Back in the Pacific

Bamboozle
Jamie and Lucy Telfer
Thu 1 Apr 2010 20:18

08:54.435N 079:31.514W

 

After a fantastic couple of months on the slopes we arrived back in Panama on the 17th March and having bribed the South African boatyard manager Dave with a bottle of “Mrs Balls” famous South African chutney we managed to get Bamboozle back in the water just over 24 hours later. We thought it would take a week or two to organise our transit but our Agent Tina McBride was even more efficient than we could have hoped and she managed to secure us a spot in the schedule just 5 days after our return.  The result was a few days of complete panic, trying to get as much of the heavy provisioning on board as possible and for my part to make sure everything (or at least most things) on board were working.  It wasn’t exactly seamless but we were as ready as we could be by the time we had to leave the pleasant surroundings of Shelter Bay Marina as we could be.  The transit went very smoothly thanks in a major way to our excellent line handlers, Connie and Steve from “Better Days” and Rudy, a Panamanian who regaled us with information and stories as we made our way across the isthmus. There are lots of pictures below and I hope at some stage to manage to post a few video clips as well but am currently hampered not only by a lack of bandwidth but also by my inability to master the technology.

 

We are now anchored in Playita a few miles to the south of Panama city at the Pacific end of the canal. We have received a massive box of spares from Florida, kindly sourced and organised by my brother Mole.  This means that not only do we hopefully now have most of the spares we need for the next 8 months but also we have wind instruments that actually tell us the wind speed and direction and an anchor windlass that works in both directions.  We still need to buy a great deal more fresh and frozen foodstuffs before we head out into the wide South Seas but we would like to be on our way before Easter.  We will pause in the Las Perlas islands for a few days but then our next landfall once we leave Panama will be the Galapagos.  This is about 900 miles from here and then it is a further 3000 from there to French Polynesia so once we leave, there is not much hope of getting hold of anything but the most basic supplies and if we have forgotten something we will have to learn to do without it!

 

Good to go..... trying to look relaxed before we head into the Canal.

 

    

 Our Pilot (Transit Advisor) arrives on board.  Most unusually he arrived bang on time.

 

We immediately set off down towards the first set of locks and the entrance to the Canal. 

As we approached we heard we would be sharing the lock with this ship.

 

Here we are in the first lock squeezed in behind the "Mottler".  You can see the railway

engine called the Mule which helps to control the ships.  Big ships have 8 of these engines.

As you will see in the next picture all we get is 4 men at the end of the lines.

 

This is our equivalent of a Mule.  4 lines are thrown down to the yacht by these

line throwers and then secured to the dock wall.  Our crew on board then have to do

all the work controlling the lines.

 

Lucy working as one of the line handlers.  She may look relaxed but when the boat is

actually moving up in the lock, the strain can be immense and it requires full concentration

to avoid accidents or damage to the boat.

 

This is the view looking back down toward the Caribbean from the  top of the 3rd lock

(now 85 ft above sea level).

 

From the top of these locks we then motor through Gatun Lake and into the Gaillard

Cut.  At this point in narrows down to a true canal which does not leave a lot of space for

passing traffic.

 

Connie and Steve from the yacht Better Days, our excellent (and very experienced) line

handlers.  They have helped many boats this year to transit the canal whilst they are

doing work on their boat in Shelter Bay.

 

We had one local Panamanian line handler on board.  Rudy has been through the

Canal countless times and is a fantastic source of information and stories as well as

being a true pro.

 

"What is she thinking?"....... Although the whole operation requires some concentration,

most people enjoy their transit.  You can see the ship in the other lock parallel to us.

 

Our Pilot Ricky calls the shots as we descend in the Miraflores locks.

 

Just one more lock to go.  These lock gates are still the originals put in place by the

American builders in 1914.

 

The final lock gate opens to reveal the Pacific Ocean ahead.

 

Lucy with our Pilot Ricky who was absolutely fantastic and a pleasure to have on board.

He provided great entertainment as well as safely guiding us through the Canal.

 

Driving out of the final lock.  A hugely relieved Skipper being hugged by his Admiral!