Panama Canal

The cruise through the canal was really awesome!  Mark and Nicolle were fantastic hosts and this experience will not soon be forgotten.  Also on Mark and Nicolle´s boat, a 39 ft Beneteau 393 sailing yacht named Sea Life, I met J.B. and Michele from South Africa.  They are sailing their own boat, but helped transit Sea Life through the canal with the rest of the team.

At the start of the transit a worker for the canal, called a pilot, comes onboard around five in the morning and we motor to the first set of locks known as the Gatun Locks.  In total there are two sets of three locks.  First the Gatun and then the Miraflores.  There are red and green guide lights that direct you into the locks, but it becomes a bit nerve racking when a Panamax, the largest cargo ship able to transit the canal, comes directly behind the small 39 ft yacht.  It was really awesome to learn how the locks work.  Each lock functions with two massive double-doors, one in front and one in back.  The front is already closed as your boat approaches,  then after inside the lock the rear doors close and moments later these massive doors start to disappear as your boat rises from the millions of gallons of water being pumped into the lock.  When the doors have nearly vanished the front door opens while the rear door remains shut allowing the boat to transit into the next lock.  The Gatun Locks raise the boats a total of 28 ft above sea level for entry into Gatun Lake and a night of partying with the crews of the other boats!!  The following day we motor through Gatun Lake´s fingers sighting crocodiles until we reach the Miraflores Locks which operate the same way as the Gatun Locks in reverse lowering us 28 ft.   The last door opens and we motor for the first time into the Pacific Ocean  whilst celebrating with music and beer! 

 Some interesting facts I learned while transiting the canal:

-The canal is approximately 48 miles

-The locks raise boats 28 ft above sea level

-The French began building the canal in 1880 without locks at sea level which resulted in failure and the loss of over 20,000 lives due to disease and avalanches

-The U.S. took over the project in the early 1900s and it was completed 1914

-Total control of the Panama Canal was relinquished by the U.S. to Panama December 31, 1999