On Thursday, we arrived via the "chicken" bus to 4 Altos to meet Stanley our agent for our paperwork to clear out of Panama and then met Jack and Jack to go to Shelter Bay Marina where Anthem was currently docked. We enjoyed seeing Shelter Bay because we ran into some cruisers we hadn't seen for some time. - Peter and Nani from Joule and Inge and Burt from Borree. They were also prepping for their canal adventure in a few days. It was good to share stories and have a few beers with them.
Anthem got its car tires delivered - these would be used as fenders. They are old car tires wrapped in plastic to keep the boats from getting black smudges - but are big to save the boat from the dreaded "wall." Also each boat is required to have four 125 foot 7/8 inch lines to tie to the bollards as you go through the locks. These are also rented and were delivered to Anthem. Jack also covered his solar panels with some cardboard and garbage bags to save them from the tossed monkey fists that the onshore lock helpers send to the boat. (A monkey fist is a leaded or heavy knot at the end of a line that provides the person tossing the line a weight to get that line a good distance. But they are known to break windows, solar panels and heads when tossed.)
We were told our time was 1630 so we headed out of the marina to "the flats." This is where boats anchor waiting for their pilots or advisors to come out and take the vessel through the locks. There were boats of all sizes anchored in the locks - 600 foot cargo boats to our 38 foot Cabo Rico. Big ships get pilots and smaller vessels get "advisors." The advisor is just that - a person to "advise" the captain what to do to get through the locks. There were four sailboats that looked to be going through around the same time. We were told that we would probably go through with another sailboat. We watched as advisors got on three of the other sailboats and we didn't get one. Jack called the Canal Traffic Authority and we were told our time was now 1730. Our advisor, Francisco, arrived at 1740. We pulled anchor and were headed for the first of the three Gatun locks. We were slowed down as the order of a few larger ships apparently were being shuffled around and would go in ahead of us. We were also told we would be going in alone, center tied. That means that we would not be tied to another boat. The various ways to lock through include in a raft of other similar boats (the way most sailboats seem to go through). This is called "nesting up" and the boats tie together in a small two or three boat raft, prior to going through the locks - with the largest boat in the center (if there are three boats). This then requires only four line-handlers out of the 12 on the boats to actually have to work. If it's two boats, the larger vessel does the motoring and two people from each boat control the outside lines. Another way is side-tied to a tug. This is just as it sounds. The boat is tied to a large tug boat and the tug boat is tied to the wall and you simply go along for the ride. Another way is wall-tied. This is by far the most dangerous and potentially damaging way for sailboats and rarely used. You would be tied along the wall protected by fenders and those big tires on your vessel and handle the lines to tighten and loosen depending if you are up-locking or down-locking. We would be "center-tied" - another way which means we go through centered in the lock between the walls and all four line handlers must carefully be choreographed to let in or out, the appropriate line to stay centered. That was our way of going though and none on board had ever done this before.
Oh, and then we see this huge chemical ship in front of us stop in the lock and we now realize, we are going through with it in front of us. This is probably a 600 foot - wall to wall vessel. They use huge locomotives called mules, to pull these vessels through the locks. They tied to six locomotives (three on each side) to hold the boat steady in the lock and then pull it through to the next lock. So the big chemical ship gets settled and then it's our turn. By now it is dark - about 1900, and we are locking through under the lights of the canal - which make it just about as bright as day. We have our instructions from the advisor Fransisco. Two lines are tossed from the centerwall of the canal and two from the mainland side. These are the "messenger lines" attached with monkey fists for easy tossing. We must catch this line and then tie them through the large loop on our line with a bowline and hold the line until told to give it slack. So the first monkey fist comes down on the starboard side first. Barbara who is working the stern starboard gets the first fist and it lands across the boom but she gets it and Francisco ties it on for her (and she had been practicing her bowline all afternoon!) Then Jack Tyler on starboard bow gets his bowline. Nobody hit, nothing broken so far. Starboard is secured. Capt. Jack is told to steer the boat to port a bit for those lines. The first toss misses the boat completely (must have had a few cocktails on shore). Then the second toss misses completely (double beer penalty) The advisor is getting a tad mad at the shore folks. Finally, Michael gets his on the port bow and Patricia gets hers on the port stern. We are secure and again - no damage to heads or windows.
Now, we must let out our line so that the monkey fist, which is now attached to our 125 foot lines, gets back up to the shore wall, a good 80-90 feet high, and the line (which has a big loop in it) gets put on a massive bollard. We are now attached on four points to the canal and centered in the chamber. As the giant gates close - it's a bit intimidating. We have a giant ship in front of us and this 38 foot sailboat is behind it with four lines holding it in the center. Water starts to come in - and it comes in quite quickly and the boat starts to rise and the walls seem to be dropping. We must, in a very team-like fashion, pull in the slack in the lines as the waters rise. This keeps the boat centered in the lock. Its amazing the amount of stress on the lines as the water pours in. We all work well together and never even get close to a wall and then the lock is filled (it takes about 15 minutes), the big front gate opens and the big ship is pulled out by the mules (locomotives). Now, we must slacken our lines and the shore people take them off the bollards and walk as the boat motors slowly to the next lock. Luckily, the lines stay attached to the monkey fists (which we now have again on our boat). The routine continues for two more of the Gatun locks. The same drill each time. Pull in the lines as the water rises, release them when the lock is filled and move to the next lock. By the third lock - the line handlers are getting blisters and sore muscles from the routine. It's a lot of work. But the team is becoming a fine oiled machine. After we are released from the third lock, we motor through the dark - because now it is mighty dark, and head to a mooring buoy in Gatun Lake where we will spend the night. These buoys are huge and there is another boat, Attitude, on the buoy. They have a system to tie up multiple boats to this buoy. Michael jumped off onto the buoy (yes, they are that big) and tied the boat in a pre-prescribed manner. We are now settled for the night. We finally eat our dinner and the advisor gets picked up. We are exhausted and call it a night. 0600 will come early.
The next morning we awake to the sounds of howler monkeys and alarm clocks. Our new advisor is supposed to get there around 0630. The boat gets there with advisors around 0620 and we meet Ricardo. He is a terrific, very knowledgeable guy who's been doing this for many years. In fact, turns out he is an instructor for new advisors. He is mellow and very pleasant and we prepare to go. This is about a 19 mile trip across the lake to the Pedro Miguel Locks. We are told that today we would be locking through tied to another sailboat, Black Arrow. We had heard that yesterday, this boat had pulled a cleat off one of the boats it was nested to. It sounded like we'd have our work cut out for us with this particular boat's captain. But we were confident in our advisor Ricardo being able to handle the guy.
We had a nice cruise through the lake seeing all types of cruise ships, cargo ships, car carriers and even a French warship, Jeanne d' Arc that all did "the wave" on deck. Too funny.
We "nested up" with Black Arrow prior to the lock and were in the lock with a tour boat (a boat with probably 100-150 people that pay about $100 to go through the canal), a nest of two other sailboats and our "nest" of two boats. We all get into the first lock and it goes smoothly. Our confidence in the other boat isn't high when we realize they can't tie a cleat hitch - but we make it through unscathed. This is down-locking - a bit easier as you let out line rather than bringing it in. Michael is on the starboard bow and Jack Tyler is on the starboard stern. Patricia and Barbara are just keeping eyes on things. We make it through these locks and then with Anthem on the motor, we go the 1 mile through the Miraflores Lake to the final locks. The last Miraflores lock is the largest change of water because of the high Pacific tides.
The weather changed as the day went on and we got drenched (actually Michael got drenched as he was the one who had to be out there on the bow line). Jack Tyler also was pretty wet by the end.
But we made it past the locks, untied from Black Arrow and then moved to an anchorage in Panama City. It was a great two days and a great crew. We then dined out, thanks Capt. Jack, and then left on Sunday morning. We caught a cab with the Patricia and Jack to the bus terminal and caught a bus to Colon then we went on to Panamarina. Unfortunately, the 1130 bus to Cacique doesn't run on Sundays, so we caught a 1230 to La Guaira and would walk the 3km to the marina. A nice woman ended up giving us a ride a portion of the way. This was good as Michael's boat shoe had given up and he was dragging a sole.
We then hitched a dinghy ride out to our boat - and got aboard Astarte and instantly fell asleep.
It's Capt. Hawk's birthday - happy day to him! We'll celebrate.
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