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Firefly - Half way across the Panama Canal - at anchor in Gatun Lake



We have a couple of very memorable days;

Yesterday we went on a tour to visit a settlement of Embera Indians; after a bus trip towards Panama city we were met on the shores of the Gatun Lake by the indigenous Indians with their canoes hewn from tree trunks, albeit with an outboard motor on the back! We were taken on a beautiful cruise up the flooded river (which was dammed to form Gatun Lake during the construction of the canal)to an isolated settlement of some 120 people who like other Embera villages in the area, resettled here (after the lake was formed) from their original home near the Colombian border.

The settlement was a model of living without outside influence; they live off the land and lake, and do not bring in anything other than food they need to feed their visitors, they have a school, make baskets and carve wood all from materials gathered locally. They were such a friendly and welcoming community; well governed by their chief who is democratically elected every four years - the election consists of everyone over 15 in the village forming a line behind their favored candidate - simple and open!

Today after completing several last minute jobs at 1500 we headed out into the approach to the canal with the remaining members of the rally for the third transit. We anchored and were met by Hector our advisor for the transit through Gatun Locks. Firefly was rafted with two other boats; another monohull Safir and the catamaran Folie a Deux for the passage through the locks. As we approached around 1700 we were thrown lines from the shore (we know what monkey fist is now - a solid piece at the end of a light rope) We went up three lifts of 9 metres. For each lift the huge lock gates closed behind us and the water flooded in. Firefly was on the side of the raft and had to take in the rope as we rose not an easy job to avoid the raft moving too much. After two hours we were at the top of the Gatun lock system and exited into Gatun Lake. We fed and then said farewell to Hector and are now moored with other boats. Tomorrow we have a start at 0600 to cross the lake, go through the Culebra cut and then drop down the three locks to the Pacific.

At the half way point through the canal Paul has been reflecting on this milestone event. Having purchased Firefly 5 years ago with some kind of long distance adventure in mind and prior to signing up for the World ARC rally, the plans changed on several occasions. Some friends had suggested that the Med, Caribbean and the Baltic were special and far away enough for a Northern Hemisphere based boat - and that a 747 was a more suitable mode of transport for traveling to the South Pacific. It does however feel great to be transiting the canal and entering the Pacific, to start the next phase of the trip.

Paul, Susie and Peter


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