Panama Canal Transit

[Sea Devil]

I have just made a short film about a transit in a small yacht of the Panama Canal from the Caribbean to the Pacific - If you are interested there is a link to it from here:

http://www.michaelbriant.com/sailing.htm

 

[Habebty]

Nice, thanks

 

[Sea Devil]

Glad you liked it... Was not too sure if it worked.

 

[Biggles Wader]

Another like.
Its been well over thirty years since I went through there but Im sure its the same bloke handling the lines

 

[Sea Devil]

Could be - certainly the same 40ft lines from the yacht club!!!!

 

[Mataji]

Thoroughly enjoyed that. I've read about several yacht transits but never seen one. I'm sure there must have been some hassle but you make it look so easy, even less strenuous than the Crinnan.
Thanks.

 

[Uricanejack]

I quite enjoyed it. I don't usually bother with exotic locations.
A Vague notion I might try it one day.
You had to have a pilot. Did you have to get local line handlers?
In the you never had to be against the wall? Long lines with boats in middle.
How long were the lines you had to have.?
I was just wondering how much hassle?

 

[BobPrell]

I quite enjoyed it. I don't usually bother with exotic locations.
A Vague notion I might try it one day.
You had to have a pilot. Did you have to get local line handlers?
In the you never had to be against the wall? Long lines with boats in middle.
How long were the lines you had to have.?
I was just wondering how much hassle?

A friend has just come back from this gig.

She said "You get to do the canal more than once. A few yacht crews will be line handlers for each other, bus shuttling back to get the next yacht."

She didn't get sick of handling the lines, good crew that.

 

[Sea Devil]

I quite enjoyed it. I don't usually bother with exotic locations.
A Vague notion I might try it one day.
You had to have a pilot. Did you have to get local line handlers?
In the you never had to be against the wall? Long lines with boats in middle.
How long were the lines you had to have.?
I was just wondering how much hassle?

You are obliged to have a pilot - You are obliged to have 4 line handlers plus the skipper - and feed them all.

Most boats 'line handle' for a boat going through ahead of them in order to get the experience - it is also possible to 'hire' local line handlers.

When you book your transit with the PC authorities you may choose alongside wall, alongside tug, or centre chamber - most people tick all three boxes in order to get allocated a transit slot sooner.

In Pax it was alongside a tug and centre chamber but in my boat it was mainly alongside wall.

You are obliged to have 4 x 40ft lines with no joins. You can hire them from the yacht club who have several sets.

The little film makes it look really easy - each year several boats get damaged - a few badly. There are big forces at work and folks make mistakes and lines can break - famously the lines of a tug which caused the 3 yachts tied to it to crash into the stern of the merchant ship ahead. One was a write off the other two needed new masts and stanchions.

 

[Tradewinds]

Hi Michael,
Sorry to pick you up but it's 125ft lines - I think you have your metres and feet mixed up!

You are obliged to have a pilot - You are obliged to have 4 line handlers plus the skipper - and feed them all.

Most boats 'line handle' for a boat going through ahead of them in order to get the experience - it is also possible to 'hire' local line handlers.

When you book your transit with the PC authorities you may choose alongside wall, alongside tug, or centre chamber - most people tick all three boxes in order to get allocated a transit slot sooner.

In Pax it was alongside a tug and centre chamber but in my boat it was mainly alongside wall.

You are obliged to have 4 x 40ft lines with no joins. You can hire them from the yacht club who have several sets.

The little film makes it look really easy - each year several boats get damaged - a few badly. There are big forces at work and folks make mistakes and lines can break - famously the lines of a tug which caused the 3 yachts tied to it to crash into the stern of the merchant ship ahead. One was a write off the other two needed new masts and stanchions.

 

[Uricanejack]

You are obliged to have a pilot - You are obliged to have 4 line handlers plus the skipper - and feed them all.

Most boats 'line handle' for a boat going through ahead of them in order to get the experience - it is also possible to 'hire' local line handlers.

When you book your transit with the PC authorities you may choose alongside wall, alongside tug, or centre chamber - most people tick all three boxes in order to get allocated a transit slot sooner.

In Pax it was alongside a tug and centre chamber but in my boat it was mainly alongside wall.

You are obliged to have 4 x 40ft lines with no joins. You can hire them from the yacht club who have several sets.

The little film makes it look really easy - each year several boats get damaged - a few badly. There are big forces at work and folks make mistakes and lines can break - famously the lines of a tug which caused the 3 yachts tied to it to crash into the stern of the merchant ship ahead. One was a write off the other two needed new masts and stanchions.

Thanks

 

[Sea Devil]

Hi Michael,
Sorry to pick you up but it's 125ft lines - I think you have your metres and feet mixed up!

Ooops you are right! should have written metres! Thanks for the correction!