As day broke on 3rd March, Laros' complement of 5 was complete. At last the transit day has begun. On board Deb, Johnny, Philip, Tony, and John doing a transit for fun (and our 4th line handler plus skipper, mandatory minimum crew for the Canal). our passage had been organised by our agent Roy Bravo. So, we motored across the north entrance at the breakwater to the anchorage near Colon to meet our Advisor. He leads us through all the stages of the transit. Off we went to the northern locks (Colon Esclusas) to wait for our big commercial boat to enter first.
As dusk began to fall and arc lights all around began to take hold, we began what can only be described as a life event. We all had our own preconceptions of the Canal and the transit. Mine centred around motoring through a mirky canal water with a hundred feet of hewn rock walls either side. Not really close, even when passing through the Guillard cut next day (and the day after, read on!). But the locks are impressive, built in 1914, with 'mules', small railway engines on either side with wire hawsers to the big cargo boats to keep them in position. And, given the tiny clearances either side, how they do their job without falling into the locks defies reason. They say a number have over the years, and who would be surprised. The new lock system will use tugs, though we could not find one Canal Authority employee who favoured the change from mules to tugs.
3 locks to 'go up'. Rafted on the side of another sailing boat, Ellas with Claudia, Kim and girls, and they rafted to Stampede, we danced in the huge currents of the lock filling in front of us, and pirouetted almost into Stampede on one lock exit. Never shall Debs arm have a better chance of being straightened than then! Onward through 2 more locks, same procedure as last time Miss Sophie (for our German friends), and then out into Gatun Lake and onto a large yellow rubberised mooring buoy. First day completed, with virtually no scathe marks. Supper already on as our Advisor must eat before being whisked away. Beef and beers all round to celebrate Day One.
Day 2 should have started at 7am with the arrival of today's Advisor. 7 o'clock passed, 8 o'clock passed and by 9am we were wondering. 9.15am and Frank arrived, having been delayed behind a multiple car crash between Panama and Colon. Was this the omen for today we missed. Well, onward south east to Pueblo Miguel lock he said, and so we did. The transit through the lakes comprises many 'reaches', straight dredged runs of between 500-3000 metres in length. All well buoyed and quite wide. At least you don't feel as if that 1000 foot container ship is heading straight for you, at 13 knots! Close, yes. And awe inspiring. It's 28 miles from inner lock to inner lock. We completed 21 well inside our delayed alloted time. So much so, our Advisor agreed we should moor on one of those yellow things for a couple of hours to avoid 2 hours of circling at Pueblo Miguel. As we were leaving, Frank received a call forward time that made the 7 miles virtually impossible to compete in time. We arrived at our first of 3 southern locks to find Stampede and Ellas in the lock, and our entry passage blocked by tugs manoeuvring our container ship into the lock. We had missed our slot, and no other available that evening. The air became blue as we considered our options. It was all right for Frank, he would be taken off for the night. So back to the mooring buoy for a second night in the Canal.
Canal Day 3 - not many sailing boats spend more than 2 transiting. Not a first, then, for Laros, and not something to brag about. However, a second chance to take in Guillard Cut, and so began the 'spot the croc' adventure. So many crocodiles you just don't know where to look. Long ones, short ones, babies and big ones. There another - no, it's a log in the water!
We did not miss our lock time this time, and it was Frank who advised us through again. To be greeted by crowds of well wishers on the visitors viewing platform, and to be photographed in real-time by our Australian Internet on-lookers at the Miraflores locks, made up for the day's delay. Oh, for the modern technology of Facebook and friends. We were famous at last. As we revelled in the glory and sunshine of Pacific Panama, we made up our minds to make for La Playita anchorage at the end of the esplanade instead of an expensive mooring buoy at Balboa YC. Clouds were beginning to roll in as we dropped John off for his RV in Panama. LA Playing made a welcome stop after our Canal Transit. Exciting stuff.
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