Long Overdue... Images of Our Panama Canal Transit

Here are some pics of our experience transiting the Panama Canal. For a more indepth account of the process, see Owen's Ancestral Skills and Primitive Tech Blog.

One of many ships waiting to transit the Panama Canal on the Caribbean side.

Robert and Rex at Shelter Bay Marina

We left Shelter Bay on the Caribbean side of Panama on the afternoon of Wednesday, January 27 with half the World ARC fleet to transit the Panama Canal. After a short time anchored at the Flats our pilot came onboard. The next afternoon we arrived at Flamenco Marina on the Pacific side of Panama.

Arriving at the flats in the afternoon, we see friends on Chocobo and Marionetta

What an amazing experience for us all, to transit this amazing engineering marvel. The US opened the canal in 1914 (you already knew that). The earlier failed attempt by the French resulted in the loss of 21,900 lives mostly through disease. The US effort resulted in a further loss of 5,600 lives.

For our transit, we were rafted with the catamaran Tucanon in the middle and Eowyn over on the other side. Our Canal Pilot, Jimmy, was onboard Bristol Rose for the entire transit. He was extremely helpful. Our line handlers were Rex, Owen and Elliot.

We spent Wednesday night in the lake secured to a mooring ball along with a large canal cruiser called Discovery. Jimmy was back onboard for an early 6am start.

Opening the gates to the Pacific

The last lock gate is opened, bow line is retrieved and we are on our way beyond the locks, through the waters of the Pacific Ocean.

The Bridge of the Americas

Panama City

Our friends from the first half of the ARC fleet gave us a warm welcome on our arrival at Flamenco Marina. It was good to be all together again.

Web cam views of ARC boats entering the Miraflores locks and the lock as the water level goes down. Bristol Rose is in the first group of 3 boats.