THROUGH  THE  CANAL
It has been a long journey. . . . 
BUT HERE WE ARE . . . waiting for transit slot.

 This page is updated as Analui draws closer to the Panama Canal. Scott has indicated a transit within a week or two after arriving. While waiting for the transit schedule to be assigned, Analui will dock at the Flamenco Yacht Club (see map below). Since a Panama Canal Transit is a once-in-a-lifetime event, I have prepared some maps and info to hopefully capture a photo of Analui as she enters the first of the locks at Miraflores.

The course below is the PLAN.  Weather and stuff will determine where and when we stop.

Departed Golfito on Thu 3 Apr and arrived at Flamenco YC on Mon 7 Apr.  Weather provided some surprises and excitement, but we arrived in good shape and now wait for transit schedule.
 

 
It will take some time to become accostomed to the site linked below; but the result can be worth the effort.  We'll explain more later. Just be aware that we are hopeful that Scott can alert us when he in under the "Avenue of Americas" bridge at Balboa. This will give us time to view his progress through the Miraflores Locks  as  it  happens. . . that's exciting. The pics are updated every 30 seconds or so.


This is what you'll see using the link below.  
  These are the Miraflores Locks looking to the North-West. You can see (in the upper right of the pic) the Pedro Miguel locks and the Centennial Bridge beyond. The ship in the foreground is sailing SE toward the Pacific. ANALUI will be going NW and the camera should be catching her about an hour after Scott signals us that he has passed the Ave Americas Bridge at Balboa.  This site can be somewhat disjointed and we suggest you play with the images available while we're waiting for the big day for ANALUI. Be patient with the live web-cam inages; they may need time to catch up with the demand 24 hours a day.

To view progress of ships transiting the Canal in real time, go to the following link

Canal Web-Cams

And here's the bridge I've asked Scott to tell us when he's under it on the way into the Miraflores Locks. This will give us about an hour to see him on the web-cam (if they have the camera looking South) for the incomming traffic.










And here's a quick look at a portion of the the Panama City skyline, showing some of the boats awaiting transit slots. If you want a real eye-opener, google on  panama city panama  to get a full blown view of the skyline and current construction.


That's enough for an introduction to our transit.  Now here's a photo record of the highlights of our passage though the PANAMA CANAL.

Unfortunately, the Canal Authority web-cams didn't work during our transit. The candid shots in the photo gallery below will help give you the feel of this challenging and exhillerating experience. 

Items
039 Our first sight of Panama City 027 We have FANDANGO (w bad engine) in tow 060 Doug and Mary from FANDANGO 016 Many LARGE ships awaiting transit
080 US Nuke sub leads the way today 112 Friends Karl & May from MANJU 103 Transit rafting partner MF 6 Typical raft (not us) in high water at first lock
143 Skipper Scott with Transit Advisor 188 Entrance to first lock at Miraflores 169 Marian enjoyed watching the tugs tow boats hrough the locks 168 The tracks guide the tugs to the proper water level
204 Leaving Miraflores, the Centennial Bridge is a sight to behold 208 Night arrived so we tied up to buoy in Gatun Lake 214 Ouw transit assistants were the best fed EVER 220 A great crew helped provide a smooth transit
247 BIG BOAT just behind nuzzles us through Gatun Locks 286 We've made it!. Parting view of last down locks to Atlantic 288 The look ahead to Carribbean and on to Florida and parts beyond

On Friday we left Shelter Bay for Portobelo, a short 20 mile trip in lumpy head seas.  I’d read a number of books about the Spanish Main and Portobelo held a unique interest for me.  I was also in the midst of reading “Portobelo Chronicles” by Patricia McGehee.  A local resident of Portobelo, she has captured the history of this town, and the Spanish Main in a very unique way.  As we rounded the point and entered the harbor I was captured by the beauty of the bay.  I couldn’t help think about Columbus and how he must have viewed the scene when he entered this haven after battling a tropical storm on his 4^th and final voyage.  Also knowing Morgan and a half dozen other pirates had frequented the island, and in fact that Sir Francis Drake was buried at sea in a lead coffin added to the fascination.  After anchoring we tendered into town and visited the museum, the Church of the Black Christ (people travel on their hands and knees from as far as Costa Rica to worship the statue of Christ) and the old fortifications of the town.  I was struck by two things, the beauty of the surroundings and a sadness that the current residents seemed to care a less about the rich history of this cherished town and did little or nothing to make the town presentable.  I guess the poverty of the townspeople dictates their struggle for survival leaves little in reserve for such niceties as clean streets and period restoration.  Regardless, we felt the environment was rich in history. 

So back to the boat for a good nights sleep.  One thing Marian and I became quite good at was putting out the “flopper stopper” to keep the boat from rolling at anchorage.  Little did I know the delightful anchorage in Portobelo (no flopper stopper required) was just a prelude to our coming experience in the San Blas. 

We left Portobelo at 6:30 am for a 60 mile trip to Chichime  All the way it was a slog against 2 to 4 foot steep chop, just about right on the nose.  I tucked in behind Isla Linton and Isla Grande to get an hour of relief from the pounding.  Marian had taken two Dramamine and was fast asleep.  Isla Linton has to be one of the most beautiful spots on the coast of Panama.  If I had the trip to do again, I’d go visit Portobelo, but anchor for the night at Linton.  So, we round the headland and make a few degrees more East and the sea state eases for the next 5 hours.  As we were within an hour of Chichime I was trying to figure out how we were going to anchor in a small lagoon with this kind of sea state?  I couldn’t for the life of me see how a small island and coral reef was going to calm the swells to the point of providing a comfortable anchorage.  I was completely flabbergasted as we navigated the narrow entrance and found ourselves in 30 feet of crystal clear, emerald green water with not a ripple on the surface.  Well, maybe there was a ripple, but that’s all there was.  No surge, no swell, no flopperstoper, no boat wakes, NOTHING!  It was like the most peaceful spot on earth, emerald green waters surrounded by white sand islands topped with swaying palm trees and grass huts, housing the local Kuna!  We shared the anchorage with 4 other sailboats and had a delightful time.  We got our first visit from the Kuna tribe members.  We didn’t buy anything, as we didn’t know the difference between a good mola and a bad one.  Now we have gotten an education in Molas so we are ready to buy!  If your curious about Molas, google Kuna Mola and you can read all about them.

The next day we traveled to the Eastern Holandes Cays, where we are now anchored in a spot they call the Hot Tub.  It’s a delightful anchorage surrounded by a coral reef, crystal clear water (Im making water even as we chat) and the best snorkeling in the islands.  Again, all with FLAT CALM water, no flopper stopper and the boat feels like it’s on the hard.  Absolutely the most amazing tropical anchorage experience of a lifetime.  There are 4 boats all spread out with 3 or 400 feet between us.  Tonight we will join boats from the surrounding anchorages for a BBQ on an island that will give us an amazing view of the Caribbean and the emerald green waters surrounding us. 

Ok, got to run, water tanks are full, batteries are topped off and the snorkeling is about to begin!

Scott Bulger, Alanui, N40II, Seattle WA

Caobos Cay, San Blas Islands, Panama

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