Side Trip Through the Panama Canal

A few months back, I decided that while I was in Panama, I should do whatever I could to find a way to go through the Panama Canal.  I had done some research online and knew that sailboats cruising this area and looking to transit the canal often need extra "line handlers"--mainly warm bodies to handle the lines as a boat goes up and then down the locks in the canal.  I got on a couple of sailing-related message boards and eventually hooked up with Capt. Bill Beilharz and his Beneteau 444, Mirabelle.

The trip through the canal was originally scheduled for early May, but due to the vagaries of getting a little boat through a predominantly commercial/industrial area, the trip was pushed back until the second week in May.  Leaving Nookie in Cambutal, and getting a ride to Chitre from my amigo Ron @ Los Buzos, I made my way via bus to Panama City.  The place is huge, with skyscrapers everywhere, and even more being put up every day.

Panama City skyline from the Playita marina.

I met up with some fellow surfers I met in Cambutal--Charlie and Ben--and we had a fun night on the town.  Safe travels, boys!

The next day I made my way to the Playita Marina and found the boat. I had no idea what to expect of Capt. Bill and his crew, but they turned out to be great.  Bill, his son Conrad, and their friend Kent welcomed me aboard with a cold beer, and we started talking story and getting acquainted.

causeway and skyline as we motor towards the canal

new frank gehry museum under construction.

Up early the next morning, we left the dock just after 7am, aiming to meet up with our transit advisor (Francisco) by 8am.  We had to motor around and hang just outside the main shipping channel, and our advisor arrived by about 8:30.  We cruised past the giant causeway connecting the city and the marina areas, mostly made up of spoil material from the original construction of the canal.  The advisor works for the Panama Canal Authority, and basically tells you when and where to go.  For reference, we transited northbound, from the Pacific to the Atlantic (map below, fyi).

Our companions through the canal were a bulk freighter, a sportfisher from Charleston, and a sightseeing boat.  However, the freighter didn't arrive on time, and we had to wait until somewhere near 10:30 am to start through the locks.

Loading up in the first lock.

We proceeded to the first lock and loaded up with our lock-mates, then they closed the doors behind us.  We tied up to the sightseeing boat with lot's of fenders between us.  They then flood that lock with water from the lake and lock above.  It's actually fairly turbulent as they do this.  After the lock is full, and we've all floated up by about 28 feet, they open the upstream lock doors and we all proceed slowly forward.  The giant freighter spins their prop a bit, creating a giant wash back through the lock and we all bounce around a bit.  There are also small little trains--called mules--that serve to maneuver and guide the big ships through the canal. These guys ride on tracks, that go up and over the locks with the freighters.  We also passed by the large visitor's center, with a good-sized crowd watching us from the sidelines.

Conrad manning the bow as we exit the first lock and head into the second.

Observation deck and visitor's center at Miraflores locks.

Freighter coming in southbound as we exit northbound.

We exited the Miraflores and San Miguel locks as a giant freighter was coming down the other side (above) and into Gatun Lake. The lake is sort of the midway point--a giant river/lake system that takes several hours to motor through, at least on a speed-limited sailboat.  Because the freighter delayed getting us started, we didn't exit the locks until sometime around 1 pm.  Our advisor informed us that we probably wouldn't make it through the lake and to the other side before the last north-bound downlocking, so we would likely spend the night in the lake.  The canal authority tends to send ships through in one direction for blocks of time, and we were subject to that process as well.  So we spent the night tied to a giant mooring buoy in the lake, within sight of the next set of locks down to the Atlantic.

On our mooring in Gatun lake with lot's of freighters and car carriers for company.

Heading into the lock out of Gatun Lake.

It wasn't until 2pm the next day that we received clearance to head down, and our next transit advisor (Hector "the protector") boarded our boat.  We moved quickly in front of the Liberian flagged freighter into the first lock.  We waited a few minutes for the tug Hardin which was accompanying the freighter and us down the locks.  After the tug squeezed by the freighter into the lock, we tied up and carefully rode down each of the three locks attached to said tug.

I'm including a little video I shot showing how the little mules (small train-looking things) maneuver the large freighters in the canals.  On the radio, you can hear the canal boss calling out commands to each of the little mules, telling them to stop, move, their lines in or out.  Pretty interesting stuff.




The downlocking process is less dramatic than the uplocking.  You enter the lock, the door closes behind you and then the water level gradually drops, again about 28 feet per lock--kind of like draining a big bath tub.

Capt Bill looking back as the freighter enters behind us.

looking back at the freighter as the water drops out of the lock

After the water drains out, the doors swing open and we proceed over to the next lock, with the tug and freighter following behind us.

Doors swinging open and our friends on the tug "Hardin".

I took a little video of the door swinging open to give a little better feeling of the perspective and size of the process.




As we got closer to the bottom locks, we could see the channel/cut out to the harbor in Colon, thence to the Atlantic.  We all took shots on the bow looking down from the last lock.  It had been a longer-than-expected two days, but it was well worth the time.  It's not every day you get to go through the Panama Canal on a sailboat!

In the last lock looking down into the Atlantic.

Capt. Bill Beilharz of "Mirabelle"

Looking back into the canal after we've exited into the Atlantic.  We were on the left side in front of that freighter, and got to watch the giant car carrier on the right as we went down.

After exiting into the Atlantic, by now about 5 pm or so, we dropped off Hector the Protector and shot quickly across the busy shipping lanes to the far corner of the harbor of Colon and into Shelter Bay Marina.  The place has hopping as an around-the-world sailing race had recently pulled into town and were spending a couple of lay days drying out and resting.  I stayed on the boat that night, had a few cocktails with the boys, and got a good night's sleep.

I was up early to catch a ride into Colon about 7 am.  I got there about an hour later, caught a bus into Panama City, from there a bus to Chitre, another bus to Las Tablas, yet another bus to Tonosi, then a cab to Cambutal, where I arrived back at Nookie around 6pm.  Ron, Tina, Brad and the crew at Los Buzos were cooking up some burgers, so they threw me a beer and I tucked in to a nice little homecoming dinner.

Next up, big plans for Nookie (and me!). As always, more to come...