s/v Nine of Cups Panama Canal Transit

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The Panama Canal extends 50.72 miles from Limon Bay on the Atlantic Ocean to the Bay of Panama on the Pacific Ocean.  A ship traveling through the canal from the Atlantic to the Pacific sails from northwest to southeast.  The ship actually leaves the canal 27 miles east of where it entered.

In 1534, Charles I of Spain ordered the first survey of a proposed canal route through the Isthmus of Panama.  The French labored 20 years, beginning in 1880 to build a canal, but disease and financial problems defeated their efforts.  In 1903, Panama and the United States signed a treaty by which the United States undertook to construct an inter-oceanic ship canal.  The monumental project was completed in 10 years (1914) at a cost of about $387 million. Gatun Lake (pronounced gah TOON) is an artificial body of water, 85 feet above sea level.  It holds 23 million cubic yards of water and is contained by Gatun Dam, ,one of the largest earthen dams in the world.  It was created in 1912 by damming the Chagres River.

There are three sets of locks to maneuver. * Gatun Locks has three separate chambers which ultimately raise the boat 85' above sea level to the level of the lake.  The boat then motors 31 miles to the next lock. * The Pedro Miguel Lock is a single chamber and drops the vessel 31 feet. * The Miraflores Locks are only a mile away from the Pedro Miguel Lock and consist of two chambers which bring the boat down to the level of the Pacific.

There are three ways to go through the locks and you have the opportunity to request the type you want, although it is not guaranteed. 1) Center chamber where the boat is alone in the middle of the chamber and held in place by four lines. 2) Sidewall where the boat is tied against the side of the lock wall. 3) Rafted or "nested"  to another boat or boats or a tugboat. Sailing vessels are "extra baggage" for the Canal.  They can only transit in a lock which is already occupied by a "BIG" boat...our chamber mate through the Gatun Locks was the Greek ship "St. Nicholas".  How could you go wrong traveling with St. Nick? We transited the Gatun Locks as a "center chamber" vessel.  We transited Pedro Miguel and Miraflores Locks nested to a catamaran.

Panama and the canal are celebrating their 100th Birthday in 2003.  There are signs everywhere commemorating the occasion including the locks.  As we cleared each set of locks, we became more and more excited about our entry into the Pacific.

The canal maintains "web cameras" at the Miraflores Locks.  Our friends, Fay & Doug Grimm,  were able to capture this photo of Nine of Cups approaching the locks "nested" with a catamaran.  There is a visitor center at the locks, and at least 300 tourists were on hand to watch us enter and tie up at the locks.  With all those video cameras whirring, we were real glad we didn't run into the locks or the walls.

We transited in one day, but it was a long, long day.  The boat is required to have 4 linehandlers, a captain and a canal advisor aboard.  We picked up the linehandlers (Donna & Sam, s/v "Gertrude P. Abernathy III") at the marina dock at 0300.  A pilot boat brought the advisor at 0430 and we were underway immediately.  We completed the transit and picked up a mooring at the Balboa Yacht Club at about 1630.  Here, Marcie rests against the baby stay while crossing Gatun Lake.  We slept well our first night in the Pacific!

The cost for our sailboat to transit the Canal was $600 plus a refundable $850 deposit (in case we damaged the canal). The highest toll ever paid by one boat for a transit was $184,114.80 in January 2000 by the cargo vessel "Sister". The lowest toll ever paid was by Richared Hallburton in 1928, who paid 36 cents to swim the canal which took him 10 days.

Watching the locks fill with water and drain water is remarkable.  193 million gallons of fresh water are used for each lockage.  As the lock doors opened at the Miraflores Locks, we hooted and howled...finally in the Pacific.

Puente de las Americas (The Bridge of the Americas) is the only connection across the canal  between North and South America.  Keeping with tradition, as we sailed under it and officially entered the Pacific Ocean, we paid tribute to Neptune by providing him with a glass of champagne, thanking him for his protection of boat and crew in the Atlantic and requesting his continued protection in the Pacific.