Anchored in Colon, we’re ready and waiting for our pilot, without whom there will be no canal! The pilot arrives and immediately asks us to make for the canal as quickly as possible. The cargo ship that has to go through with us is already on its way so there’s no time to hang around making our introductions! The anchor chain is hastily raised.
Aurélio (the pilot) calls us up onto the bridge for a general briefing.“The docking pilots will throw their lines… (this is a rope with a ball at the end, which enables it to be thrown some distance with precision). First interruption: “but our deck is made of solar panels… glass in other words… We’d prefer to throw our lines to them!” Accommodating, Aurélio tells us that this is possible and that he’s even going to ask a small boat to approach us so we don’t need to make an Olympian throw.Once the docking pilots have our lines, they move forward with us along the locks, then they bring our lines back so they can take hold of our mooring warps and slip them over the bollards.
We’re going to be passing through the canal at the same time as a little cargo ship, so we’ll have to be as far forward as possible in the lock. Once we’re made fast, the lock gates will close and the water will rise around ten metres or so. On the floats and up forward, the crew will have to busy themselves taking up the slack in the warps and hence limiting the boat’s motion.
It’s down to me to coordinate them so the boat doesn’t end up side on in the lock, particularly with a quartering tailwind to port. As a result, on the port float, the one which will tend to swing out, Eric and Raphaël will have their work cut out! Fortunately, they have a massive amount of experience. Eric probably has the most extensive maritime experience aboard and Raphaël is the person originally behind the Planet Solar project who completed a circumnavigation of the globe on this famous vessel, which today goes by the name of Race For Water, our boat!
The Race for Water vessel between the gates of Panama Channel
When the gates open, the cargo ship ahead of us starts up and generates significant wash! Fortunately, we are prepared for it and though the boat turns a little, there is sufficient space. There are 3 locks to go. The docking pilots pass us back our mooring lines attached to a messenger line, and walk along with them as we make headway along the lock. It’s kind of like they’re walking us on a lead, or the other way around maybe. At the next lock the process is repeated.
The Panama Channel and a night on the Gatún Lake
The first lock has closed the gates to the Atlantic to us and a succession of 3 climbs ensues till we reach Gatùn Lake, where we’ll spend the night. The following day, we repeat the operation for the descent and the last lock opens the gates to the Pacific… and a magical moment!
The Race for Water vessel at Panama City on the Pacific Ocean