PHOTO LINK—>> https://photos.app.goo.gl/6D75Lt9CtxEkBREU6
Last few days
As our last few days counted down we were manically busy:
There was the forward cabin and head to have ready for guests. These areas are usually Chico’s domain and storage for all that we have, but seldom use, but might need, so we keep. The forward cabin was made into a double bed area.
There was all the grocery shopping to do for the breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks that I anticipated having to make. We did a massive shop with our friend Harm
Next there was preparation and cooking of the food, plus the storage of it all.
John was cleaning the exterior of Aeeshah, getting rid of the grime that had accumulated from being in a marina too long. Plus he got rid of all the unnecessary stuff in the lazerette to make way for all that needed to be stored there for the crossing.
Aeeshah had to have her bottom and running gear cleaned. We had the local diver do that due to the crocodiles that are see about the marina.
The engine was checked cleaned and checked again. We filled up with fuel and water, all the covers were removed and stored, I cleaned the cockpit and throughout the boat, the laundry was all seen to, absolutely everything we could think of was prepared just in case….
oh and we managed a few short last walks to see the howlers and the Montezuma Oropendola my favorite birds.
On the 8th April:
Our lines and fenders arrived. There were 4 huge, thick blue lines, standard for sailboats to use while crossing. Plus, 8 very large, round white buoys again the must to cross with. These were put on the foredeck ready for the passage.
9th April, day before:
By 2:30pm I was showered, and ready.
1st to arrive was Santiago our professional line handler. We had seen him leave on another boat, had heard he was excellent and so requested if possible for him to be our professional line handler for our crossing.
Next to arrive was Madeline and Roy. These are friends we have known for a number of years, from our times in the Rio Dulce.
Everyone got settled, John got showered and out to the anchorage we went. Our reason for being in the anchorage was basically convenience in the morning. It meant we could get up just a bit later and didn’t have to navigate the chanel out of Shelter Bay marina in the dark.
In the anchorage we all chatted and relaxed. For John and I it was the 1st little bit of relaxation we had had for several days. Chico was happy as we were back at anchor and he was able to roam the boat. Plus he was receiving lots of attention.
I had made a western style cottage pie for dinner, plus a Ceaser salad which we all enjoyed at about 6:30pm. By 8:30 we all had headed to bed, Madeline and Roy up forward, Santiago in the main cabin and us aft, I believe everyone had a good night’s sleep.
10th April, Panama Canal day
Of course, as normal, I was awake before the 3:30 alarm, got the kettle going and the 5 mugs set out. By 4:00am we had all arisen, had some of our teas or coffee and were more or less ready for our advisors’ arrival. (We had agreed to allow a trainee advisor, plus a regular advisor for our crossing).
They arrived on a tender, aka pilot boat, which came as close as possible without coming alongside and they jumped aboard one after the other. Both were large men with their bags and gear the cockpit was now crammed full. Up to the bow I went and brought the anchor up. And off we went heading towards the 1st locks beyond the bridge.
Off to the 1st lock
It was still quite dark as it was so early, but this means nothing when it comes to shipping and the canal, its a 24hour operation. Us sailboats are just trivia added on to use up the tiny bit of space left in the lock. I learned that when heading to the Pacific the ship enters the lock 1st then the small craft fill the space behind the ship.
There were 3 of us sailboats, Aeeshah being the largest we were to be the middle boat. On our right was the little French boat and on our left was Sunny Spells an Australian sailboat.
Our friend Harm was a line handlers on Sunny Spells.
Our pro line handler Santiago was the organizer for us, he saw to the fenders between Aeeshah and the other boats. He was just marvelous, checking and adjusting with meticulous care. By the time we were all tied up together the ship was inside the lock.
The ship was attached by massive cables/lines to the mules at the upper side of the lock walls.
John had to steer all three boats inside. He did not find it easy, often what the advisor said did not match up with what he felt needed doing, the speed too much or too little. However he was very careful and in we went.
Ascending the Gatun Locks
Once we were inside the men/dock hands, way up on the top of the walls threw the monkey fists attached to the lines to the outer 2 sailboats.
A monkey’s fist is an iron ball attached to line covered in dark paint. You would not want to be hit by one. Further on we saw where the men had to practice and train their throws. It really is quite a challenging height/drop. (see below)
The large blue lines are attached to the line from the monkey’s fist, which are then pulled by the dock hands up to the top of the lock.
The line handlers which were at the 4 corners of us 3 boats then had to loop the lines across the cleats. They could not tie them but had to keep them tight by constantly adjusting the tension as we were raised.
The gate leaves close and up we very very slowly go to the top of the lock by the rising waters. Being the middle boat we were left to watch.
“All gate leaves are 64 feet wide by 7 feet thick. However, they vary in height from 47 to 82 feet, depending on their position. For example, the Miraflores Locks lower chamber gates are the highest because of the extreme variation in the Pacific tides.”
So we were about 30 feet higher when we reached the top of the 1st lock. Next step was that the ship moved ahead by a slight excelleration and having the mules pull it into the next lock.
The dock hands followed with our lines while John steered all the boats ahead. The lines were again secured to the walls that were way above us. Once again the lock was gradually filled with water.
They actually use the water from the neighboring lock and you can see the ship on the other side facing the other direction – towards the Atlantic.
Again we finally reached the top and the gates opened for the ship ahead of us to move ahead into the 3rd and final lock on the Gatun side.
Behind us we could see the next ship moving into place ready to move up. Once in the 3rd and final lock the whole process was again gone through.
“The original Panama canal locks are named the Gatun, Pedro Miguel, and Miraflores locks. The new locks, which were added as part of the expansion of the Panama Canal between 2007 and 2016, are named the Gatun East and the Miraflores West locks. The original locks measure 1,000 feet long, 110 feet wide, and 42 feet high. The new locks are larger, enabling larger ships to travel through the canal. They measure 1,400 feet long, 180 feet wide, and 60 feet high.”
Looking at the sheer size of the gates/leaves, knowing the age of the locks, seeing the old riveted steel, one just has to be in awe of the whole Panama Canal.
And yet meanwhile we had parrots flying overhead and egrets fishing from the lock gates.
How was Chico doing?
He had been in his cat box, but it was stinking hot in the locks. I let him out and he had to find space in the cockpit. Poor guy was panting badly. Not a happy fellow. Eventually Chico managed to cool down and was able to watch the procedure and wonder just what we were up to.
Gatun Lake and across
We finally emerged into the lake, the Gatun Lake and it was then that I was told to go below and make breakfast. I was required to make a full hot breakfast for the advisors and line handler. My meal of choice was scrambled eggs with cheese, breakfast sausages and sliced stick loaf. Making for 7 adults was quite a huge task and a very hot job. It was served and eaten in no time. Everyone was very hungry having been up for nearly 5 hours. Madeline and Roy very kindly helped me with the dishes.
Crossing the lake we had several huge wakes from tugs and ships. Aeeshah rolled and crashed about, my teapot smashed in the galley sending tea everywhere. Coffee was spilt in the cockpit and the advisor lost a cup over board.
The lake it self was quite ordinary, I thought. It sits approximately 26m (85ft), above sea level, it forms a major part of the Panama Canal, carrying ships 33km, (20 miles), of their transit across the Isthmus of Panama. It was created June 27, 1913 when the gates of the spillway at Gatun Dam were closed.
We took just over 3 hours to cross the lake. The entire time the advisor trainee was hounding John about speed saying we would not make it in time to get into the lock with the ship we were booked to cross with. John did his best to nurse our old Perkins, going at 6.5kts which is .5 of a knot more than we ever motor at. One of the other sailboats had fallen behind and the Aussie boat had raced ahead. We did what we could and I began to resolve myself to a night in the lake.
Once we reached Gamboa mooring area where we would have to stay for the night our advisor told that we could continue, he had worked out for us to tie to a tug…… , (which by the way never happened).
I was then directed to make lunch for everyone. Now the instructions I had received was for 1 cooked meal, which I understood to be dinner, which I had served the night before. 1 cooked breakfast, which I had already cooked and served. And for a lunch, for example a large sandwich. I had large baps with ham and cheese or turkey and tomato on the menu. However, the main advisor, who had done nothing but doze phoned the agent and complained that he did not want a sandwich. He wanted a cooked lunch! So we were threatened with a $400 fine unless I produced a hot lunch for the 2 advisors. Sour grapes!
I luckily had a solution, left-overs from the previous dinner. I headed up the rest of the western style cottage pie in the microwave and threw some dressing on romaine topped them both off with fancy toppings and passed it up to them. No complaints were heard.
The rest of us enjoyed the large baps with ham and cheese or tomato and chicken. For dessert I sent up a packet of cookies, a container of granola bars, grapes and a whole chopped pineapple, plus peanuts for good measure. Sure enough by the near end of our canal crossing it was all more or less polished off, mainly due to our advisor’s hearty appetite.
Well, we finally arrived at the Pedro Miguel locks only to be told we would have to wait, yes, wait, so much for the rush….
Pedro Miguel lock
There we waited while the sky filled with dark clouds, the rain held off right up until we were in the 1st lock the Pedro Miguel lock and then it blew, thundered and flashed lightening.
John was in control of all 3 boats again, but found it quite chalenging. Then we found out why the steering and control was difficult….one of the other captains was playing with his throttle…..… As soon as he stopped buggering around the boats were soon straightened up by John. Before that the French boat on our other side was precariously close to hitting the lock wall.
This time in the locks the sailboats were ahead of the ship.
We had the huge, red Atlantic Journey a chemical tanker behind us.
The dock hands walked us forward, the line handlers released the line as we slowly decended. Yes, this time the water went down sending us down 30 plus/odd feet.
Miraflores Lake and Miraflores locks
Upon exiting we had to cross the Miraflores Lake an expanse of water leading to the next set of locks the Miraflores locks, where once again the whole process was repeated. In, tied, walked ahead, attached, ship inside, lock leaves shut, water pumped, down another near 30 feet.
The final lock was adjacent being Miraflores 2nd lock. Once again we were walked in by the lines as John slowly motored, and again attached by the dockhands.
We could see the final level below us over the lock doors. It took an age for the water to be pumped out before the lock doors could be opened for the final time.
Out to the Pacific Ocean
And there we were heading to the Pacific. We made our way down river first passing river banks where swimming off shore we saw crocodiles. On the river banks we saw deer which the crocs were stalking for their dinner.
In view came the huge docklands where the ships are served, under the famous Bridge of the Americas and to the Balboa Yacht club.
By this time it was late evening, coming up to 7:00ish. The tender arrived and took the advisors, next a smaller boat arrived for Santiago, the lines and fenders and it was all over.
I for one was exhausted, it had been a very, hot, long, day, plus eventful, with excitement and anxiety a true mixed bag of a 16 hours awake. One day not to be forgotten by any of us.
Ashore for dinner we went, getting a ride to the dock. The Balboa Yacht club serves a very nice dinner, but John and I just shared a pizza. Back at the boat we all headed to bed.
A Huge Thank you to Madeline and Roy for their help and good humour!!
Early the next morning, right after a cup of tea we moved to the La Playita anchorage. It had been a very folly night with all the wakes from the tugs, tenders, etc. After breakfast Maddy and Roy were off.
