Shelter Bay Marina, Panama Canal – Preparing to go through the Panama Canal

We are getting everything ready to pass through the Panama Canal from the Caribbean to the Pacific.

We are presently in Shelter Bay Marina, located on the West side of Limon Bay, directly across the bay from the city of Colon.  Our transit through the canal will take two days because of the timing of the locks on the Atlantic (Caribbean Sea) side.  They also do not allow private vessels to travel after dark in the canal.  So the usual transit schedule from north to south is:

Day 1 – Pick up your Panama Canal advisor in the afternoon just outside Colon (The flats) and head through the Gatun Locks.  Once through you anchor or take a buoy just inside Gatun Lake.  Advisor is picked up and will return in the early morning.

Day 2 – Advisor is dropped off to your boat in the early morning and you motor across the Lake and then through the amazing Gaillard Cut that drives the mountains of the Continental Divide.  You should reach the Pedro Miguel and Miraflora Locks by afternoon.  You are through to the Pacific usually before dark.

The canal is built for commercial traffic, so it can be a little intimidating for little sail boats like us to undertake.  But as long as you have 4x 125ft ropes and lots of fenders, hundreds of pleasure craft complete the canal transit safely every year.

The humans did a ‘practice’ run with friends on the sailing vessel Seismic Wave last season.

http://www.seismicwave.ca/?cat=53

So they should know what to do.  But again, you know what misfits they are like.

The steps we took to register our boat, get it measured and book a date are easy for follow and outlined on lots of information sites.

BUT BEFORE WE GO ANYWHERE WE HAVE TO GET THE BOAT READY!

Your author is happy to announce that the humans have finally finished the bottom work and the boat has been launched back into the water.  Look at that beautiful copper bottom on the boat now.  It did take them 4 months!

I am so happy we are back in the water.  Dogs and long ladders, really do not mix.

Of course there is still a lot more work for me to supervise.

Fix fridge (seals leaking)

Fit energy saving thermostat on freezer

General maintenance to main engine, outboard, dive compressor and replace any perished hoses ect.

Find and fix short in navigation lights

Replace solenoid and electrics for windlass (anchor chain winch)

Forward looking sonar-run wiring through boat and fit display in cockpit

Clean out cupboards and stow supplies and spares

Refit all shackles, new pole, running rigging, sails and canvas back onto boat

Refit davits, dingy, surf boards, kayaks propane tanks and spare fuel and water containers on board

Reorganise tools, ditch bag and storage lockers.

Restock medical supplies for all and fit in those last dentist, doctors and vet check ups.

Stock the boat up with food for 4-6 weeks at sea and expensive or unavailable items in French Polynesia.

The list goes on and on and on, but the humans are optimistic.  So optimistic that they have registered the boat with the Panama Canal authority.

http://www.noonsite.com/images/pdfs/panama_transit-without-an-agent_2014

The form that you fill out is simple and in English.  In fact everyone in the Canal Authority speak English and are very helpful, polite and like dogs.

The next day one of the Panama Canal representatives visited the boat to check it’s length and give us our new registration number and certificate.

The humans took a trip to the Bank and paid the canal authorities $984.00 for use of the canal and ‘on board’ advisor.  They also had to pay a security deposit (buffer fee) of $891.00, so they better not mess up and block commercial traffic.

As soon as they did that the Canal was happy to give them the first available date of May 5th.  So they have 2 weeks to get their ‘act together’.

Looks like they are going to make their date the painted on the outside of the Sail Loft.

On top of the humans long list of jobs, do not forget they have been working here in Panama for almost two years.  They have lots of junk and left over materials  to sell and give away.

The new sail maker Bill has arrived to take over The Sail Loft.  He also needs their time to learn the invoicing and accounts system, machines, inventory, suppliers and generally get organised.

I will do my doggy best to keep the humans working hard so they can meet their

MAY 5TH DEADLINE.  The count down begins!