Tired but happy after the transit
No matter how many times we have had the pleasure to transit the
canal (including now second time for Paradise, Sid has 16 under his belt and
for me it’s been 9). Each time is a new and different adventure. We highly
recommend for you to volunteer line handling on another boat first before you transit
on your own boat. It will give you an idea as what to expect and how to prepare
your trip whether it is line handlers, food preparation, plus it will keep your
stress level down. By no means all transits are the same. There is a huge
difference from when we transited in 2000 to 18 years later. In 2000 they did
not raft small boats together and they did not turn the prop wash on big ships
in front of you so you could practically water ski behind it or worse peel your
paint of the bottom of your boat. Naturally since 2000 there are heck of a lot
more cruising boats out there so a bigger demand for the canal to fit everybody
especially during high season when everybody is on their way to the Marquesas
(Dec to May. This year we had up to 4 weeks wait and on occasions a transit was
canceled or moved a day ahead (not a good thing if you have friend or family
fly in the day before your transit). We waited 4 weeks but unfortunately had to
cancel do to motor issues. BTW you can postpone a transit as long as it is 24
hours ahead of the transit date and you will not lose your transit fee. If you
reschedule before 60 days are up, there will not be a new admeasure. We
exceeded the 60 days so an admeasure guy had to come out to fill out a new
transit form. This time we had to wait 3 weeks. We heard if you bribe your
agent you may go through the following day, which means some unlucky boat will
get canceled.
You may request a specific date but don’t hold your breath, from what
I have seen nobody got it. So plan well if you have family and friends fly in,
have them arrive a couple days before your transit date.
The day before your transit most of the time you will not know
what time you have to be in the flats, until sometime in the afternoon. The
Flats is the staging area where the advisor will board you before you head into
the canal. Some time you find out around noon that you have to be in the flats
that same day as the advisor will board you at 4 am in the morning and you will
go through the entire canal in one day. This is mainly for boats bigger than 46
feet or that can travel at least 8 knots. If you leave the flats in the
afternoon that means you will spend the night in Lake Gatun which is much more
pleasant than overnighting in the flats, it usually is very rolly plus you get
waked by the working boats. Lake Gatun is tranquil oh and just wait until you
see the beautiful sunrises across the lake, incredible, especially when howler
monkey serenade the new morning. You may see a crocodile or two, so don’t swim
in Lake Gatun.
They will tell you to be in the flats anywhere from 1 till 5 pm.
Don’t bet on it, they usually show up between 5 and 7. We learned that what
happens is they sign you up with a tanker, and they will not board you unless the
tanker is inside the harbor and entering the canal. We thought it was weird as
we saw 4 boats going in while we were waiting. When you go up locks you are
always behind the big ship, going down locks in front.
Many cruisers
organize their own transit, I think you only save about 300 dollars. I did it
in 2000 but this time I decided to have someone organize it for us.
Most of you
know Roger de Hoyos. He is the cruiser’s best friend and taxi driver. We met
him in 2000. When I told him we were transiting he got all excited and told us
he just and finally got the license to be a transit agent, we jumped on that
one. We were his first transit customers, except we had a 7 weeks delay which
was OK cause Roger got some practice in with other cruisers before us LOL.
Roger does all the work, including bringing you big bumpers and the lines
required. He also will check you in and out of the country or check you in on
the other side if you stay a bit longer in Panama. Roger also is a wealth of
information if you need boat parts, he knows where you can get just about anything.
He can take you shopping, will pick you or your family members up at the
airport. Roger is there for you no matter what you need. A great guy to have by
your side especially if you don’t speak Spanish.
Since we were
delayed all our buddy boats had left and were underway to the Marquesas. Kelly
and Darren from NautiKell were our line handlers and since I still had a bummed
hand we needed a 3rd person. Rogelio also has line handlers ready if
you need some so we decided to hire one of his guys, which turned out to be the
best thing to do. I would suggest to hire one line handler. Man!!! Marcos was
amazing (comes out I know his dad from previous transits), the minute he
stepped on the boat he got to work, it was like having a deck hand. Funny Sid
did another transits once we were in Panama City, on a Viking 65, and Marcos
was part of the crew.
We had mixed
feelings leaving the dock, as we had been in Shelter Bay Marina for over 8
months. All the seasonal cruiser still there, gathered on the dock and wished
us well. Many tears were shed.
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| A presi from my Besty Carole |
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| What an honor to have Victor come over and wish us well. He Hauled us out at the Panama YC in Colon 2000 and 3 times after that. A guy that knows what he is doing. Good person |
When we left Marina Del Rey it was pretty tough
saying goodbye, I remember we cried all the way to Catalina Island. But when
you’re sailing you don’t have any more goodbyes right? Wrong!!! So we don’t say
goodbye anymore it’s “C ya later”.
JuanJo took this fun video
Out we
motored to the flats and all I can say we were sooooooooooooooo darn lucky with
the weather, as rainy season had started early and the weather was already like
in high season which is Mid-September to end of November. We didn’t get 1 drop
of rain during our entire transit, yeah.
We could have
not had a better crew and friends aboard for the transit than Kelly and Darren.
We left for the flats at 2 pm and while we waited for our adviser
we enjoyed a few snacks.
We did not anchor just floated around, the bottom here
is very muddy and it’s a mess to haul up the anchor. There wasn’t much wind nor
current so, it was quit pleasant. Our adviser showed up at 6 pm and immediately
we followed the big ship in that was sharing the locks with us. It was all
exciting heading into the canal, seeing the ferry we had to take to get into
town, the bridge still in progress of being built. Although at the time there
was a 1 months strike, the workers were fighting for 60 cents more, not sure per
hour, or day, but you know the bridge will not be finished in December as
proposed. Heck bridge according to plans should have been done 3 years ago.
Just before we got into the locks we had to raft with an Italian
guy, we know the guy, he used to do charters in San Blas and is not a friendly
guy and he proved just that. But for us it was good as he had to motor us in
(-: and he did a good job. As soon as
the canal boys tossed the monkey fists down to us and both of us boats were
secured with the lines. The lock behind us closed and immediately the water started
rushing in and taking us up to the level of the middle lock.
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| Heading into the locks |
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| The bridge the bus crosses the canal |
Then the moment
came when they tow the boat in front of you out to the next lock. You have to
be ready for a little prop wash. Wrong, the ship in front of us turned the prop
full power and blasted us with an easy 20 knot current. The adviser immediately
screamed into the radio to the pilot on the freighter to stop the prop, he just
said: “nothing we can do that’s the way it is to get this boat moving”,
whaaaaa!!!!
He also said this boat is too wide to pull through. Didn't they build the new canal for that and why would they put little boats behind them if they know they have to use full throttle?
Yes, the canal authority gives a rat’s ass about us cruisers. Too
many boats are getting damaged in the locks. The last 3 transit Sid did 2 had
major problems, with too much current ripping cleats out and smashing the boats
into the wall. One catamaran was still heading in to be tied up and secured, when
the big ship came in already, the cat was moved by a 4 knots current and
crashed into the boat our friends were on. Luckily little damage done. Another
Catamaran transit, not secured yet either when the big ship entered, the ship
pushed such a current in the cat was smashed into the wall and had a big hole
in the transom, he had to pay for a transit back to Shelter Bay to haul out and
fix the damage, then pay another transit to get back. Yes you read that right.
The other difference from now to 2000. In 2000 boats under 50 feet had to buy a
buffer for $800, over 50 a buffer of $500 in case of an accident or engine
failure. If nothing happened you got that money eventually back, usually after
2 months. That buffer is not in effect anymore so the canal takes no responsibility
for any damage to your boat if it their fault it is in your hands now, they
take no responsibilities and don’t care if they put you in harm’s way.
I was pissed beyond pissed when the ship in front of us blasted us
with that current, which pulled the boat we were tide to away and back
together, we twisted in the chamber we had to hold on not to get knocked on our
asses, and in shear horror we watched how we got pounded expecting a cleat to
be ripped and us getting smashed into the wall. The advisor was not happy
either, he said he had never seen anything like this and neither did Marcos who
transits twice a week. Advisor had a few words with the pilot on big ship but
in the second lock the same thing, he blasted us again, not so much this time
only 18 knots of a current as he pulled out of the chamber to the last one up.
But Marcos that was luckily in the back tending the line, had a hard time and
it did tweak our cleat and crack the teak.
The third one they positioned us even closer to the big ship (wait
until you see the video), when you see the prop wash approach. Man when I saw
that water approach I saw red, I thought for sure the one cleat at least will
snap. We had at least 25 knots of current it was like being on a river rafting.
Kelly got knocked on her butt, I was holding on for dear life on the rigging.
Marcos was fighting to keep the line tight so did Darren on the bow. Shear
panic in the faces of our neighbor boat. Both captains had the engine in full
forward driving into the current. Boats tried to twist.
What a horrible neglect on the Authority to put small boats like
us in jeopardy. The adviser did admit the Authority does not care for us and
don’t care if we get damage or even loose the boats. I tell you with that
current we had, luckily nothing happened, but if, our boat would have been
smashed to pieces and lives with high probability would have been lost and the
Canal Authority does not care, I repeat, does not care.
We were soooo relieved to have made it in one piece even the
Italian guy looked relieved and I think I made his day when I handed him a
bottle of Italian Red Wine with a thank you for getting us safe through the canal.
(They had to raft with another boat down lock but when we finally pulled into
the mooring field of Balbaoa YC they saw us with loud screams and waving all
their arms).
Kelly went right to it and before we were tied to the mooring to
spend the night we all had a strong and well deserved and more so needed
Margarita in our hands.
Dinner was appreciated by all and Marcos who had settled in on the
Mooring to give us space, even though I told him he is part of our family, had
the biggest smile on his face when I handed him his own plate of cookies.
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| Chicken on a Morel/Porcchini Mushroom Cream Saude, noodles and green beans |
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| Assorted Italian pastry cookies |
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| All gone |
We were told the adviser will be on the boat by 7, he arrived
already at 5 and we started out trip across the canal.
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| Sunrise in Lake Gatun |
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| Buoy we are tide up to |
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| Help yourself breakfast |
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| Our adviser and Marcos in background |
Everything went well, except our blow up fender committed suicide
and jumped overboard, so we did a man over board drill. Wouldn’t you know blow
up fender number two did the same about an hour later.
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| Prepping an underway snack |
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| Pivas, smoked tuna and Corvina |
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| Penne Putanesca with spicy sauce |
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| Cesar Salad in a crunchy Parmesan pocket and marinated Eggpland |
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| And Kelly made the watermelon mind salad. I learned a new and faster way to cut water melons |
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| Marcos taking a rest, he well deserved it |
We got fairly fast to the Gamboa area where we had lunch. Then the
excitement started as we started heading into the locks. This time we had to
side tie to another boat, they had some engine problems. Funny thing is the
Italian guy really has the bigger boat then us but our solar panels make us
bigger so we had to drive the limping boat down the locks. Come out it was our
friendly German dock neighbors, that was cool.
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| Famous Gaillard Cut with Centennial Bridge |
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| the lock is opening or us |
Going down lock was soooo much easier and in the last lock Kelly disappeared
down below to come back with 4 Margaritas we enjoyed, waving to the many
spectators at the Miraflores Visitor Center. Actually we were waving into the
web cam, the visitors thought we were waving them LOL.
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| This used to be the fun Pedro Miguel Yacht Club where we stayed in 2000 |
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| Kelly's Killer Margaritas to celebrate |
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| behind us |
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| one more lock and we are in the Pacific |
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| Web Cam shots |
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| Pacific here we come yeah!!!!! |
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| Bridge of the Americas |
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| Picking up the Adviser |
What a great feeling it was as the last gate opened and we headed
into the Pacific Waters. For both Sid and I it felt like coming home as tears
filled our eyes. On the way to the Panama Yacht Club we popped a bottle of
Bubbly to celebrate the coming home, before the Advisor and Marcos left us. We
tied up on the mooring at the Balboa Yacht Club just before the sun went down,
it was a beautiful evening. We had such luck with the weather, not one drop of
rain. We took the taxi ashore and celebrated with a comfort food dinner at
TGIF.
Another unforgettable adventure on our resume, as Sid would say.
We had the perfect crew to share it with and Marcos was a great line handler.
BTW all the food photos we took were for Steph on Matador, she told Kelly when she found out they were transiting with
us, she was curious what kind of food I would cook. So I put Kelly in charge of
the food porn. Nobody was going hungry on Paradise that’s for sure. I spoiled
Marcos, when he left he thanked me and said he will never forget me, he loooved
the food and was treated like a son. Good food makes people happy!
We left Paradise on the mooring as I had rented a car to drive
Kelly and Darren back to Shelter Bay Marina plus to pick up a few things we
left behind to have enough room for our guests.
Kelly and Darren had a bid on a big cat and just as we left her
phone rang, it was the owner, so I pulled over so she can have a more quiet
conversation, of course with all of us listening. After 20 minutes she hung up
and we all broke out in a cheer and Sid brought out his new bottle of rum he
just bought and the 3 of them celebrated the new boat. Funny enough just a week
prior they sold both their other boat Mischief and their FL house and were
practically homeless.
We stayed in the Balboa Yacht Club only for 2 nights as on the
second night Sid and I both sitting in the cockpit, the bow of our new neighbor
a row behind us, was their anchor and bow started to pass us about 3 feet next
to our portside. The current here is so wicked that boats actually swing into
each other. Our neighbor tried to blame us that our mooring broke, nope we were
still lined up with our neighbor boats on both sides. The guy even called the
water taxi to complain but nothing they could do. So we dropped the mooring the
following day and headed over to the Las Brisas side with the incredible view
over the Panama City Skyline. Besides Debi on Runner worrying that this was it
for us in Panama decided to come for a visit and with her Ida joined us.
Both showered me with BD presents, champagne and wonderful
dessert, we had a great time. Next morning Ida had to go to work but not before
she got a hair cut from Debi in the parking lot LOL.
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| Approaching thunderstorm |
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| What a surprise to see Georgia in Las Brisas |
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| Debbie wanted to take me out for a very elegant dinner, but when we drove by Taco Bell we both couldn't stand it and..... |
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| haircut in parking lot at 7 am |
Originally Sid wanted us to go through the canal on my Birthday
but my BD wish was to sit on my bow perch with a bottle of bubbly awing over
the beautiful Panama City Skyline. I could have had a nice dinner ashore but
that was one of my best BD’s ever enjoying the bubbly and the incredible city
line.
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| Grilled Rabbit for dinner, yum! |
We usually never leave the boat alone but Kelly and Darren after
hauling out their new boat set a name changing date for their boat and insisted
we both had to be there as the first guest on their new boat. So we rented a
car and joined them for a very fun boat naming ceremony. Kelly went all out and
researched the right way to handle the ceremony, it was cute and fun and unforgettable.
For 2 weeks Kelly had a family whatsapp chat going on to help find a name for the
boat. It was a fabulous idea and hilarious and I felt honored that I was
included in the chat. The names were amazing. Kelly’s friend started with
Nautikel Dreams as it is a Nautitech 47, from there it took off. Kelly had
NautiKell or Umbutu. Names that came in: Catabout, Catatude, Nautidarren, RumBling,
Nauti Nauti, Cool Change, Cat-a-tonic, Cat Tales, Cataround, Naut Sober,
Nautikel Rum Runner, Way-2-Nauti. But nobody knew the name until the ceremony “NautiKell”.
It was a fun party.
We spend the night then Kelly and Darren came with us shopping and
spent 2 nights in and on Paradise. Lots of fun and lots of food again and when
we drove them back we did a side tour to San Carlos to visit the new Vista Mar
Marina everybody is raving about. We were not disappointed either and new
eventually Paradise will find a temporary home there.
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| City Burger in Flamingo best and biggest burgers ever |
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| Vista Mar Marina |
On our second week in Las Brisas anchorage rumor had it that the
Port Authority was going to kick every single boat out of the anchorage. Wait,
wait, where are we all gonna go???!!!
After a month in this anchorage we still enjoyed the magnificent
view over the city and used the heck out of the metro system to get anywhere in
town. It was huge fun. One of our outings I took Sid to the Soho Mall. He
admitted himself the best Movie Theater ever.
When Melania and Carol and Greg found out we were leaving for the
Perlas they arranged for dinner in town and they all spent the night at the
hotel in Las Brisas.
We took them to the movie theater, OMG did they love it and unfortunately
Ida couldn’t make it but funny thing was as we watched Melissa McCarthy’s movie
“Life of the Party” we all agreed that Ida was in the movie.
From here we went to City Burger and enjoyed a yummy dinner
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| 2 for 1 on any drinks, $7 Margarita, Passion fruit Mojito, regular Mojitos and a Gin Martini |
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| They have burgers for 6, which is the size of the whole wooden plate |
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| View from their hotel toom |
It is so nice to
have wonderful friends that go out of their way to spend a night in town to see
us, makes us feel so special.
A couple of days later we pulled anchor and headed to the jewels
of Panama the Perlas Islands. But more about that in our next Blog.
Here a few other photos:
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| First time Ida saw the burgers |
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| This is Panama City for you, one building right next to the other |
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| Shanna and AJ invited us for dinner, look at the stunning view over Punta Pazifica |
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| The rounded building is the Trump Tower |
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| Don't ask, we think some kind of fender for big ships |
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| At the fish market with Tchiao Tchiao brothers |
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| Stunning Panama City Skyline |
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| While we were there this boat sank twice. The guys who take care of it pump it out ever 3 days |
Carol came for a visit and spent the night, Sid was on a transit on a Hatteras, so it was a girlsout:
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| Took Teresa out for lunch, was great to see her |
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| had accidental Margaritas with April and Cane from Spirit of Argo |
Sid building us a new sun shower as they don't make them anymore:
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