25^th Feb

Transited the Panama canal.  We had three supposed line handlers on board as we left shelter bay.  Ominous in that they were trying to learn how to tie a bowline for a couple of hours.  None spoke any English – so much for Matchships provision of experienced line handlers.  Had we realised we would have said that we did not need any as several yachts came and asked if we needed any handlers. 

We picked up pilots from the ‘flats’ a small ship anchoring area at about 1600. 

Originally Karacool and Camelot were going through together and we were passing later with another bat but we asked the pilot if we could go as a threesome, which we did.  In the first set of locks (The Gatun Locks) we went up and were guided in behind a ship.

We were starboard side of Karacool and Camelot port side.  The pilot on Karacool (Carlos) took charge of al three boats and used a whistle to indicate stop, tart etc.  Line handlers on the quayside took our lines so that we were positioned in the middle of the canal.

We passed through Gatun Lakes during the daytime and carried on going to transit the Miraflores locks.  We were the first set of yachts to do the transit in a single day, usually you anchor off in Gatun Lakes and pilot get off and then back on again next day.  Apparently there had been a meeting to discuss how the yachts would transit the canals, which the lock master of the Miraflores did not attend.  As a result when we appeared in Miraflores locks there were no quayside handlers in sight.  Eventually one came and took lines from Camelot and we ended up tied to the wall.  After the first lock we swopped around boats so Karacool was on the wall, we were in the middle and Camelot to starboard of us. 

In these locks the yachts go in first and the ship comes in behind you.  In the previous lock down the evening before, the ship had come in so fast, it created a bow wave which broke one of the lines of one of the yachts which promptly crashed into the lock gates.  Apparently a herd of quayside handlers then appeared.  Our line handlers were pretty useless, well two were, only one had done it before.  Roy (our pilot) kept making sure they knew what to do and when to do it.

Once through Miraflores we motored down to Balboa Yacht club ad pick up a buoy – booked.  Pilots and line handlers taken off.  We were all tied up by about 0130 and line handlers gone by 0200.  Karacool went to anchor off Flamenco anchorage as there were only two mooring buoys available.  It transpires that Karacool were supposed to have Camelot’s place and Camelot our place and that we were supposed to go anchor.  Thanks heavens we did not do it that way as we would have been left with three line handlers on board.