SSE to NNW Panama Canal Transit

 May 4th - The paperwork is completed and Skipper picks up our four 1 1/4"diameter by 125' ft long lines.  May 5th, Don runs in by dinghy to pick up the two line handlers and brings them to SpringDay, it is 6 am because we were told to be ready to proceed to the Canal at 7 am.  We are all waiting for the pilot to arrive while Edwin and Winston relax in the cockpit; a couple of hours later a pilot boat delivers the required pilot.  This was the first major delay.

                                                                                            

 Here in the background Ana Mae is also standing at the ready with lots of fenders to receive their pilot.  Skipper's family squeezes in yet another game of Wist!

  

 It's a go! We are instructed by the pilot to follow behind St-Andrew (freighter). The bridge of the Americas is essentially Highway One which starts in Alaska and ends in South America. Large sailboats are designed to barely fit under this 200 and some ft of clearance.

Radio in hand, pilot Al instructing Skipper on how and when to proceed.

SpringDay and Ana Mae nesting

These 3 million dollars custom built locomotives built by the French are used to guide large ships 

Ana Mae in the lead under the Centennial bridge, the second bridge that crossed the Canal

This shows the Continental Divide, the most challenging part of the Canal because of its many landslides caused by the instability of the soil;  even today landslides are a common occurrence.

Meeting imposing personalities

The Canal has 3 locks going up and 3 going down, ships transit 24 hours a day. We proceeded into the lock around 10am and passed through the last doors into the Caribbean Sea around midnight, our transit was interrupted by the pilot shift change at 5pm. The next pilot was delivered around 9:30 pm.  Delays are very common and we know now that they are to be expected.

I will post more pictures soon,

Thinking of you...

Fast forward to Panama...

A leggy cheer leading egret highlighting the arrival of SpringDay into Panama City...Give me an S 

Well, I definitely have to fast forward to Panama since in less than nine hours SpringDay will be going through the Panama Canal; a long awaited dream of Skipper's. Getting internet here while anchored just outside Marina La Playita has been a real struggle too long and too frustrating to even recall, so I will show you a few pictures of Panama without too many words and thoughts just because there is no time to ponder.

I made a very good friend here in Panama, Mario Caballero, a very sweet man, I don't know what I would have done without him. Always there for me, entire afternoons, watching over me, carrying my computer, shopping with me, carrying groceries, a tourist guide at the same time, calm, poised trustworthy and very caring.  Saying goodbye made him teary eyed, we grew attached to each other just like in Driving Miss Daisy (Lili). His turf is La Playita, if you come to Panama city just look him up, he is simply excellent  Tel.6737-9961

 We anchored right outside the marina, we take the dinghy to the dinghy dock everyday and look for Mario, but this morning he watched anxiously for my arrival, ran to me and said: "el mono, ya está, ya está!"
we hurry through the parking lot ready to be amazed by this interesting creature, the sloth. It was just 'hanging out' barely moving and unable to keep its eyes open for more than a few seconds. Don even ventured touching its two toes.  What an experience!  Thanks to Mario.

 Back in Costa Rica we went on an eco tour in the forest and only through a powerful monocular from the guide, I was able to see part of a sloth with a baby on her chest. But this takes the prize, right there in front of our eyes, inches from it.

Skipper's mother, brother Danny and wife Julie joined us in Golfito Costa Rica and will depart the after the canal transit.

An glance at what is to come

The old town gets a facelift

our friends from Panama, David and Suzie whom we met during our first cruising to Mexico in 2011, have a residence in Panama City and showed us the best of Panama.

A good catsamaritan

Just out our window, an aqua Bus circles SpringDay

Skipper's mom talking to Ana Mae's skipper - Funny how she kept putting microphone to her ear 

Well I have to say Goodnight, I am getting up in 5 hours, I will see you on the Atlantic side my friends,

Thinking of you...