Cruising
Seymour Paul crews through the Panama Canal.
A close friend from California retired and bought a 48' Chris Craft Constellation with an aft cabin. He had crewed on the 38' trawler on the trip described elsewhere. Ed had taken his time down the west coast and contacted me about joining him in Costa Rica, and going through the canal. He knew that I had been born in Panama and would enjoy that portion of the trip. So I caught a flight to Golfito in Costa Rica and we left the next day. The rainy season was just beginning, so the afternoons were often cloudy with some rain.
A Pacific beach anchorage
Panama Canal Transit
We spent a week going south between beach and island anchorages. Lush and tropical just like the travel posters show. As we approached the canal, large ship traffic increased and it came time to check in by VHF radio. We had reservations at a new marina near the entrance to the canal and were put on a mooring in the harbor.
It was going to be 10 days before a pilot would be available to us. So the boat was hauled for bottom painting - with an 18 foot tidal range there are two windows a day to do this. Several days were spent paying fees, boat measuring, lining up long lines and tires for fenders. I visited all the places where I grew up.
Several of Ed's sons flew in and the boat got crowded. We took in a lot of sightseeing, then left the marina and visited Toboga Island, then took a mooring at the Balboa Yacht Club which is adjacent to the canal entrance. Several days there and the morning of transit arrived.
Our
pilot met us at 7 am and we were the first to go through with a large
container ship (and several crocodiles). In the first lock we would raft
next to a sailboat with lines from each boat and stay in the center of
the lock. As the water rose, we took the lines in.
Entering the lock
After the lock was full and forward gate opened, the prop wash from the ship ahead was very turbulent and one of the sailboat chocks was pulled out. The next lock we went through with a tug and he did all the line adjusting.
Watch as we lock through, from a remote camera at the Pedro Miguel Locks.
Sailboat crew
Our pilot said 'pour on the coal' and we could be one of the first boats out the other side, a 40 mile trip. A large sportfisher showed up at the other end and offered to side tie to the lock and let us "ride along" beside him. A huge container ship followed us into the lock and stopped with its bow towering over us. Several more locks, and we were through.
A monster approaches
A fast run and we got to the Panama Canal Yacht Club about 4 pm. We hired a cab and toured Colon. I was scheduled to fly home, so the next day I caught the Panama Railroad back to Pacific side and then a taxi to the airport.
There is not enough room here give you details about the things that we did and the great places we visited in Panama. Since then, Barb and I with another couple went back and rented a car - we drove 1000 miles around the country side for a week. There is enough left to see that we want to go back again.