9 22 08N 79 57 07W

We are still in Shelter Bay Marina, Colon, but tomorrow we will finally transit the Panama Canal.

It's just 6 locks in total, 3 up and 3 down. The people, money and the time involved is just in sane.

Agent, Panama Canal Authorities, 4 x 35 m lines, 6 people onboard minimum ...

Captain is not to do anything but steer. Then there is an advisor, he doesn't do a shit except telling other people onboard what to do.

Linehandlers 4 of them, yes exact they just handle the lines.

Niklas, our Swedish sailing friend on S/Y Hafsorkestern, and Anders, his crew member, will help us. Together with Grete and Jose, a paid line handler we are fit.

It's 51 Nm in total. You know at even 5 knots we would make that in 10 hours. But transit the canal will take two days. The big boats do the whole transit in less then 12 hours. 

There is 3 locks upp, in total 30 m we are raising the yacht. There the line handlers might need to do some work. Going down is easy.

Here in this country everything is done in very slow motion and it seems everybody more or less has adapted to this way of living. 

Dingy leak found at last yesterday. Some operation again filling it with water to the bream. Still no bubbles. This time we lifted the dinghy out of the water and turned it around and then by using detergent we manage to find the tiny, tiny hole.

The dinghy will be stored on deck now while transitting. 

With the davits out we would have been more then 50 ft and that means that the transit toll for the boat would raise from 800 USD to 1.300 USD.

Yes there was a Admeasurement Inspector, Salvador, from the Panama visiting us here in the marina and he did measure our boat. With our davits folded we measured 48,23 ft.

There are 6 fees to be paid to the Canal authorities plus an agent fee and a 100 USD per line handler, we will have one.

Then Grete has to serve lunch, dinner and breakfast. There has to be bottled water and some soft drinks as well. And these 3 extra people will stay overnight at Lago Gatun (this is after the 3 first looks). The advisor stays for dinner and then get picked up by boat goes home and arrives again next day.

In total the cost for us will be 1600 USD. 

The Panamans think that this whole show about their 6 looks is a unique experience for sailors. 

When Grete told them we made more then 500 locks by our selves with our boat from Holland to Black Sea without paying a single cent there was ….

And some of them was even much bigger then the locks we will face here.

Locking in Germany - Main Donau Kanal

The height difference along the north ramp of the canal—from the River Main at Bamberg to the crest elevation—is 175 metres (574 ft), with 11 locks.Along the course of the canal there are 16 locks with lifting heights of up to 25 metres (82 ft).

The length of the this part of the canal is 171 kilometres (106 mi); the summit elevation (between the Hilpoltstein and Bachhausen locks) is 406 metres (1,332 ft) above sea level. This is the highest point on Earth that is currently reached by commercial watercraft from the sea.

On the hard cleaning the hull, prop and bow thruster. New Trilux 33 antifouling, 17 liter, expensive stuff.

This is needed going to Galapagos. The might refuse entrance if the hull is not clean. All yachts are checked upon arrival.

It's time for some really serious and heavy bunkering. It will take us 3-4 months to get to Tahiti in French Polynesia.

There will be 5-6 weeks at sea in remote areas.

After the transit we will obtain a buoy at Balboa Yacht Club in Panama City.

We will spend a few days there (there should also be a super huge super market there Albrook Mall and we will do some more bunkering from there) before we sail to Las Perlas, a nice archipelago close to Panama. 

From there we will sail to Galapagos. Entering at Wreck Bay/Puerto Baquerizo, San Cristobal island. It's mandatory now with again new rules for sailors visiting them.

You have to use agent in order to get permission to stop there. Yachtgala, Javier Plúa Rizzo, are our agent preparing the necessary AUTOGRAO in advance.

A lot of fees involved again;

PORT CAPTAIN FEE *ESTIMATED	19 x 10,00  =  190	TO BE MULTIPLIED BY THE GROSS TONNAGE OF YOUR VESSEL
GALAPAGOS MIGRATORY CARD	2 x 20,00  =  40	EACH PER PERSON
GALAPAGOS NATIONAL PARK ENTRY FEE	2 x 100,00 = 200	EACH PER ADULTS
GALAPAGOS NATIONAL PARK: VESSEL TECHNICAL HULL INSPECTION	2 x 50,00 = 100	EACH PER PERSON ONBOARD
IMMIGRATION FEE	31,20	$15.60 CHECK IN & $15.60 CHECK OUT (PER VESSEL)
BIOSECURITY AGENCY / SANITARY INSPECTION	100,00	PER VESSEL
PRIVATE YACHTS GALAPAGOS ENTRY FEE	138,60	PER VESSEL

 

 

 ➢ If you sail your vessel from inhabited port to inhabited port, LOCAL ARRIVAL: USD 15,75 and LOCAL DEPARTURE: USD 15,75 will be charged each time, in addition to the above detailed. 

➢ In the case that your vessel arrives or departs on weekend or local holidays, ARRIVAL and DEPARTURE will be double charged. 

➢ The government fees are subject to change without prior notice. 

Agency Fees 

è Our Agency fee is USD 150,00 based on 2 people,

è Representation fee is USD 100,00 in each inhabited port that you call. 

è Transportation fee USD 30,00 for the officials and authorities in each inspection/each inhabited port. 

è Fuel permit fee USD 50,00 (valid only once). 

è Bank charges for wiring USD 35,00 

è Miscellaneous USD 25,00 for copies and various. 

 

 

ENTRY PERMIT – AUTOGRAFO 

If you want to use this option to visit the Galapagos, besides the above fees you must bear in mind about the following: 

è Entry Permit – AUTOGRAFO fee is USD 300,00 - Valid up to 30 days. 

"Fumigation certificate must be valid during the whole stay."

We are trying to figure out if it's possible to do it here. If not I suppose we can get it done in Galapagos.

Adding 120 USD according to your document. Yes, it is correct.