BIG DAY! Panama Canal Transit 10/10/2016

Our big day finally arrived! Almost exactly one year after starting our adventure we were scheduled to pass through the Panama Canal. The process is rather detailed, requiring an official Panama Canal Advisor to be on board to direct the operations, along with four line handlers to assist in securing the boat through the locks. Much paperwork is also required, and for this we hired an agent, a good purchase at $300. He took care of all the official documents needed, paid the fees, scheduled the admeasure (where a Panama Canal official comes to the boat to measure the exact size of the boat), and even obtaining our National Zarpe, the document allowing us to move from the Pacific canal zone to the Caribbean side.

Our line handlers were sailors from other boats in the anchorage. Josh from S/V Oleata, Bob and Irma from S/V Gaia, along with Jon and Shannon from S/V Prism all wanted to come along to experience the crossing prior to doing it on their own boats. Johan from S/V Scoobie II was our only experienced line handler, so he was made Chief Line Handler for the trip. Everyone enjoyed a chili dinner on our boat the night before departure.

Crew dinner the night before the transit.

We had been instructed by the Port Authority to call the night before our scheduled departure for confirmation of our morning start time. When we called they told us we should report to the rendezvous point where we would pick up our advisor at 07:30 instead of the 05:30 time we were originally given. We advised our line handlers and guests that they could sleep in a little later in the morning and everyone departed for their own boats for the night.

As directed, we called the Port Authority again at 05:00 to confirm the rendezvous time of 07:30, only this time they changed our time BACK TO 05:45!!! Panic time. With all of our line handlers still asleep on their various boats we had no time to get to the appointed place by 05:45. A call to our advisor bought us a little time as he called the Port Office on our behalf, but he warned us that times change constantly in the canal transit process and they do not care about small boats since we're little more than a nuisance to them. The focus is solely on the larger transport ships and cruise liners. Scrambling we put out phone calls and VHF calls to everyone with only one response. our only option was to up anchor as quickly as possible and take our boat through the dark anchorage to where two of the other boats were located that contained our line handlers. We pulled out the big flashlights and fired up the fog horn, which no doubt woke everyone in the anchorage when we pulled up to S/V Scoobie II and S/V Prism with our wakeup call. But it worked! Within 10 minutes we had everyone on board and we were full steaming towards the marina where we did a touch and go to pick up Josh on the way to the rendezvous point.

After picking up our advisor the pace slowed and everyone relaxed, enjoying coffee, cinnamon rolls and the experience of being so close to the BIG boats.

Jon and Shannon of S/V Prism were line handlers for us on the transit. In the background is the ship we will be sharing the locks with during our transit through the first two sets of locks.

We traveled under the Bridge of the Americas and everyone tossed quarters into the canal for good luck. The mood was bright and cheerful as Johan  gave a briefing to the line handlers and the advisor told us we would be passing through the first sets of locks side tied to a large tug boat behind a  cargo ship.

The official Panama Canal Transit information describes the responsibilities of the ship as it passes trough the locks and how the advisor must be treated while onboard. 

Three sets of locks would bring us from the Pacific side on the South to the "Atlantic" side on the North, which was really the Caribbean Sea. The first two sets of locks, Miraflores and Pedro Miguel, raised us up to the level of Gatun Lake where we would spend the night. The final set of locks, Gatun, would lower us down to the Caribbean Sea. 

The maps show the route through the locks and across Gatun Lake as we cross from the Pacific side on the South to the Atlantic side on the North.

The side tie to the tugboat went without a hitch in the Miraflores and Pedro Miguel locks. The line handlers were responsible for getting our lines to the tugboat where they were secured while the locks filled with water and slowly raised us up to the level of Gatun lake. At the end of each lock it was necessary to quickly untie the lines and move forward behind the larger ship. In the lock adjacent to us was a Norwegian Cruise liner transiting in the same direction. The mood was exciting and expectant as hundreds of onlookers watched our progress through the canal locks from their balconies.

Cameras on the locks allowed our family and friends to watch us make the transit in real time.

Onlookers watch from the Canal Museum at the Miraflores locks.

Each time we transited from one lock to another we had to untie and move and retie to the tugboat.

Cant. Chris at the helm.

Bob and Irma of S/ V Gaia

Vicious currents can cause much damage if a boat is not properly secured within the lock and is pushed against a side wall.

Rail cars and tug boats are used to move the large ships through the locks so they do not have to maneuver under their own power.

We spent the night on Gatun Lake side tied to a large bouy. Next morning we had to wait for our new advisor before continuing on through the final set of locks to the Caribbean.