All good things must come to an end and the Panama Canal and the Pacific beckon so we enjoyed a good sail from the San Blas to Isla Linton (where we were almost attacked by monkeys ashore) and thence to Portobello, main hub of the transportation of treasure from the Spanish Main and so attacked by Drake, Henry Morgan and Adm Vernon among others. Here we saw lovely old forts in various states of disrepair but with all their original cannon.
The Panama canal was a 20 mile motoring job from Portobello, and here we prepare for our transit through one of the engineering marvels of the world in the building of which 20,000 died of malaria and yellow fever. Stanley, our ship-agent, has taken care of the reams of paperwork and hours of offialdom required to transit the canal allowing me to finally bring the website up to date! We transit the Canal on Monday 26 Feb, a real milestone date in our cruise so far. We lock up through the Gatun locks, spend the night in the Gatun lake, make our way across 30 miles of lake to the Miraflores locks where we lock down in the morning of the 27th. See the Miraflores webcam here.
Date(s): February 2007. Album by Gerard Coulson. Photos by Gerard Coulson. 1 - 41 of 41 Total. 16672 Visits.
Monkeys arrive as we explore Islan Linton
They are not looking too friendly, and have a reputation for being viscious here
so everone leaps into our dinghy, whilst Muggins here is left to collect shoes and untie!
Panama 61
I studiously ignore the monekys, hoping they will do the same!
Finally we're all in the dinghy
so nothing for you guys!
Panama 65
Sunset, Portobello
Monica's Birthday
Celebrated with Eric and Jeniya from Meta
Jan from Decourcy spirit makes a cake and adds a candle!
Jeniya, Jonty and Rebecca
Canal traffic
!
Sarah and R
A conatainer ship emerges heading east
So here we are! A real milestone in our travels
Panama 12
We watch the Zim Savannah locking. The gates open and she moves forward very slowly...
kept off the walls by the 'mules' but moving under her own steam
Inches only on each side
Panama 19
Panama 20
One more lock to go...
Friendly crew
A mule moving into place
Panama 33
The stern of the Zim Savannah and the lock building
My brother Ben
with Sarah
All secured, the water is about to go...
Panama 39
She dropped about 50 feet now
She moves ahead - note propwash
Containers
It really is a tight squeeze!
Off she goes
We saw this young sloth being rescued as he wandered, slowly, by the road
