Panama Canal

[Sea Devil]

I have just published a Video about transiting the Panama Canal in a small boat on my Sailing Gently Youtube channel.

For those wanting to go to far away places...

 

[capnsensible]

Mind if I ask when that was filmed? Reason being Ive taken a couple of yachts through and the routines seemed a tad different?

Awesome experience.

 

[Sea Devil]

Shocked to say it was around 18 years ago which explains then dodgy digital reproduction and format. I was speaking from memory but from the research I did for the video other than some considerable structural improvement the basic concept of 3 locks up across the lakes and 3 locks down remains the same...
This particular video out of the Sailing Gently series is the first I have made using my own archive video material and I confess I am not thrilled by the finished product. It seems that after the Caribbean most Brit boat people are not that interested?

What years did you go through?

 

[capnsensible]

Hiya. One last year and one two years before that. The new locks had not long been opened and the visitor centre overlooking them is a great visit.
It seems a bit more complicated with the paperwork now so i used an agent both times. Reasonable prices. Customs now have an office in shelter bsy marina and i reckon most yachts go there. Can still take 10 or 12 days though. But several free busses a day acrpss to Colon. New bridge may be open now. Ferry queue could take ages.
The advisors now come to the anchorage outside Shelter Bay. Its afternoon by the time you get through so overnight on buoy by visitor centre. Noisy with howler monkeys! Next day gets you through to Balboa around sunset. I used a visitor buoy there both times. Lads collect lines and fenders and free 24 hour water taxi to goto yacht club bar and celibrate!

Hard to describe how good it is! Thanks for the movie.

 

[Sea Devil]

It was a good experience but the South Pacific was amazing... Glad you liked the movie!

 

[Roberto]

IIRC they have recently doubled the yachts transit fees.
Just checked, USD1600 for all yachts under 65'.

 

[Sea Devil]

I paid nothing like that... Real shame.... I read somewhere there was a transport company offering to truck boats across but if you add 2 travel lift fees, pulling and setting mast plus haulage fee for lorry it all adds up to close to that price.

Before she died Louise and I were planning to take Paw Paw through the Straights of Magellan.. Got the charts, pilot books etc although going that far south was not too attractive....

 

[Mudisox]

How does Suez compare?

 

[capnsensible]

Suez has got no locks. Its a bit of a rough area but I did it on an RN Destroyer so it was a doddle.
As a young chap in Port Said at that time the whole thing was quite some....experience.

 

[cherod]

perhaps it is better not to take too an aggressive approach ,, a couple are currently transiting Red Sea south on their sail boat , documenting it on youtube regularly , having a good time with warm conditions and friendly natives ,,, nice to watch , something different .

 

[Sea Devil]

How does Suez compare?

There is no comparison. Suez is a real Canal about 90 miles long without any locks. Much of it is one way with a couple of areas where it is dual carriageway or separate NS - SN. canals. It is controlled and regulated and in a yacht you are required to employ a Red Sea Pilot although the total cost for a transit is probably 1/3rd of Panama. For most boats its a 2 day passage but sometimes you have to wait at the staging post for a 'slot' for the next section.
No major dangers except for 'baksheesh' to pilot boats and other officials,,, I came up the Red Sea so got used to the fact that many/all government employees received very low wages and the accepted method of topping up their pay was Baksheesh...