Sheer Tenacity transits Panama Canal

2 March 2013

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.

Dressed up for the party!

We were scheduled to transit the canal on 2^nd 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. 

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. 

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.  

Approaching Gatun Locks

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

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.

Walking the messenger line

Retrieving the working line

Turbulent waters

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.

View from first Gatun Lock looking over the gates

Christina, Werner and Almado

Advisors consulting

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!

Regis our advisor

The Swedes in their wheelie bin

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.

Centenary Bridge at Pedro Miguel Lock

Bolted rockface at Gaillard Cut

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.

The visitors centre at Miraflores as we see them

As the webcam saw us! Thanks Steve!

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.

Werner and Christina celebrating

Made it in one piece!! Relief!!

The Bridge of the America's

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!

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!

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?