12 May 2014

09.52, we have started our journey through the Panama Canal, just passing under the Bridge of The Americas.

10.15. The 1st of the 3  locks is in sight and we are due to enter it at 11.00. 

First impressions are of docks anywhere in the world, the huge cranes for lifting the cargo to the  containers ships, tankers, training vessels, luxury yachts and  'cast offs' of all shapes and sizes left to rust on the sidelines.

We are  bordered on both the Costa Rica and the Panama sides by jungle and industry in equal measure. Birds swoop around, seagulls fighting for any food tossed lazily from a boat; pelicans swooping in huge flocks, often in line creating the effect of a fly past; from the shore a mixture of birdsong, something exotic and novel to our ears.

The landscape suggests this is volcanic, extremely fertile and hilly, this is only speculation on my part as no one seems to know.  Our taxi driver informed us that they grow and export many types of fruit and vegetables, beef and seafood. It certainly seems to be a place of bounty.

We are in procession with PSP and Switzerland. Yesterday each boat was measured and, apparently, even though they are identical every time they come through they have to be measured again. 

 It's very hot again and humid again today, maintenance was completed this morning. Jamie is up the mast taking photos. Lawrence in the galley preparing lunch, the boys at the stern smoking, Gareth eating rolos and the rest of us waiting for our turn to transit the canal.

10.37, The lock is in sight, a large vessel and PSP are in front of us.

11.00, we are rafted with PSP and Switzerland. We motor together towards the lock. From entering Lock 1 to entering Lock 2 is approximately 30mins.

12.42, we are in lock 2 and it is filling with water. These 2 locks are together, the 3rd is about 1 mile across the small Lake. We are an hour behind schedule which has placed doubt on us completing the journey today!

13.30, we are entering lock 3 and still no word as to whether we will make it today! What a strange feeling this, will we, won't we make it through today?

There is a pace here at which everything and everyone goes. It is more a meander than a walk. As if we are all snaking our way to our destination, but our destination is always beyond the next hurdle which we must navigate before we proceed.

You could never call today boring, it is full of new and exciting (at a meandering pace) events. The draft in the canal is approximately 12mtrs and it must be the same above. The lock gates are beautiful, huge, steel walls which allows the tons of water to flow back and forth; lifting or dropping us before once again we meander to the next lock.

The difference in the mean sea level between the Pacific and Atlantic/ Caribbean is a few inches, the locks are necessary to cope with the 20ft, tidal difference.

15.15, we are through the fist 3 locks and have separated from PSP and Switzerland. We are heading at 9.5 knots across the 21 miles of lakes to the first of the final 3 locks which will drop us down to the Caribbean/Atlantic.

We have left behind the machinery and man made environment of the docks and locks and ahead of us, as we motor, the landscape opens into a vista of snaking natural beauty.

16.50, we are approaching the 2nd set of locks. We have travelled through the most amazing area of natural beauty I have seen since the rain forests of Uganda,  the rainbow, the variety of trees with a myriad of greens lining our route.

We the crew, have discussed at length how many insects, birds, reptiles and mammals inhabit the forests, virtually untouched since the flooding in 1913. We speculate endlessly about the possibility of there being species here now extinct elsewhere. When travelling, in these inspiring environments, there is time to to let ones imagination run freely, we can all be, for a short time, naturalists

Miguel our Panama Canal Pilot,  and has joined in the spirit of Qingdao, he wears his Qingdao cap with pride and he has been a fantastic source of knowledge, answering our many questions. The lakes, as a matter of interest, are fresh water and the locks are sea water.

17.08, we are about to raft ourselves to PSP and Switzerland, ready for our transit through the Atlantic locks.

17.30, we are at the entrance to the 1st of the 3 Atlantic locks, great excitement as it is confirmed that we will be exiting the canal tonight.  A big thank you to Miguel for getting us through in time.

17.46, we enter the lock and the final phase of our transit. There is a less hurried feel to this lock, maybe because it is the end of the working day? The locks have worked through the night, since the 1960's although only smaller boats transit during the night.  Again, there is a sense of time moving at the pace of the canal; the canal seems to dictate the pace, not the human interlopers.

18.14, the 1st lock gate opens to the sound of a whistle. Whistles signal the start/finish of an activity here, quite different to the Pacific locks where there are no whistles!  We are now travelling towards the 2nd lock, these 3 locks are positioned together.

18.56, we clear the 3rd lock and head off into the Caribbean/Atlantic as the sun sets and the moon is in the ascendency. 

A truly memorable day on Qingdao!