't blow it into the side of the canal. The engines are called mules because they used to use live mules to guide boats through locks in Europe. In the Panama Canal, they have always used engines.