This time, which is unusual, we have been helped by reporters : Thanks to Emilie, Stéphane, Alain, for having followed us, taken pictures, tracked us….
Sunday february 26th we sail from Shelter Bay Marina to the waiting area, the”Flats”, with 3 handliners, as we need 4 crews plus the Captain, 4 lines of 125 feet long and 7/8 thickness, extra fenders and an inspection whose result will be two cleats more at the aft and a mesured length of 55 feet….At 4 PM the advisor Roy (Pilot) embark and we start for the first Gatun lock, admiring when passing by the huge gates which will equip the new locks. We follow a merchant ship, the “Polarstream” who will pass the locks with us. At 6 PM we have been through the 3 locks without any problem and we are rewarded with staying for the night in the Gatun lake, moored at a buoy. Our handliners take the oportunity to take a bath but for ourselves we stay on board as we are feared by the crocodiles (in fact we have seen only some before entering the locks, on the ridge).
Monday morning the howler monkeys wake us and at 6.45 AM, Pilot on bord ( Hector). Crossing the Gatun lake is long, 34 nautical miles, as the shortcut, the “Banana cut” is closed. It’s a pity for here the nature is pristine, but we have to follow the channel, dredged at 35 feet. At 12.45 we enter Pedro Miguel lock, with two other sailing boats, tied together and closely followed by a bulkcarier, the “Saga Wave”, hauled by his 8 “mules”. Then we go through the Miraflores locks and at 3.30 PM “Skoiern” is sailing for the first time in the Pacific waters !
It was two difficult days, with much attention but we were well prepared and our crew and pilot were real “pros” . The Panama Canal is an extraordinary execution in the technical aspect, very well managed and maintained, and we had a thought for the 20 000 workers who died here during the first attempt of Ferdinand de Lesseps.
