What direction does a boat traveling from the Pacific to the Atlantic travel through the Panama Canal?

A boat traveling from the Pacific to the Atlantic via the Panama Canal would be traveling northwest. Although the Pacific Ocean is west of the Atlantic Ocean in Central America, at Panama the Caribbean Sea arm of the Atlantic is to the north, and the Pacific to the south. Canal builders took advantage of natural lakes and valleys, so the actual orientation of the canal is NW to SE. (see linked map) Going from the Atlantic (Caribbean Sea) to the Pacific, ships travel to the southeast.