All private yachts need an advisor (a Panama Canal employee), four 'line handlers', and a captain to transit the canal. You can hire the line handlers, but most cruisers get their friends to help them out. It was our first trip through and we learned a lot helping Denny aboard his Spencer 53 ketch - Jubilant. (svjubilant.com)
We left Shelter Bay Marina and anchored in the 'flats' near Colon, waiting for our advisor to arrive. Instead of the 5:30pm arrival time, he was delivered at 7:45. We learned we were to go through with another ketch--Black Pearl. We rafted together (tied our two boats tight to become one--now a catamaran?!), and began our transit south through the Gatun Locks at 9pm. It was very interesting in the dark....but the locks are lit up like a city once you get in. There are a series of three locks at Gatun....steps going up to Gatun Lake, about 85ft. We had a near catastrophe in the first lock. Our port bow line was not secured tight when the water started rushing in....and the force is too strong to pull the boat back in position without a winch. What saved Black Pearl's starboard bow from crushing against the wall was their bow thruster. (Jubiliant doesn't have any...and neither does Infini...we would have had damage if it were us!) The next two locks went much better....(Yes, Michael and I were on the stern lines through this all!!). We untied from Black Pearl and went to a mooring for the night, where our advisor got picked up around 12:30. We finally had 'dinner' at 1am--- the barbecue was fired up and Michael grilled steak and chicken. We all went to bed on a full stomach.
At 7am a different advisor got dropped off, and we motored 4 hours through the continental divide to the Pedro Miguel Locks...the start of our descent down to the Pacific Ocean. The scenery was great; though the water is a dirty brown. The canal is going through a widening project, and the heavy equipment and dredges look like tiny toys compared to the massive landscape. We rafted up to Black Pearl again, but immediately found out their engine quit just before we were scheduled to go into the locks. It was mayhem for a bit as things were sorted out, but decided to continue since they got their bow thruster working again. We were now the 'lead boat', but with limited maneuverability. We took them through to the last set of locks--the Miraflores. Going down seemed to be an easier job, and a smoother ride. After the last set of locks, we reached the Pacific Ocean and Black Pearl was now under tow from an ACP boat to an anchorage around the corner from Balboa Yacht Club. We dropped our rented tires (bumpers) and four 100' polypropylene lines off, and anchored at Playacita. Once the boat was secure we went ashore for a well deserved congratulatory meal before taking a two hour taxi ride back to Infini. BTW, a crew member's mother in Denmark and his girlfriend in Texas were able to follow our trip through the canal's live web cams. www.pancanal.com We'll let you know when we make the trip in Infini -- maybe July?? --so you can follow along and see real-time pictures of Infini as we go thru the locks!
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