Dear Reader(s?)

As Written by Allan Dobson (Aqualuna Pool Attendant):-

At anchor in Flamenco Bay from where we can see the gleaming towers of Panama City.

Four crew assisted other yachts in transit thru the Canal after the Aqualuna transit. Second trip was done in daylight. Motored across the bay of  Colon to The Flats, as before, to await the Transit Advisor and once he was on board motored off to the first set of locks, the Gatun Locks. At the entrance to the locks three yachts raft up with the biggest in the middle which yacht controls the raft. Then the raft motors forward slowly into the entrance to the locks and when in position, the line handlers ashore throw heaving lines which are attached to bowlines on the 200 foot long warps on the bow and stern of each of the outside yachts in the raft. The line handlers haul the warps up and drop the bowlines over bollards and the warp handlers on each yacht haul in and let out as needs be the warps, to maintain the raft in the centre of the lock. When in position and secure, the lock gates swing shut with a dull 'boom' and the Lock Master starts the inflow of water. The locks fill quickly and we went up like a slow elevator. When we did our transits we had ocean going vessels in the locks with us. They go in ahead when going up and astern when going down.

Gatun comprises three locks and is the uphill lock. Once the lock is full, the gates ahead are opened, the vessel in front gives a kick ahead on its main engines and then the 'mules' which are mini locomotives on rails on either side of the lock, attached by hawsers fore and aft, pull the vessel forward up a steep ascent into the next, higher, lock.

Once the lock is full, the line handlers then let go the yachts' warps, leaving the heaving lines attached, and the warps are pulled back on board. The line handlers walk forward to the next lock and the process is repeated again and the again in the third lock. Once through the last lock the heaving lines are cast off and the warps taken on board the yachts. Given the length of the warps the weight of the raft, the swirling turbulence of the water rushing into and out of the locks,and the wet warps - 1" in diameter - the warp handlers had to work!!

Once outside the locks, the raft is broken up and the yachts proceed to anchor or moor for the night as yachts are not allowed to traverse the Gatun Lake, which is the lake which connects the locks at each of the Atantic and Pacific ends of the Canal. Aqualuna anchored on its transit but on the second transit we tied up on mooring buoys.

The Lake takes about 3 1/2 hours to cross at 6.5/7k. It starts wide with low lying green jungle banks - apart from where the new Canal is being built where it is totally denuded. In the evening and early morning Howler Monkeys - well - howl. Crocodiles lurk and we saw Iguanas swimming. There are silent, misty islands and mysterious channels leading off the buoyed channel. Shades of Henry Morgan's men, Conquistadores, mule trains laden with Inca gold, Canal diggers, disease and death.

Approaching the Miraflores set of locks, we followed the same procedures, rafted up and got the lines ready. This set of locks is downhill. We entered with the lock at same level as the lake and then it is filled and we go down. For the bow line handlers, this is more difficult as there is no wind shelter as the yachts are at the top of the lock wall is and the bows of the yachts get get blown off by the wind. There is a small lake between the first and second locks which we motored across, still rafted.

Once through the last lock we passed under The Bridge of The Americas and there - ahead - The PACIFIC - upon which we stared silent and looked at each other in wild surmise like stout Cortez as he stood silent on a peak in Darien (to paraphrase Keats).

Yesterday and today been running errands, mechanic on board to fix watermaker and battery charger.

For those of you in more temperate climes we have been suffering hot sunny/cloudy days, cooler nights (ur correpondent had to vacate cockpit due cool - XX pls note) and occasional heavy showers.

 

Well that is Allan Dobson's missive.......

Fenella Boxhall, The Pikes and I (Gabbie) visited the old city today and pottered around having a lovely time.  It is now under World Heritage protection and very slowly they are renovating the old buildings.  Tomorrow night is the begining of Carnival. We saw a workshop getting old and new float figures ready.  It is one of the best carnivals in S. America ending with a huge parade on Shrove Tuesday night.  There is going to be lots of dancing in the street, water fights and fantastic costumes.  At the big parade the very beautiful transvestites carry razor blades hidden in their hands to ward off amorous males!

John Boxhall is doing his third transit of the Canal today and tomorrow as the skipper of the Cat' 'Spirit of Nina' has put his back out quite badly so will not be able to warp through the canals.  Fen and John have moved on to the cat' to keep Gill company and to help them, it also frees up more space on Aqualuna as we were quite squashed with 7 on board.  We are at anchor near each other so still join up and Fen joined us today.  Many of the BWR yachts are now through the canal just a few more to arrive tomorrow.  We then do our own thing, although I think we are all staying to enjoy carnival.  After that we will head off to the Las Perlas archipelago and arrive in in the Galapogos around the 14th March where we will enjoy traveling around the islands on a chartered yacht with a lecturer, private yachts are not allowed to explore the islands on their own.