can we help
+44(0)1983 296060
+1 757-788-8872
tell me moreJoin a rally

Menu

Misto - Days 24-28: Panama Canal and into the Pacific!



January 30 saw us departing Shelter Bay for our Panama Canal transit, with Cecilie from WCC on board. Around 13h00 we were anchored at "The Flats" awaiting our Advisor, Roy Torre, who boarded about an hour later. We made our way towards the first lock and the plans for locking all the World ARC boats together were changed and we locked in two groups behind two freighters. We rafted up with Forget-Me-Not about 16h00 and proceeded into the Gatun Locks. The heaving lines with heavy monkey's fists on them soared over the boat and we retrieved the lines, fastened them to the long lines we had been provided with and they were heaved up to the bollards on the edge of the lock. Sharon, Chuck, Howard and Cecile acted as line handlers and Ros was at the helm. Under Roys' watchful, and helpful guidance we locked through Gatun locks and into Gatun Lake.

Here some unexpected fun ensued as we were the first boat to arrive and had to tie onto a large, flat, commercial bouy and so we sent Howard and Cecilie onto it to tie us on. We were tied amidships so other yachts could raft onto us. Roy and the other Advisors then departed on the launch and we enjoyed a peaceful dinner. The second group of boats arrived around 21h00 and we rafted Sumore up next to us, until we had 6 boats on the bouy. The night resounded with the creaking of lines and rubbing of fenders!
At around 06h30 the next morning the Advisors returned and to our surprise we had a new Advisor, Oscar. Oscar assured us that he would be happy to eat Roy's breakfast that we had agreed on the night before! We motored slowly through Gatun Lake and served up a cooked breakfast. It was not unlike travelling through parts of the ICW, except for the very large freighters that were lurking around some corners, and depth was certainly not an issue.

We proceeded slowly to the San Miguel and Miraflores locks as we had to wait for a couple of freighters to lock though before us as it was arranged that the World ARC boats in this first transit group would all lock through together. Here we repeated the rafting and rope handing processes we had become adept at the day before, except now we were descending to sea level. We clearly made quite a spectacle as visitors, train drivers and other boat crews all paused to take photographs of us. Out into the Pacific we finally felt we had arrived when we motored under the Bridge of the Americas. Only about 1400 sailing vessels make this transit every year and we felt proud to be part of this elite group.

Three nights at the La Playita Marina, on the edge of Panama City followed. Howard completed some more maintenance while Sharon, Chuck and Ros went on a city tour. This modern city has plenty to offer visitors, with history and modernity co-existing happily side by side, and the Old Town being beautifully restored. We enjoyed meals at the restaurant close to the marina as well as traditional Panamanian food at Diablicos, in the Old Town, where we were entertained with traditional dancing. Having had enough of marina life we departed on February 3 for the Las Perlas Islands.
-----
At 1/20/2017 3:46 PM (utc) our position was 09°30.65'N 078°37.07'W


Previous | Next