Starcharger's Web Diary - Panama Canal

Panama Canal

Starcharger

Sun 21 Feb 2016 20:44

"09.08.83N 079.48.75W"
We are transiting the Canal as I write this! An amazing thing to do... With us we have Neil, Erica who I have also known for years and Kevin & Susie who we met in the Caribbean even though they only live a few miles from us back home!
Yesterday we entered via the Gatun Locks a flight of three chambers. We were rafted to two other boats and in the lock behind a small tanker. We went through as night was falling but I believe we were visible on the webcam.
The Panama Canal Authority provide an advisor for the trip who manages the boats through the canal and in the locks. They are really friendly and speak very good English!
Having come through the locks we rafted up again on a large mooring ball and had a very pleasant evening drinking and eating, including of course some of the Maclean whisky.
Now we are motoring through the lake, some 28nm to the next lock....
Hopefully we will go through the next locks in daylight.
Haven't seen any crocodiles yet
Love Alasdair.

+1758 520 6961

Sent from Alasdair's iPad

Blog Entries

2023

Sep 2023

Sat 30 Sep 16:53
- Where is home?

2022

Dec 2022

Sat 24 Dec 18:59
- A year without moving…

2021

May 2021

Sun 16 May 23:54
- Flying home….

Jan 2021

Sun 17 Jan 14:04
- New Year and new blog....

2020

Nov 2020

Sat 28 Nov 23:41
- A time for reflection
Mon 23 Nov 15:21
- Circumnavigation
Sat 21 Nov 10:40
- Night sailing.
Wed 18 Nov 13:34
- Memories
Mon 16 Nov 18:20
- Under 1000
Sat 14 Nov 09:28
- Memories
Wed 11 Nov 08:36
- Dawn and dolphins
Mon 9 Nov 11:27
- Above the bear of Brazil.
Sat 7 Nov 11:17
- Over the equator
Fri 6 Nov 13:41
- South Atlantic
Tue 3 Nov 14:59
- Practice

Oct 2020

Sat 31 Oct 18:08
- Flying Scotsman and other things
Thu 29 Oct 07:57
- To reef, or not to reef
Tue 27 Oct 17:47
- Showers....
Sun 25 Oct 10:41
- Routine
Fri 23 Oct 13:01
- Fairwelll and adieu you fair St Helena
Sat 17 Oct 19:07
- The big one
Tue 6 Oct 09:09
- St Helena, preparing to depart...

Sep 2020

Thu 24 Sep 07:36
- Changes...
Mon 7 Sep 22:21
- Sadness and plans

Aug 2020

Wed 5 Aug 12:14
- A day for reflections

Jul 2020

Fri 31 Jul 17:04
- Decision from a rock in the South Atlantic

Jun 2020

Tue 2 Jun 00:28
- The power of Pickles

May 2020

Fri 22 May 15:54
- St Helena Day
Sun 3 May 11:17
- Life ashore and plans

Apr 2020

Fri 24 Apr 18:07
- St Helena and the slave trade
Thu 2 Apr 17:01
- Dirt dwelling!

Mar 2020

Thu 26 Mar 16:51
- Further thoughts and plans from Refuge Rock...
Mon 23 Mar 15:55
- Refugee Rock Regatta
Mon 16 Mar 19:21
- Anniversary and time ashore
Wed 11 Mar 10:42
- St Helena
Mon 9 Mar 16:13
- Land!
Sat 7 Mar 11:10
- Days dont get better than yesterday...
Fri 6 Mar 06:16
- Approaching the Greenwich Meridian
Tue 3 Mar 16:08
- Fish for dinner!
Mon 2 Mar 08:31
- 360 degree club

Feb 2020

Sat 29 Feb 11:19
- Where did the Trades go?
Fri 28 Feb 06:29
- Leaving Namibia
Fri 21 Feb 13:14
- Walvis Bay, Namibia
Tue 18 Feb 15:59
- Day Five...
Mon 17 Feb 00:03
- The Skeleton Coast
Fri 14 Feb 07:51
- First day
Mon 10 Feb 08:09
- Preparing to depart

Jan 2020

Sat 25 Jan 17:46
- Cape Town
Fri 24 Jan 06:41
- The bottom of Africa
- The bottom of Africa
Thu 23 Jan 05:32
- South of Africa
Sat 18 Jan 13:45
- Waiting for the weather
Wed 15 Jan 07:15
- Port Elizabeth
Mon 13 Jan 15:50
- On passage to Port Elizabeth
Sat 11 Jan 05:58
- Farewell to Richards Bay
Thu 2 Jan 15:12
- Safari so goody

2019

Dec 2019

Sun 22 Dec 17:31
- Sunday on the hard
Sun 15 Dec 11:54
- South Africa.....

Aug 2019

Mon 26 Aug 15:38
- South Africa
Fri 23 Aug 09:25
- 50 miles to Africa
Tue 20 Aug 15:49
- Tuesday. Mozambique Channel
Fri 16 Aug 08:21
- The ups and downs of Blue Water sailing
Thu 15 Aug 08:10
- Day four, approachhing Madagascar
Tue 13 Aug 12:48
- Day two
Sun 11 Aug 03:32
- Reunion Island
Mon 5 Aug 04:16
- A lovely weekend with friends

Jul 2019

Tue 30 Jul 05:36
- Grande Baie and Snow White
Sun 21 Jul 15:50
- Port Louis
Thu 18 Jul 13:44

Jun 2019

Tue 25 Jun 04:25
- Fwd: Cocos Keeling
Thu 20 Jun 08:18
- 02 Arrived Cocos Keeling
- 01 Leaving Christmas
Fri 14 Jun 03:49
- Christmas Island
Sat 8 Jun 04:38

May 2019

Sun 26 May 00:02
- Ready to depart
Sun 19 May 05:57
- A week to go....
Sun 12 May 22:02
- A week of cleaning
Sun 5 May 07:07
- Darwin, again

Jan 2019

Mon 7 Jan 14:05
- This years plan

2018

Sep 2018

Tue 25 Sep 12:14
- Yet another major change of plan
Sun 9 Sep 00:51
- Darwin again
Tue 4 Sep 23:45
- Returning via Changi

Jun 2018

Mon 25 Jun 02:31
- 11 Cullen Bay Darwin
Sun 24 Jun 00:38

May 2018

Wed 30 May 07:34
- Port Villa, Efata. Vanuatu
Tue 29 May 04:52
- Volcanoes and Cava ceremony
Mon 28 May 21:14
- Port Resolution. Vanuatu
Sun 27 May 23:58
Thu 17 May 05:13
- Vanuatu bound
Sun 13 May 09:55
- Waiting for weather
Sat 5 May 23:28
- We have started home.....

Apr 2018

Sun 29 Apr 19:06
- Counting down to departure
Sun 22 Apr 03:27
- Nearly there.....
Sun 15 Apr 04:56
- A better week!
Mon 9 Apr 01:02
- Doubts and setbacks
Sun 1 Apr 06:23
- Easter at the Bach

Mar 2018

Sun 25 Mar 04:18
- First week jobs.
Wed 21 Mar 20:32
- Back on board

2017

Dec 2017

Sat 23 Dec 10:21
- Happy Christmas

Apr 2017

Sat 1 Apr 21:36
- All change

Feb 2017

Sat 4 Feb 18:22
- The end of the road trip

Jan 2017

Mon 30 Jan 07:04
- The journey to "Gentle Annie Campsite"
Sat 21 Jan 18:42
- The road trip heads north....
Sun 15 Jan 06:57
- The great New Zealand Road trip south....

2016

Dec 2016

Thu 29 Dec 08:30
- Christmas at the Bach
Sun 18 Dec 19:36
- Dune surfing and next years plan
Sat 10 Dec 21:12
- My wife
Wed 7 Dec 18:56
- A month in New Zealand
Sun 4 Dec 04:24
- Classic cars and dinghies

Nov 2016

Wed 30 Nov 20:03
- Marinas, Rally and children
Wed 16 Nov 20:50
- All Points Rally
Fri 11 Nov 20:54
- First week
Fri 4 Nov 01:02

Oct 2016

Sep 2016

Mon 26 Sep 02:46
- Or maybe not.....
Tue 20 Sep 09:01
- A change of scene
Wed 14 Sep 23:13
- A perfect day sailing
Mon 12 Sep 05:39
- Back to Raiatea
Sun 4 Sep 16:44
- Sad day

Aug 2016

Wed 31 Aug 21:53
- Tahaa
Tue 23 Aug 07:25
- Raiatea
Mon 15 Aug 02:34
- That sinking feeling...
Wed 10 Aug 04:29
- Moorea
Mon 1 Aug 03:28
- Papeete

Jul 2016

Wed 27 Jul 19:37
- Fair well....
Mon 25 Jul 17:01
- Tahiti...
Sat 23 Jul 00:47
- Another day another Atoll
Wed 20 Jul 05:35
- Wake boarding in an Atoll
Thu 14 Jul 05:35
- Rangiroa
Tue 12 Jul 06:22
- 02 Stars and wind
- 01 Good bye Marquises
Sun 3 Jul 07:33
- A truly amazing evening!
- The Marquises

Jun 2016

Mon 27 Jun 21:13
- All change....
Sun 26 Jun 20:13
- Fun day on the beach in Tahuato
Mon 20 Jun 21:34

May 2016

Sun 22 May 16:31
- Isobela, Galapagos
Sun 15 May 13:45
- Bad luck?
Sun 8 May 21:57
- Isobela
Mon 2 May 17:04
- Change of plan...

Apr 2016

Mar 2016

Sat 12 Mar 02:28
- Balboa

Feb 2016

Sun 21 Feb 20:44
- Panama Canal
Sat 6 Feb 14:28
- Gill's thoughts.....

Jan 2016

Sun 31 Jan 18:12
- Panama....Panama
- Bound for Panama
Thu 21 Jan 11:26
- Antigua refit and Panama bound!
Sun 3 Jan 16:56
- Happy New Year

2015

Dec 2015

Sun 20 Dec 02:17
- Of home and home and off again

Nov 2015

Thu 19 Nov 19:35
- Long passages and goodbyes

Oct 2015

Fri 23 Oct 11:03
- Holidays and friends
Fri 2 Oct 15:05
- Grenada to St Lucia

Sep 2015

Sun 20 Sep 13:03
- To Trinidad and back....
- To Trinidad and back....
Fri 11 Sep 23:53
- The hard
Tue 1 Sep 18:54
- White rabbits, white rabbits, white rabbits

Aug 2015

Sun 23 Aug 15:32
- All at sea....
Mon 17 Aug 15:37
- The list goes on.....
Thu 13 Aug 13:45
- Of Carnival and people....
Sun 2 Aug 11:40
- Blue moons and Hashing

Jul 2015

Mon 27 Jul 22:40
- My family and other animals...
Tue 21 Jul 03:26
- Tobago
Sun 12 Jul 12:26
- Grenada
Tue 7 Jul 12:57
- A fun week...

Jun 2015

Mon 29 Jun 12:50
- Not a happy bunny...
Sun 21 Jun 12:06
- Union Island
Mon 15 Jun 18:06
- Feeling low
Wed 10 Jun 10:45
- Martinique

May 2015

Fri 29 May 18:39
- AIS
Tue 26 May 21:34
- Sorry it's late!
Mon 18 May 11:16
- Father
Sat 9 May 17:39
- Another week in Antigua

Apr 2015

Sun 26 Apr 17:06
- Classics ends and Race Week begins....
Sun 19 Apr 11:29
- Antigua Classics
Wed 15 Apr 15:26
- A humbling experience
Sat 11 Apr 10:47
- Falmouth
Sat 4 Apr 11:27
- Falmouth Harbour

Mar 2015

Mon 30 Mar 17:25
- Falmouth Harbour. Antigua
Wed 25 Mar 21:45
- Two years afloat......
Fri 20 Mar 11:54
- Portsmouth
Sun 15 Mar 16:14
- Dominica
Mon 9 Mar 15:36
- Portsmouth Dominica

Feb 2015

Sat 28 Feb 18:26
- St Pierre. Martinique
Sat 21 Feb 20:41
- Rodney Bay Marina
- Rodney Bay Marina
Sat 14 Feb 22:29
- "14.05.50N 60.57.80W"
Mon 9 Feb 01:34
- "13.49.94N 61.09.71W"
Mon 2 Feb 12:28
- "12.27.32N 61.29.50W"

Jan 2015

Wed 28 Jan 14:04
- "12.38.61N 61.04.61W"
- "12.38.61N 61.04.61W"

2014

Dec 2014

Mon 1 Dec 01:31
- "13.04.93N 59.36.74W"

Nov 2014

Mon 17 Nov 18:33
- Humpback Whale sighting
Mon 10 Nov 11:19
- "14.05.55N 60.57.46W"

Oct 2014

Sun 26 Oct 16:21
- Friends and family

Sep 2014

Wed 24 Sep 18:12
- The end of the summer.....
Sun 7 Sep 19:19
- IGrace Darling......and Ivan "11.59.65N 61.45.73W"

Aug 2014

Thu 28 Aug 14:47
- Dinghy concert and dogs "11.59.65N 61.45.73W"
Sat 16 Aug 10:47
- Re: Photos of Carnival "12.02.63N 61.44.94W"
Fri 15 Aug 00:20
- Carnival "12.02.63N 61.44.94W"
Mon 4 Aug 16:41
- "12.27.44N 61.29.34W"
- "12.32.05N 61.23.13W"

Jul 2014

Fri 4 Jul 15:17
- "13.00.17N 61.14.65W"
Tue 1 Jul 13:47
- "11.09.56N 60.50.46W"

Jun 2014

Sun 15 Jun 11:34
- "15.22.63N 61.48.91W"

May 2014

Mon 19 May 15:13
- Cheeki Rafiki
Thu 15 May 14:10
- The best laid plans...
Sun 11 May 18:03
- Antigua. "17.03.95N 61.53.06W"

Apr 2014

Fri 25 Apr 02:52
- Whales
Thu 3 Apr 02:23
- On the hard "17.07.67N 61.45.44W"

Mar 2014

Fri 21 Mar 20:20
- Iles des Saintes
Thu 13 Mar 15:34
- Mardi Gras in Matinique

Feb 2014

Mon 24 Feb 15:28
- Round the Island Race...island four
Tue 4 Feb 18:46
- Relaxing...

Jan 2014

Sun 26 Jan 17:36
- Rodney Bay St Lucia. "14.04.32N 60.56.55W"
Mon 20 Jan 16:57
- Stop press....stop press
Sun 19 Jan 22:32
- "13:15:70N 59:38:70W"
- "13:23:.60N 59:28.20W"
Sat 18 Jan 16:26
- "14.10.01N 57:01:52W"
- "14.14.89N 56.30.12W"
Thu 16 Jan 22:11
- "15:23:40N 52:45:46W"
Wed 15 Jan 19:25
- "15.59.75N 50.18.87W"
Mon 13 Jan 16:51
- "16.23.05N 46.22.82W"
Sat 11 Jan 18:37
- "17.08.18N 42.24.85W"
Fri 10 Jan 20:12
- "17.13.51N 40.02.89W"
Thu 9 Jan 16:07
- "17.43.07N 37.45.54W"
Wed 8 Jan 19:43
- "18.12.95N 35.27.81W"
- "18.46.33N 34.32.29W"
Tue 7 Jan 19:44
- "19.46.84N 32.53.21W"
Mon 6 Jan 19:35
- "20.51.24N 30.49.29W"
Sat 4 Jan 18:09
- "22.50.44N 26.36.40W" Saturday 4th January 2014
Thu 2 Jan 12:27
- "25.23.02N 21.31.34W"

2013

Dec 2013

Tue 31 Dec 10:41
- What dreams are made of
Tue 10 Dec 22:42
- "32.44.494N 16.42.761W"
Tue 3 Dec 08:58
- Near the big day

Nov 2013

Sat 23 Nov 09:19
- Back to the boat and back to sea

Oct 2013

Wed 9 Oct 07:46
- The final push west

Sep 2013

Mon 16 Sep 23:54
- Stow away...
Wed 4 Sep 13:38
- Peace descends

Aug 2013

Fri 16 Aug 07:45
- Friends in France
Sat 10 Aug 05:59
- Dicken's birthday

Jul 2013

Tue 30 Jul 14:40
- The closest of close shaves....
Fri 26 Jul 15:01
- Daring rescue
- Three months in...
Fri 19 Jul 09:10
- Rain and more broken bits....
Thu 11 Jul 19:46
- A week at anchor...
Mon 8 Jul 20:35
- The highs and lows of Menorca
Thu 4 Jul 06:55
- Frustration and fun

Jun 2013

Thu 27 Jun 06:51
- Keep calm...
Mon 24 Jun 10:57
- Gale Bound
Fri 14 Jun 08:39
- The things that make our world tick....
Tue 11 Jun 07:28
- Broken auto helm
Sun 9 Jun 08:14
- Gibraltar and Mediterranean mooring...
Fri 7 Jun 19:12
- How far we have come!
Wed 5 Jun 18:44
- Thoughts from a night watch
Sun 2 Jun 22:13
- "38.41.42N 009.25.14"

May 2013

Sun 26 May 13:46
- Sunday 26th May 2013
- Sunday 25th May 2013