Firefly - Waiting to go through the canal

We arrived at Shelter Bay marina on Sunday after a great sail down the coast from The San Blas islands via Isla Linton. It was sad to say farewell to the beautiful San Blas but we are now getting prepared for our transit through the locks.

Firefly is in the last of three World ARC transits to go through and a third of the fleet are already in the Pacific, the second transit left this afternoon so they are half way through and now at anchor in Gatun Lake .

A trip was organised to the Gatun Lock visitor centre at the first set of locks (going up) so we know something of what we are going to experience however it is difficult to compare our trip to those of a super tanker or cruise ship who can only just squeeze through with only inches to spare.

The trip to the locks is one of many events organised extremely well by the World Cruising team. The most challenging for them thus far was an outdoor showing of the movie Titanic (we will leave you to judge on appropriateness of the movie choice) on the quayside of the marina. Just when it was getting exciting with water everywhere the screen blew over! But in true nautical tradition all hands came on deck and put the screen back together.

We have a trip to an Embra Indian Village settlement on the banks of the canal tomorrow and next day we are off.

Hope you see us on the web cam

Paul, Susie, Peter and Grateful (will be a Pacific bird soon)