But this was a custom build, by the Finnish boat builder, Swan. When we found out how much it cost we were a little more understanding as to why they wanted to go through alone.

This boat cost $7m!!!!!! The owner lived in Monaco and belonged to the Yacht Club of Monaco. He had a professional full time crew who sailed year round and he joined them to sail from port to port. We could not imagine what he did for a living to be able to spend $7m on what is, in effect, nothing more than a toy!!!

There were two ways of looking at the latest configuration. Firstly, we had to do nothing, Roger was told to leave the engine in neutral as Silandra was using their engine to propel the 3 of us forward, they gave us their lines and they handled the shore lines, cushty!!!!

But the downside is that the line handlers had nothing to do. Bear in mind that there were high levels of adrenaline pumping through the crew and nervous energy levels were pretty high too. So it was a bit on an anticlimax in that respect, which was a pity.

All in all it was a very uneventful transit, apart from one moment when Silandra’s crew weren’t taking the lines in fast enough and we started to head for the lock walls.

We had a bit of a giggle when one of the shore line handlers asked for a soda.

So Rob put a couple of cans of coke into a carrier bag and Samantha off Silandra, tied it to the lines, so that when they pulled the lines ashore the cokes would be delivered.

But apart from that and the shore line handler missing the boat when throwing his monkey fist, it was very quiet.

In fact we were told by both Ricky and John (our advisor for the second day) that it was unusual that yachts had the locks to themselves. Normally they would be in with a big ship.

Speaking of John I have to tell you this guy was not only a walking encyclopaedia, but he also suffered from verbal diahorrea. He looked like a cross between Richard Gere (he had the same eyes….too close together) and George Bush!

He never stopped talking. Obviously he didn’t like silence, because there wasn’t a quiet moment from the moment he stepped on board at 06.00am until he got off at 12.30!!! A very nice chap really, but only in small doses.

It was quite funny when the Coral Princess passed us. This huge cruise liner was packed to the rafters with people who had paid mega bucks for the privilege and yet there they were lined up along the rails watching and waving to us!!!

Also when we went through the Miraflores lock, the balconies of the museum and restaurant were lined up with tourists waving to us!

After passing through Miraflores and going under the Pan Americas Bridge we turned left into the Balboa Yacht Club anchorage to pick up a mooring buoy.

As I sat down in the cockpit I remember thinking there was a strange smell, looking round I saw a couple of pairs of flip flops and assumed that was the cause.

As we were approaching the mooring buoy I went below to get the boat hook, only to be met by a cabin full of black smoke.

 I shouted to Roger and he stopped engines. Upon opening the engine room hatch the smoke billowed out.

After further investigation we found that we have burned out the clutch on the fridge compressor!!! So once again we are without refrigeration. But to make matters worse, it was only Monday and it was Carnival week, so we were stuck here for a few more days.

I am seriously beginning to think someone up there is trying to tell us something!!!!