We completed the second half of our canal transit yesterday and are now anchored off Panama City at Las Brisas. The last few days have been a whirlwind but we escaped unscathed from the locks and are finally in the Pacific. Although we now have to wait here for boom repairs and are still trying to get some replacement winches, it is very exciting to think we are finally close to being on our way.
With Spiip’s owner imminently arriving we left Portobello last Thursday to go back to Shelter Bay Marina, twice! We had completed most of our 2 hour journey when we realised we hadn’t got the necessary zarpé (permission to move from anchorage to anchorage) from the port official. We had to turn around and go back. Not to waste valuable time, Miranda and I hopped on a diablos rojos and headed off to do the food shop while Robin and Nic returned with the boat to Shelter Bay after completing the required paperwork to move 10 miles along the coast. Oh the joys of third world bureaucracy!
We exited the supermarket with a brimming trolley pushed by our bag packer; even he was overwhelmed with the flurry of attention from locals wanting to help get us in a taxi to the marina. Apparently not many foreigners are seen at this particular supermarket because everyone wanted a piece of the action. It was dark by the time we approached the marina and we were surprised to see lots of cars parked along the normally deserted road. We soon realised the locals were out catching crabs for their dinner.
The next day was spent in preparation for the owner's arrival. That night Nic and I enjoyed listening to some fantastic jazz in the marina by a group from Cuba called Havana Jazz. They were exceptionally good and played a variety of music but sadly there was a very small audience in comparison to the concert they gave in Panama City the night before for 1000 people. It was interesting to finally meet the owner of the boat we have spent the last month on. He flew in with his daughter just to do the canal transit. We have really enjoyed his company over the last few days.
Saturday, Nic and I embarked on a long hike to Fort St Lorenzo, 9 km away. The fort was originally built by the Spanish in the late 17
th Century, then conquered and destroyed by Henry Morgan soon after. 70 years later it was rebuilt by the Spanish and overrun and razed by the English again. It is perched on a cliff overlooking the mouth of the Chagres River which was the conduit for the Inca gold pilfered by the Spanish from Peru and later channelled all the spoils of the Californian gold rush. On our return walk to the marina we detoured to a little beach and were greeted by friendly locals who offered us carrot cake, orange juice and shots of “seco”, a traditional alcohol made from distilled sugar cane and usually drunk with milk. Along the way we saw capuchin monkeys, agouti, toucans and bright blue Mariposa butterflies, the size of small birds.
We were all nervous in anticipation of our journey through the Panama Canal having heard lots of horror stories about how difficult it could be and been told that 1 in 100 boats are damaged. Our agent, Eric, seemed pretty organised and all our dealings with the Canal authorities gave the impression of an efficient operation. On Sunday morning Spiip was ready for her ordeal with the requisite long lines and her sides decorated with 16 tires in addition to innumerable fenders. We left the marina and anchored for lunch awaiting the arrival of our pilot. There was some confusion over whether we would be “nested” with a much smaller Australian yacht but finally we were rafted with a large motor boat who handled the starboard side lines while we only had to worry about the port lines through the Gatun locks.
As we entered the lock, 2 line handlers threw monkey fists (knotted balls of rope) with lines onto the deck. We then had to attach our own thick ropes with a bowline and feed them back. The guys onshore then walked, and at times jogged, until we were in place. On day 1 we were behind a big cargo ship. The huge metal doors, original from the building of the canal, closed and we had to keep our ropes tightened as the lock filled, creating a witches’ cauldron of swirling water around us. Once we reached the correct level, the gates ahead opened and we moved on through 2 further locks, finally motoring out into Gatun Lake.
We celebrated the first successful leg with champagne after a refreshing swim in fresh clear water (not without concerns about crocodiles!). We went to bed early as we expected the pilot at 6am the next morning. Having watched dawn break over the lake, a beautiful sight, he didn’t arrive until 8.30am. Under his guidance, we motored nearly 20 miles through the most stunning scenery. The lake was artificially flooded when the canal was built and one can still see the tops of trees poking above the surface of the water between little grassy outcrops of islands. It is a protected area with no development and very peaceful. I was struck by the strange sight of enormous ships passing us occasionally in the channel, very incongruous in such natural surroundings.
There were 3 locks to negotiate on the second day taking us “downhill” to the Pacific with rather precipitous views ahead before the locks emptied. This time we were on our own and handling all 4 lines; 2 other sets of nested yachts went through with us. It all went very smoothly and we emerged under the Bridge of the Americas and into the Pacific, no longer Panama Canal “virgins” and toasted our arrival with a very good bottle of champagne.
