2 March 2013
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| Sheer's Panama passport |
I am not going to bore you with all the impressive
statistics relating to the Canal, but a few little details cannot be avoided,
if one is to appreciate the scale and history of this achievement! First
envisaged by a Catholic priest, in 1534, construction was first started in
1880, by a French company who ended up in financial ruin after spending
$285,000,000, and losing 20,000 lives (more than any other human endeavor other
than war!) A second French company, unable to obtain funding from the French
government, was forced to sell the canal equipment, rights and ownership to the
United States Government in 1903. A political argument ensued with Roosevelt
tiring of the Colombian Government, and negotiating a separate agreement with
the Panamanians, rewarded by his recognizing their breakaway from Colombia, and
their independence later in 1903.The Canal was opened to traffic in August
1914. It has now operated flawlessly for nearly 100 years! Ownership of the canal was transferred to
Panama in 1999, and it is now run as a purely financial operation, in place of
the largely strategic function it fulfilled for the USA.
The locks were for many years, the world’s largest concrete
constructions, with each chamber being 1000ft long by 110ft wide, and raising
ships 84ft into the Gatun lake on the Caribbean side, and lowering them some
6ft less on the Pacific side. The biggest ships to transit are the 985ft long
Panamex container ships, who squeeze through with a foot to spare on each side!
A transit costs these ships in excess of $250,000.The biggest fee yet paid is
about $485,000, where a premium was paid by one ship to take over another’s
place in the queue! Our fee came to $1350, which included the $800 transit fee,
the $350 agents fee, lines and tyres, plus the Admeasurement and security fees.
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| Dressed up for the party! |
We were scheduled to
transit the canal on 2nd March, so by way of preparation, I
volunteered to be a line handler on a fellow cruisers boat, “Beez Neez,”a week
earlier. Doing the transit with “Big Bear” and his wife Pepe, was not only a
great deal of fun, but it also took the pressure and fear away ,knowing what to
expect, which ropes are the most
critical in the different locks, and the sequence that they follow when rafting
up the yachts.
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| Scott Free anchored at the "Flats" |
The departure from Shelter Bay Marina depends upon ones
scheduled time into the Gatun locks and when the Adviser boards. In our case, and
for nearly all the yachts we saw, it was as follows. One departs from Shelter Bay Marina at about
12.30h, to reach the” flats” between 13.00 and13.30h.
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| Advisor Almado arriving to board |
The Advisor is dropped
off by the Pilot boat 15.30-16.00 giving one at least 2.5 hours to kill on the”
flats”. This is a good time for lunch. We made up fresh rolls, with cheese, salami, lettuce
and onion, with bottled orange juice. We made a couple extra, in case the
Advisor got hungry during the Gatun locking exercise. As soon as the Advisor
gets on board, you heave anchor and leave for the locks, which take 45min to
reach.
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| Approaching Gatun Locks |
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| The crew |
We were rafted with a 56 steel
boat (Saliander), in the centre chamber, ourselves on port, and our cruising
buddies, Scott Free on starboard side. Once rafted together, we motored forward
into the first of the Gatun Locks
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| Behind a tanker in Gatun Lock |
Our raft was in the
middle, directly behind a medium sized tanker, with a raft of 3 smaller yachts
behind us.
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| Walking the messenger line |
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| Retrieving the working line |
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| Turbulent waters |
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| Alessandro handling a line.............note the turbulence |
As one enters the locks, the monkey ropes are thrown from the lock
wall above, first from the port side, and attached to the working lines on the
yacht. Starboard lines are thrown and secured next. The 4 lock line throwers
then walk along the top level with the messenger line, stop at the chosen
bollards, hoist the working ropes up from the yachts, and place the loop over
the bollards. In the Gatun locks, where one is being raised by approx. 30 ft
per lock, the aft lines are the most critical, and of these, the port aft is
the most critical. The aft lines are secured to keep the raft in the centre, as
are the forward lines. As the water rushes in, causing nearly all the
turbulence on the port side, the load on the port aft line is enormous. As one
rises, the two aft line handlers do 95% of the adjustment, recovering line,
while the front two merely hold position. The port aft handler need to be the
best, most alert, to keep the raft square. The starboard aft line handler has
an easier time as the turbulence is not on his side. When one reaches the top,
the lock opens, and the big boat moves out. The raft holds steady until it has
left, and its prop wash calmed down, before the working lines are slipped, and
pulled back to the raft, with the messenger lines still attached. The 4 line
throwers then walk alongside the moving raft into the next lock, where the same
sequence is repeated.
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| View from first Gatun Lock looking over the gates |
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| Christina, Werner and Almado |
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| Advisors consulting |
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| Exiting Gatun Locks into the lake for the night |
Each lock took about 20 minutes, and we entered the Gatun
Lake at about 18.00, and proceeded to a big orange shipping buoy, where the
yachts, which all separated after leaving the locks, spent the night .
As soon as the yachts are secured to the two big buoys, the
pilot boat picks up the Advisors, and the yachts are free to have a beer and
supper. Mary prepared a Caprese salad, of sliced tomato, mozzarella cheese and
basil, on a bed of lettuce, drizzled with olive oil, as a starter, and heated
up a big Lasagne to follow. It rained
like hell that night, so we were glad we had looked at the weather beforehand,
and realized cockpit sleeping was not an option. Our three line handlers were a
lovely South African couple, Werner and
Christina, and a charming Italian yachtie,
Alessandro. Sleeping all five inside ST was a stretch, but we were
prepared!
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| Regis our advisor |
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| The Swedes in their wheelie bin |
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| Just one of many ships passing us |
The next morning, the adviser arrived by pilot boat at
6.00am, and we set off within 5 minutes. It’s best to have had coffee and
biscuits 5.30h to 6.00, and be ready!. It is about 28 miles over the lake and cuts
to the Pedro Miguel lock, so there is ample time for breakfast. We had a big
bowl of peeled, and prepared fresh fruit (pineapple, apple, bananas), with a
glass of orange juice. I handed over the steering to Christina, and helped Mary
to prepare egg, bacon and cheese rolls for everyone.
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| Centenary Bridge at Pedro Miguel Lock |
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| Bolted rockface at Gaillard Cut |
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| The raft behind us including wheelie bin |
On reaching the approach to Pedro Miguel lock, we had to raft
up again. The sequence followed is always the same. One outside yacht
approaches the centre chamber yacht, and the 2 breast lines ( Bow to Bow, and stern to
stern) are attached first, with lines provided by one yacht. Then the two
spring lines are attached, provided by the other yacht. Then the other outer
yacht goes through the same exercise, on the other side of the centre yacht.
The wind was pomping, so we rafted up having turned into the wind, before
spinning like a trimaran, using engines ahead and in reverse to do so.
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| The visitors centre at Miraflores as we see them |
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| As the webcam saw us! Thanks Steve! |
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| Miraflores |
The raft then entered the lock, and the shore line handlers
throw the monkey fists, and the lines are attached as before, and walked into
position . Once again, getting the aft lines secured in position first is most
important, as the raft hangs off these while the water level drops. 95% of the
adjustment is now done on the forward lines, as the raft moves backwards and
lower on the aft lines.
There is a one mile stretch between the Pedro Miguel and the
Miraflora locks, and the raft stays together
for that bit, as it passes under the very elegant Centenary suspension bridge.
Monkey fist lines are again thrown, and line handling done as before. Again, the aft lines take most of the strain,
and most off the adjustment is done by the front ones.
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| Werner and Christina celebrating |
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| Made it in one piece!! Relief!! |
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| The Bridge of the America's |
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| And excitement!! |
In no time at all, the last gate opened, and we were at
Pacific level! We moved forward beyond the lock area, and separated in the
reverse sequence… springs first, the breast lines, and headed off under the
Bridge of America’s, to the Balboa yacht club area. Mary served the nearest we
could find to Boerewors rolls, with fried onion and barbeque sauce for lunch,
during this 15min gap. At Balboa Yacht club, a launch came out and met us, picked
up the lines, tyres, and line handlers, plus a $10 fee, and suddenly we were on
our own again! Panama transit done and dusted!
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| Removing our transit tyres |
We then motored about a mile further to the La Playita
anchorage area, where we dropped the hook, spent a while sorting out all the
chaos of sleeping 5 for the transit, opened a beer, and ate the left over rolls
and snacks for supper….. and hit the sack real early!
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| Tired relieved and happy |
PS Did you know that the sea level of the Caribbean is 6 ft
higher than the sea level in the Pacific??? And why?
