The Surprising Things We Learned Transiting the Panama Canal.. What does it cost?! FINES?! (Ep.137)

This episode begins at Shelter Bay Marina near the entrance to the Panama Canal. We’ve just arrived after a beautiful two day passage from the San Blas Islands, squeezing in behind the break wall after successfully circling around a tanker in a stiff breeze and choppy seas.

First we get measured by an appointed inspector and come In at a whopping 42 feet – 6 feet over our hull length. We learn that 4 line handlers are required for the transit so our friends can now book their flights because we’ll have a transit date in 7 – 10 days.

During that time we Bill does some engine maintenance because there is a $1,000 dollar fine if we break down in the canal. He changes the impeller and fuel filters and clears the sea strainer.

Next it’s time to refuel so Bill empties the remaining gas into our tank from the jerry jugs, filtering it to remove potential contaminants. Then he picks up Brian & his fuel jugs, and heads to the fuel dock to load up.

Soon an important visit from our agent occurs and the fenders and dock lines that we’ve rented are here. We’ll return them after transiting the canal.

Finally our crew arrives and each of our line handlers practices tying a bowline because thats how the heaving line will be secured to the canal line. The next day we officially depart and head to our waypoint to pick up our advisor and head towards the first lock. We learn that we will be one of two boats in the nest or raft up so we’ll only really need 2 line handlers.

Once rafted to a larger 48 foot sailboat, we move in unison and will remain tied together until the completion of the upcoming three locks which will lift us 90 feet and out of the Atlantic Ocean. Heaving lines are thrown from the canal walls and secured with a bowline to lift back the large blue canal lines. As we move through the first lock the advisor on our neighbor boat issues commands for both of us to proceed at “minimum forward” as he is in command of the raft being on the larger vessel. Our actions need to be coordinated so that we remain in the center of the lock as well as parallel to it walls. And as we make our way through the locks often times one boat will be in reverse and the other in forward to rotate the raft, much the way a twin screw power boat would maneuver.

Finally with the sun setting we enter into the last lock of the day and prepare to be lifted the remaining height to Lake Gatun, officially 85ft above sea level where we’ll pick up a mooring buoy for the night before transiting the last three locks the following day.

0:00 Intro
1:06 Panama Canal Agents & Measurement
2:43 Recap
3:50 Officially measured at a whopping 42 feet!
4:55 $1,000 Fine, Check that engine!
6:50 Fresh Fuel
7:14 Shelter Bay Marina
8:11 Line & Fender Delivery
8:48 Crew Arrival
9:55 We Out!
15:48 Bye Bye Atlantic!
19:58 Into Lake Gatun!

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