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.
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.
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.
 |
| Centennial Bridge |
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
|
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
