2/14/2011: Transiting the Panama Canal

Transiting the Panama Canal was truly an amazing experience.  How appropriate, that the 2nd leg of our journey, we got to see Amazing follow us.

D and I through the Miraflores Locks

Damon and I really wanted to transit the Panama Canal.  And, there are several ways to do this involving lots of money.  We did not want to do it that way.  So, off we went to become line-handlers.  Line-handlers, as you might surmise, handle lines (aka ropes to you land-lubbers) that are attached to boats, which help a boat safely transit the Canal.    

Why is this needed and how does it work?  Well, you can imagine that transiting the Canal is kinda a big deal.  It is.  You want it to go right, ie, you want the boat to go through the Canal without hitting the sides or other boats that are in the locks with you.  Add 267 MILLION gallons of swishing, swirling water for EACH LOCK and you can see why you might want some safety measures in place.  Here come the lines.  

If you imagine a boat as a sheet that's blowing in the wind and you want it under control, you'd want a rope (line) on each corner, attached to something which keeps it taught.  That's basically the idea for getting ships through the Canal: the lines help guide the boats through the middle of the Canal.  Small boats like sail boats have people attached to each end of those lines.  Big boats like tankers have machines (lovingly called mules) attached to those lines.  

Mules

Mule

Well, through a series of posting signs at a couple of yacht clubs, pouring over internet postings and the good 'ole fashioned hanging at the local sailor bar, we found a boat and they invited us to crew with them.

Santorini is a '48 foot Ketch and a beautiful boat - in fact, it was a show model and even had a washing machine and china cupboard on board!  Captain Tom and First Mate/Galley Queen Dawn were wonderful hosts as well as their crew, Canaan - from Georgetown!

Capt. Tom and Dawn with the San Pedro locks in the back

Canaan at the bow at San Pedro Locks

The first night at anchor on the Pacific side, we got to know each other a bit and talked about what to expect.  We hoped to tie up to a tug boat which means you basically glide through with them in the locks so it's super-easy.  Then, the next morning, we set off to transit the Canal!

When you transit, you are boarded by an Advisor who works for the Panama Canal Transit Authority and they guide you through the process.  Pfew!  Our Advisor was really great: calm, nice and knowledgeable.

Here we are underway passing under the Bridge of the Americas!

The mast of the Santorini and the Bridge of the Americas

Approaching the Miraflores Locks, first set of locks on the Pacific side, I was once again blown away by the sheer magnitude of the Canal, the volume of traffic and containers that pass through daily and everything that is required to make THAT happen. 

Check out the size of these cranes, which move the containers of the tankers!  

 

The tugs, which push the tankers around!  And, the City in the background.

WOW!

Headed into the Miraflores Locks it's surreal to look up at the Visitor's Center and all the tourists watching you go through.  To think we were "them" just a few days earlier!

Miraflores Visitor's Center - we were one of those tine on-lookers just last week!

Passing through the locks is a cool experience with the water raising or lowering your boat along with the others.  Rising tides do life all boats!  

You do have to stay on your toes a bit, though when the locks open as there is likely to be a shift in the boat because of the shifting water - remember 237 MILLION gallons are at play!

Once through the first set of locks, we entered Gatun Lake and passed under the Culebra Cut - a 7 mile cut through the mountains - impressive!

The Culebra Cut

Because sailboats generally are much slower than tankers or cruise ships, it usually takes 2 days to transit the Canal.  This means a night on the Lake moored on the biggest mooring ball any of us have ever seen.  Look at the size of that sucker!

A mooring ball so big you can dance on it!

In the morning, it was time again to pass through the Locks and this time we'd finally be in the Caribbean.  We lucked out being in front of a HUGE tanker named "Amazing" - quite appropriate, don'tcha think?

Notice the mules pulling Amazing and notice how little room she has between her and the locks.

All in all, it was a truly Amazing experience - yes, I did that on purpose.  Phrases like "the 8th wonder of the world", "they don't build things like the used to", etc do tend to fall out of your mouth during journeys like this and they did.

If you have further questions about this trip or the Canal, just ask!

The end