PANAMA!!!

“Hey, Do you like Van Halen?” The Pumpman says as he walks up to a Panama Canal Line Handler. I’ll tell you what, the experience of transiting the Panama Canal is amazing, but what’s even more amazing is the feet of engineering that the Canal was back in 1913. You can’t help but be impressed by the ingenuity that has come before us as your ship sails through. Men literly dug out hundreds of miles of mountains in the hopes of connecting the oceans, and it worked! Using massive pumps and the flow of water to change elevations – suddenly ships seemingly sail up through mountains and across the land, crossing from sea to shining sea. In December, I got this special chance as the Bobo crossed from Pacific to the Atlantic.

First, you anchor outside the Canal and register with Panama Customs and wait in line to transit. There are hundreds of ships that pass through the canal each day. For us, it meant anchoring the afternoon prior in order to be ready for a 0400 Transit. Most interesting was the insect inspector. Basically a man who gets paid a bunch of money to come aboard with a mini spray can to “clean” the ship. He quickly leaves. Next is the garbage disposal which takes hours to offload. Eventually by 2300, we had cleared customs and could “rest” until the transit. For me, this when we discovered we had to submit last minute, fresh fuel samples from all the tanks and I was the best at it on board… 🙃

The Canal is 12 to 18hours of precision. There is no room for error, and no room for delay. You get one shot to pass through the locks, because there is another ship following closely behind. The Bobo was the maximum width allowed by the Canal and it left merely inches on either side as we passed through the Locks. As you pass through the Locks the Panama Line Handlers do everything. They are the only ones authorized to handle the tug lines and, more importantly, the Mule Cables. These Mules are actually old US Amtrak Train engines that work in synchronization to pull each ship through the Locks. Each ship remains in hand steering, but the engines are dead stick through each set of gates. The Mules ensure a smooth and straight transit as the ship passes through with little space to spare on either side.

For me, it was a thrill, but I felt like a Gopher! To the bow, to the stern, to the Bridge, heard all the Line Handlers – making sure not to lose one, providing head calls, to the bow, to the stern, and repeat. Due to our older ship design, we also had to raise and lower our Gangway system countless times as different personal needed to embark and disembark throughout the process. For the morning portion I was leading the mooring team on the Bow. This video you can see the Locks opening! Once the flood gates are fully open the Mules pull us through.

In the afternoon, the watches had switched so I got to be on the Stern with the aft mooring team. I cant believe I was able to snag a video from both views!!

The first time a mariner passes through this canal it’s an incredible experience!! Its a right of passage that I am glad to have had. I even snagged a picture of our ship during our early, early morning transit under the Bridge of Americas.

Stay Salty!

-Emily