Panama Canal Transit 8:55.5N 79:31.00W
Pacific Bliss
Colin Price
Thu 6 Jan 2011 22:28
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Panama Canal
Transit
The big one.
I realise colin has had me in training for this
since our honeymoon, he is so fliping sly! so after 2 weeks
transiting French locks I think he felt I could handle 'the big one'. Only
this time I had 2 kids and 7 adults to look after, no mean
feet.............
Colin got a ride on a boat 2 days before we were
due to transit, which is always a great idea if your captaining a boat, it
also worked out that the other line handlers were due transit on the same day as
us, So our buddy boat was buy chance a new buddy anyway this is a double
plus.
Whilst colin was away the kids and I managed
School and cleaning jobs in readiness for our guests, I also managed to make a
load of food so that when folk need feeding on the trip I don't need to start
everything from scratch.   Colins trasit
started at night. which added a whole new dimension.There is an unwritten rule that you have to
treat your guests with great culinary delights, and
especially the professional who comes on board to guide you
through the canal, your adviser, these guys have a reputation for
being rather bossy unhelpful and demanding, but the two we are
blessed with are complete gems.
We met our now merry gang of line
handlers in Curacao, and as they too are planning to transit later in the
season it was there trial run. I think they went home about a stone
heavier and had a lovely two day break from there boats.
Colin came back from his trial transite
exhausted and storys of it not being childs play, but we had heard
this from our mates on Blue Sky. Bring it
on.
Our transit
All our help on board
arrive early doors which is lucky as we recieve a call to say get to
the flats asap, this is the area before the canal entrance. Just finishing
lunch and the advisers arrive on both boats, before we know it we are
pulling up the anchor and speeding toward the first lock. Just with in
sight of the gates and we raft up with Kalhani, no dramas, all
very peaceful. But this is really when the adrenolin starts pumping,
I can't ever remember having a burning desire to go through the Panama
Canal in a small boat packed in next to a masive freight carrier and big
black tug boat. The heavens decided to open as we are thrown the
monkeys fists, just adding to the atmosphere.
You need to have 4 people to handle lines, 4 x 125ft
warps and a bunch of fenders before you are allowed to start. Often people
help each other out as line handlers to get expereince before their own transit,
and thats exactly what happened with us. Fossi & Gaynor (s/v Talacam)
and Bob & Debbie (s/v Passat) who we have known since Curracao came along to
help which was great.
Gatan Locks - 1000 x 110ft. We are really like a
pea in a bathtub
 Going up is the
hardest work for the line handlers as the water rushes in. Liz had the
port stern line and had white knuckles by the end. As the driver there is
not a lot to do, just hope the lines hold and the handlers do their
jobRafted up with s/v Kailani before entering the
lock
     Under the watchful eye and gentle
encouragement of our advisor we were through the Gatan Locks before
nightful without the any cause for concern.
Zinnia is amazing, and like Colin and I is
utterly thrilled by the whole experience. She laps up every minute
of her canal time, taking photos, helping me looking after folk,
getting them drinks. She really is a boat girl. She is so buzzed up
that her usual early nights are forgotten when she is invited
over for the evening on to our buddy boat.
We had been living in a dry January
for 4 days now, but realised after all the excitement plus having 4 south
african lushes on board a dry transit is impossible. So as
the Gatan Lakes are something of a no-mans land January was halted.
All little boats are required to spend a night in the Lakes due
to many of the boats not being unable to get to the next set of locks
in good time, its about 30 miles. So after feeding the troops far too
much supper and beer we all roll into bed about 1ish. Z and C
are camped out on our floor. The night is not long and the next advisor is
on board soon after 6 in the morning, The crew all with
rather sore heads rally themselves, but the morning is a beaut and
so watching the calm waters and rise of sun over the lakes is not
difficult. Well it wouldn't have been if I didn't have to make a fried
breakfast for all on board. Our other bonus was that the locks at the
Panama City end of the canal had been closed for a time during early morning so
we saw very little traffic which made the motor very peaceful. No hairy
scary big ships bearing down on us - well not many.  Some big ships
to contend with along the way. This is a PanaMax ship designed to fit the locks
with 1ft all round. The new locks, due for completion in 2014, will take
ships even bigger than this.Day 2 - 28nm at 7kn to get to the St Miguel lock
in time. Quite a race.
 But, its not all
hard work  Cosmo beating up the advisor 
I really never imagined the lakes between the two sets of
locks would be anything other than industrial but they are a real
wilderness, sadly still no crocs spotted but our advisor did don a crocodile
glove puppet and attack the kids. Our only bit of wild life
worth spoting was the illusive howler monkeys when we where
approaching the first locks. The Galliard cut
where so many French died in their attempt to connect the Caribbean to the
Pacific. It is quite humbling.Milaflores locks
  John (s/v
Kailani) & Colin. The second lot of locks, going down,
where a doddle and this time we had the whole place to our
selves. Colin gave all the folk on the viewing platform a show of
waving the Jack flag and our buddy boat Joined in waving the
Canadian flag, which seemed to muster far more cheering......
Watching the locks that morning must have been a bit of a bore given the
amount of traffic we saw coming the other way. and when we did see these
huge buggers they showed very little attention, other than approaching
at break neck speed blowing there ships horn, damned discurtious if
you ask me.A whole new love affair has started for
her, this time with the loveliest of Mummies, Marina, who is carm, patent
and organised basically the antithasis of her own mummy, and what looks to
Z like rather good swap material.   Friends on Oceans Dream managed to
capture enough screen shots of us during our Miraflores transit to create a
short video. It is on You Tube (Unlisted) here is the link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EBDmFIrdrM
Bridge of the Americas
Through the canal by 1pm a final meal to be made and fond
fairwell to our lovely advisor and good byes to our lovely crowd of
line handlers, they were fab. The Ladies turned
into the 'clean team' and washed up after every meal. Cosmo had
some very serious chats with Bob, and barley left his side. And Fossie
(the fossil) had a birthday to remember. We wonder if we will ever see
them again.......... Toes in the
Pacific for the first time.
I have great plans of getting going with washes
etc etc but settle in the end for a massive pressure headache and retire to
bed, just cannot take the pressure anymore..............
 Grandparents
watching our transit online from the RCC club room in
London. |