Panama (Pacific)

I had anchored at La Playita near Causeway de Amador near Olli on “Fagel Bla”, whom I had met in South Africa. It was good to know someone who knew what, where and how things work on the Pacific side of Panama. Instead of my having to find the info out for myself. The charge for using the La Playita dinghy dock is $5 per day. The fee includes garbage disposal. Abernathy marine chandlery was close by the dinghy dock. The Balboa/Panama cruisers net operates at 0800am, 6 days a week on VHF channel 72. 

La Playita anchorage

The Pacific ocean air is dryer with less humidity than on the Atlantic side of the canal. The mornings were crisp and cool. Hopefully, this will help dry out Sadiqi and kill the nasty fungi that was starting to culture on-board. While in Portobelo I had wiped down the wooden surfaces with a concoction of a few drops of oil of clove and citronella in water. It looked and smelled great for a few days. The high humidity around Portobelo effected my electronics and seems to have destroyed my rechargeable drill.

Two days after arriving Olli and I went by bus to Albrook Mall. This has to have been the biggest shopping mall I've ever seen. Then again, remember, I don't get out much. We wondered around and saved an absolute fortune by not spending much. Olli and I consumed a fair quantity of beers in the evenings regaling our tales and travels since parting company in Trinidad a year before. As a result we both decided to go on the wagon (alcohol free) for a few days.

Over the weekend Olli and I taxied into Panama old city for an excursion. The Panama Canal museum was fascinating. The Spanish colonial architecture was similar to Cartagena. 

Panama old city

Panama city and surrounds is a good place to find boat and marine stuff. Olli and I hired a taxi at $15/hour to take us to different marine stores and workshops. We got a lot done. The taxi driver, who spoke good English, was constantly telling us he knew everything and everyone - basically he was full of it and himself. Roger proved to be more informed and a less avaricious taxi driver (Phone: +507 6717 1745).

My order of new batteries, alternator, regulator and stuff arrived in the middle of January. Arturo the local Marine Warehouse representative was very helpful in assisting me getting the batteries to the La Playita dock. I had enquired about using one of La Playita's marina berths for an hour to load and unload batteries - the charge was an extortionate $150 per day! The easiest way to get the batteries to the boat was to bring Sadiqi into the dock to get fuel. This is a service that I had to pay $30 for half an hour of dock use. I was able to load the batteries, fill water at $0.05 per US gallon and fill with diesel at $2.99 per US gallon. I was relieved once the heavy batteries were on-board.

La Playita anchorage is very close to the shipping channel leading to the canal. While having my morning coffee or between boat jobs it was fascinating watching all the different ships plying the waters to and from the canal. Sadiqi rolled around, sometimes not so gently, from the waves of passing ships and pilot boats. On average 50 ships transit the canal a day, in either direction. Apparently, the average charge is $400,000.00 per ship. The 6 billion dollar Panama canal expansion program, due to be completed in 2016, will cater for huge ships. I have seen a good number of ugly car carrying ships pass in both directions. Ships are built to the maximum size that the Panama canal lock can accommodate. These ships are called Panamax. I've watched huge container ships, too big for the current canal, being loaded and unloaded with containers. The containers are trucked or loaded onto trains for the 50 or so mile trip from one side of the isthmus to the other and loaded onto ships to continue their journey.

Fixing the boat in exotic places - again. It took a few days to install the new Balmar alternator, smart regulator and Deka AGM batteries. I had a few beers to celebrate breaking my abstinence. It was good to listen to music or use the computer to get on the internet early in the morning. Instead of waiting for a sunny day and starting the computer at midday. If the fridge compressor kicked in while I was working on the computer at night the lights would dim and I would have to revert to laptop battery until the fridge finished it's cycle. The old Trojan lead acid batteries, that I had replaced in Lankawi just over 4 years earlier, were dying. I gave these to Tito. I also managed to replace the flexible fuel lines that had been leaking for many years.

Boat provisioning. Most of my food shopping would be done in Panama. Fortunately basic food items are inexpensive in Panama. This has meant going through the boats stores and discarding items that have and excessive “Use by date” or look decidedly dodgy. Hauling the provisions from the Rey supermarket by taxi to the La Playita dinghy dock then out to the boat was back breaking. I had gotten soft after 18 months in the Caribbean.

When I first anchored in La Playita there would have been around about 15 to 20 yachts anchored. By the time I pulled up anchor there were around 30 to 40 yachts. More and more yachts were transiting the canal in either direction as the main season commenced in February. 

Panama City

 People and boats I spent time with at La Playita near Balboa:

“Axiom” - Sebastian from Germany.

“Fagel Bla” – Olli from Finland.

“Nirvana Now” - Randy and Dawn from Canada.

Thursday January 29 at 0930 Sadiqi departed La Playita. Engine hours: 1510.1. I was very relieved to finally retrieve my passport and Zarpe (Port Clearance) from Tito. This had been promised on Monday, then Tuesday. The passport was finally delivered on the Wednesday night. It was exasperating dealing with Tito as he appeared to have no concept of time and did not communicate.

I motor sailed passed ships at anchor waiting to transit the canal. By mid morning the winds were 15 to 20 knots from the north. This was a wonderful beam reach as Sadiqi headed south east toward the Las Perlas islands.

At 1630 I dropped anchor, near Olli on “Fagel Bla” in the lee of Isla Contadora, one of the many beautiful islands of the Archipelago de Las Perlas. Isla Contadora is one of the more populated islands, was pleasant and easy to walk around. Being only 35 miles away from Panama City the island was an easy weekend get away. There were daily flights and a ferry service to Contadora and other islands. The climate wss dry with less palm trees. It was an idyllic place to continue fixing the boat. Internet access was extremely slow. Sherman and Judy on “Fair Winds” from USA and Australia finally caught up with me. We had met in Tobago 18 months earlier. Olli and I walked around the island on most days for exercise and visit the local supermarket, where prices were twice that of Panama City.

Isla Contadora

Most mornings at 0900 local time (1400 UTC) I listened to the Pan Pacific net on 8143 MHz. This net covers the Pacific coast of Central America, Ecuador and out to the Galapagos. Fortunately, Chuck on “Jacaranda” in Bahia, Caraquez, Ecuador, where I was hoping to head, quashed rumours of huge price hikes in anchorage and mooring fees in the Bahia. With the rumours of fees and charges in the region of US$1000.00/month I had thought I would skip the Ecuador experience and head west. It was with relief that the rumours were quashed as I had insufficient beer on board for a lengthy sail westward. (The bears would have had to have gone on very stringent rations – like none:)

Repairs to Ken the Autopilot. Duck tape was not enough to hold Ken together. So with hose clamps and a sanitary silicon tube Ken was as good as new - well almost.

Ken the much refurbished Autopilot

With the end of January approaching it was time to move on. On Saturday January 29, I hauled anchor. Engine hours: 1510.1. I followed Fagel Bla, leaving Isla Contadora and heading to the southern Las Perlas islands – Cacique (sounding like kay-see-kay). By 1100 the winds were 15 to 20 knots from the north – a nice beam reach. Boat speed was slow pushing against a half knot current.

I dropped anchor near Rio Cacique at 1630. Engine hours: 1513.8. Olli had arrived a hour before me on his 40 foot S&S Fagel Bla. After all the hustle and bustle of Panama and the weekend boats at Isla Contadora this was paradise. There was no Internet access. Fagel Bla and Sadiqi were the only two boats in the sheltered anchorage near the river mouth.

Fagel Bla anchored off Rio Cacique

The small village of Esmeralda was a couple of miles away. The day after we arrived a local rowed his canoe out to us offering papaya, bananas, and fish. Some kids with dogs on board came out and asked for water and biscuits. They were hunting for iguana near the river mouth. 

The proud catcher of dinner

In the early morning, just before high tide Olli and I took the dinghy up the Cacique river. Indescribably serene sitting in the calm waters among the mangroves listening to the loud chatter of the birds.

Up the Rio Cacique

Rio Cacique

Olli and I were looking for a weather window to leave the las Perlas. Olli heading southwest to the Marquesas and me south to Ecuador. I downloaded weather grib files from saildocs and the OSCAR ocean current files using the SSB radio. What we were looking for was wind, preferably from the northern quadrant. Chuck on the Pan Pacific net confirmed our plans with forecast winds picking up on Thursday. This gave me ample time to square away the boat, clean the crud off the bottom of the dingy and do other innumerable jobs before a lengthy sail.

The Panama Canal experience

Wednesday, December 31, Salvador the Canal Authority (ACP) Admeasurer came to Shelter Bay to measure and check Sadiqi. A Panama Canal Ship Identification Number was issued.

The measurements:

Length Overall: 32.15 feet.

Extreme beam: 9.97 feet.

On January 1, I met Luc Overtoom, at Shelter Bay Marina, whom is sailing around the world with friends to raise funds for cancer research.

www.vumc.nl/sailforcca

January 2, I took the free Marina bus into Colon. Tito's son Marcus picked me up from the Rey shopping centre and drove me to the CitiBank to pay the transit fees. I phoned the ACP later in the day to obtain the transit date.

Sadiqi's Panama canal transit date was set for Saturday January 3.

Sadiqi had spent four days in Shelter Bay Marina. I'd had an anxious time waiting for Tito and his crew to turn up on the day. Tito had told me that he would be coming on board as a line handler, as he was delivering a yacht from Balboa to Colombian Pacific side. This did not happen. He had also told me that I would get small Kuna line handlers for the transit. Two large adults and two youths; Joel, Tela, Carlo and Lewis stepped on board. Joel and Lewis were from Panama and Tela and Carlo were from Colombia. Only Joel spoke passable English.

1350 (UTC -5) Sadiqi departed from Shelter Bay marina.

Engine hours: 1491.2

Sadiqi in Shelter Bay marina

Sadiqi and crew proceeded to anchorage F (the Flats) to pick up the Advisor (Pilot) by 15.30. Sadiqi waited at anchor near Canadian yacht “Nirvana Now” for the Advisors to arrive. The Caribbean Christmas winds had started just before Christmas with winds to 20 knots from the North East. I was hoping that Murphy was having the weekend off elsewhere.

Nirvana Now at the Flats

The Line-handlers; Lewis, Joel, Carlo, Tela

Pilot Boat

1630 the ACP Advisor, Thomas stepped on board Sadiqi from the Pilot boat. Sadiqi and Nirvana proceeded to the Gatum Locks. Thomas the advisor spoke excellent English and assessed Sadiqi for the transit. He expressed concern about the cleats on Sadiqi. I had replaced the bolts attaching cleats and reinforced the deck area around the cleats when I was in South Africa. After conferring with the Advisor on board Nirvana he decided that Sadiqi would raft up or nest against Nirvana. The lines going to the sides of the lock chamber would be attached to Nirvana. Sadiqi only weighs 6 tonnes, whereas Nirvana would have been close to 12 tonnes being 42 foot in length. While Sadiqi was being nested up to Nirvana, just before entering the lock, I discovered that only one of the line handlers had any previous experience. I think Advisor Thomas had already assessed this. I had to say some loud words to one of the line handlers to use the aft cleat and not bend the lines around the push-pit rails.

New lock gates for canal expansion

Anxious skipper heading to Gatum locks

1730 local time (UTC -5) Sadiqi, along side (nested against) Nirvana, entered Gatum locks first chamber. We had followed a large container ship into the same chamber. The messenger lines, with monkey fist knots tied to the ends, were thrown first to Nirvana by two ACP staff from the side wall. Then from the other side of the lock messenger lines, with monkey fists, were thrown to the line handlers on board Sadiqi. These messenger lines were passed over to the line handlers on Nirvana. The thicker lines were tied to the messenger lines and the ACP staff hauled the lines up and looped them onto bollards. The lines are kept taught by the line handlers on Nirvana. The lock gates closed and the water rushed into the lock. The waters became very turbulent. Up-locking is far more turbulent than down-locking.

Rising 27 feet in Gatum lock

 

While tied along side I met Randy and Dawn and their crew on Nirvana. They had managed to find line handlers among cruisers at the marina. I was wishing I had. My confidence and patience in Tito's Services had been stretched very thin. Tito says and promises one thing and does another if at all. Only one line-handler on board Sadiqi had transited the canal before on a yacht! A lesson learned; Don't pay Tito for line handlers until safe arrival at the drop off point. The ACP Advisors were very professional and speak very good English.

Gatum locks has three chambers. The water level is raised 27 feet in each chamber.

Garum lock chamber 2

Sadiqi remained nested against Nirvana in the three chambers of the Gatum locks. When we moved to the next chamber the thicker lines were hauled back onto Nirvana. The messenger lines were held on Sadiqi and Nirvana and the ACP staff on the walls walked with the messenger lines to the next chamber and the process of restraining the yachts was repeated.

There are small, powerful locomotives that are used to pull and hold the bigger ships in place in the chambers.

The sun had set just prior to entering the third chamber.

Gatum lock chamber 3

1840 we entered Lake Gatum. We untethered ourselves from Nirvana and followed to some large moorings. We tied up a huge mooring around 1900.

The advisors were whisked away on a pilot boat shortly after tying up to the mooring. I was supposed to provide a hot meal for the advisor. I had prepared a bolagnaise sauce before hand for evening meal. I set about cooking pasta and warming the sauce offering the line-handlers a beer. Very shortly after serving it Lewis started barfing loudly over the side. It was almost seconds after serving the food. I assumed he was a little seasick from the water surging in into the chambers - it was a bit lively. Everyone else escaped to the bow to finish their dinner in peace. When Lewis had settled down some of the others asked for picante (hot spice) to add to the meal.

With an almost full moon Sadiqi was tied to a mooring in fresh water for the first time. This should piss off the barnacles, what's left of them. Lake Gatum is fresh water and provides all the water for the gravity fed canal locks. Every now and again Sadiqi would rock gently with the bow waves of the ships passing by on the lake. I did not sleep particularly well.

Before sun rise I erected the boom shade cover and made coffee for anyone that wanted it.

0715 start. Advisor Morris stepped on board from the pilot boat. I think Nirvana had the same Advisor as the previous day. Sadiqi followed Nirvana, doing 5.5 to 6 knots. Fortunately, Sadiqi was to nest up against Nirvana again going through the locks.

An early start on lake Gatum

The next lock is Pedro Miguel lock 28 miles motoring from Gatum locks. Sadiqi's Volvo engine had not been pushed so hard for so long - doing 2500 revs, 5.8 knots for over 4 hours. Nirvana has a 75 horse power engine as opposed to Sadiqi's 18 horse power engine. When I prepared the paper work with the Admeasure I had specified that Sadiqi could maintain 5 knots, the minimum required speed for a canal transit.

I chatted with Morris who informed me of the history of the Canal. His real job was as a tug boat skipper. He does ACP Advisor yacht transits on his days off. I hand steered Sadiqi, Ken the Autopilot was not up for the task, because of the strong propeller torque when motoring at nearly 6 knots. At around 1030 we passed under the Centennial Bridge – marking 100 years since the canal first opened. The canal was opened in 1914. The first ship to transit was the Ancon. 

Centennial Bridge

1045 Arrived at Pedro Miguel lock. There was a hold up in the north bound traffic, our transit of the Pedro Miguel lock was delayed an hour. We tied up to a mooring and waited.

A humbling experience. For lunch on Sunday I had planned on using the remaining bolognaise sauce, with picante added in tortillas. I heated the tortillas on a tray on the hot engine and warmed the meat sauce on the stove. The tortillas went down well. In fact Carlo, said it was a little too spicy. Lewis had just bread and margarine. He then showed me the bullet wounds to his stomach and his colostomy bag. Lewis, from Colon must have been in his early 20s, had been shot several times. I'm not sure how effective he would have been as a line-handler. I think this explained why he threw up the night before. This showed Tito's humanitarian character, as he helps youth or as he calls it; his children.

Advisor Morris and Skipper

We waited at Pedro Miguel for the north going ships to go through. It was about 8 miles to La Playita in the Pacific Ocean.

1238 Nirvana pulled Sadiqi into Pedro Miguel lock chamber. Pedro Miguel is a single chamber lock, only a short distance from from the last lock before the Pacific – Miraflores locks.

Randy and Dawn on Nirvana Now

Again the monkey fists flew with the messenger lines to pick up the thicker hand lines on Nirvana. The down-locking was significantly smoother than the up-locking. Nirvana and Sadiqi remained tethered for the short motor to Mirafloris locks.

1313 entered the Mirafloris locks. Mirafloris is a 2 chamber lock. Nearly in the pacific.

One lock to go.

Mirafloris locks

We untethered from Nirvana and proceeded to Balboa Yacht Club moorings, passing under the huge Bridge of the Americas.

Bridge of the Americas

1430 arrived at Balboa Yacht Club mooring.

It was an absolutely awesome experience transiting the canal on Sadiqi. However, I was very relieved to safely drop the lines, fenders and line-handlers at Balboa Yacht Club. We picked up a mooring while the yacht club taxi boat was loaded up. I released the mooring and motored to La Playita two and a half miles further on. I'm very grateful that Sadiqi was able to nest against “Nirvana Now” in the locks.

With the full moon and spring tides the tidal range on the Pacific side is five metres as opposed the the Atlantic side of almost half a metre.

1510 dropped anchor at La Playita anchorage.

Engine hours: 1503.5.

The total engine hours from Shelter Bay Marina to La Playita anchorage was a little over 12 hours.

Panama City skyline

Panama Canal Transit Tolls and charges.

Length Overall (in feet)	Transit Toll etc.	Buffer (Bond)	Total Deposit Required
up to 50	$934.00	$891.00	$1875.00
50 < length ≤80	$1484.00	$891.00	$2375.00

Shelter marina charges:

One dollar per foot per day for vessels between 20 and 40 feet plus 7% tax.

Total for 4 days $128.40

Tito's Service charges:

Service $100.00

Lines x 4 $80.00

Fenders (Tires) x 8 $24.00

Visa and Zarpe $100.00

Line-handlers x 4 $300.00

Total $604.00

Bank transfer Bond refund charges $35.00

Diesel fuel – approximately 15 litres around $20.00

Total cost of Panama Canal transit excluding food and drink $1721.40