Through the Canal!

Well, ever since we met another cyclist in Nicaragua and he told us about working the lines on a boat headed through the Panama Canal we decided that we'd like to do something along those lines. And we finally did!!!!

Me and Merilee spent last Sunday riding around to the different yacht clubs in Panama City looking for one that would let us set-up camp and ask folks going through the canal if they needed help with the lines. After visiting several clubs the Balboa Yacht Club and a man named Raul helped us out by giving us a spot to set up the tent and access to the radio in the morning to call out to possible boats heading through the canal. We set up camp Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning we were on the docks Merilee with the radio in hand! As Merilee is trying to find her radio voice, Raul quickly tells us that "those people those people might be going through the canal." So with all my confidence in going up to people I do not know at all and ones that I am asking a favor for inquire if those people are indeed going through the canal. And yes they are, and sure we can help them out with the lines, oh and also we will be headed through tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.

Well, somehow that was easier than we had anticipated. We had a ride through the Panama canal the first morning of the first hour that we had tried to find someone! The boat is named Persistence and the crew consisted of Captain Chris, First mate Tiffany, and Patrick. What did he do anyway? And along for the ride was the owner Bob. Chris, Tiffany and Patrick are delivering the boat from Insonata, Mexico to Annapolis. That night Bob generously bought us dinner and drinks and we sat around telling stories about our separate journeys. Since the canal caters to giant commercial ships because they makes hundreds of thousands of dollars off them, boats like our small catamaran tend to get pushed through whenever the canal has the time and patience. So we had to wait until Friday to head off. That was alright. Me and Merilee made the most of it by purchasing our first pizza in over 7 months, riding to Albrook mall (think Tacoma Mall times 1000), and Merilee wanted to get sick one more time over local barbecued chicken.

Thursday night me and Merilee brought our bikes down to the boat for loading and to facilitate an early departure the next day. We stumbled around half drunk on a wobbly dock trying to get our bikes into a dingy and then unloaded all the baggage two bikers have. Chris and Patrick secured our bikes to the mast and we all went into the Balboa Yacht club for one last drink and plate of yucca fries! Yum!

The next morning, Merilee and I had our introduction to sailing. We learned how to tie a bowline. The strongest knot that holds two lines together. We also learned about securing ropes to the cleats on the side of the ship. With these two important skills we can now sail the world. But, we decided to start with the canal. We started off a little late heading into the canal, because of the notoriously late canal advisers (which all ships must have while transiting). No worries! More time for us to practice tying knots. I know there is a question ya'll must be wondering; what are me and Merilee actually going to be doing with our ropes? Well, every small ship that goes into the canal has to be tied at the four corners of the boat to the side of the canal and kept taut. As the boat is either raised or lowered to the new water level, the rope must be let out or pulled tight accordingly. This keeps the boat from moving in the funky canal currents and hitting the side of the canal and incurring a fine because you have wrecked your boat and scratched the canal. So I was stationed on the bow starboard, and Merilee on the stern port. We came into our first set of locks heading upward. We were behind a massive ship that made us appear small. Real small. The men on the side of the canal throw us a rope which we tie our rope to (with bowlines) and they pull our rope to the side of the canal where they secure it. Then as all the ships in the lock are ready the water level is raised. The massive container ships use rail cars with massive cables to hold them steady, it is pretty cool to see. We went up three locks the first day, for a total of something like 80-90 feet up. It was a little daunting the first time, but once you know how it goes it feels easier. After we made it up the three locks we had to motor our way to the Atlantic side locks to be let down. The canal stopped us though right before the last set of locks and we had to stay the night on Lake Gatun.

.....to be continued