Voyager and Wandering Star Turn Left (through the Canal)

By: Les Dobbe

In our quest to make the most of our days on "Voyager", Selene 5334, we ventured south from California toward Central and South America. Unsure of our exact itinerary, we would often talk about the possibilities of a Pacific crossing. When we put all the logistical issues together, we would always throw out the alternative of "Turning Left". In other words, going through the Panama Canal. To this day "turning right" or "turning left" is a topic we keep batting around with John and Kathy Youngblood on "Mystic Moon" another Selene 53’.

Cruising to the Caribbean is a very doable trip and one we have done before. We are extremely comfortable with that itinerary and the region. With the hurricane season approaching we would have to make a commitment. We would need to leave Mexico and get south of the hurricane zone. But then what? We could go on to Ecuador and prepare for a Pacific crossing or go through the Panama Canal into the Caribbean. We did some serious deliberating and decided that going south and turning left was the goal. This whole boating thing is supposed to be fun and we knew right where we could find it!

When we made the Panama decision we knew we were going to be in good company. We became joined at the hip with Adrian and Jo Salzer, aka Selene 43 "Wandering Star". We first met "Wandering Star" while commissioning and then again in Alaska. Cruising south with the Salzers is what JoJo refers to as "Spring Break for Adults"! We gunkholed down the coast from Mexico with the Salzers stopping at great anchorages and doing inland trips. This was a total blast. (Click here to see a Google map of our route and stops.)

Our loosely defined itinerary (originally sketched out in Mazatlan on New Year’s Eve with "Wandering Star") was suddenly falling into place. Adrian would often comment that our day-to-day travels were so well coordinated that it was almost as if we had planned them to the minute. The weather windows and land trips were syncing beautifully and come late April we were going to have to start thinking about making a commitment for reservations and transit times. The carefree/no calendar aspect of cruising was going to have to take a back seat to observing a few timelines.

Transit Planning

When you head south you will generally keep bumping into the same southbounders over and over again. They may be staging for a Pacific crossing, on their way to Ecuador or headed for Panama. During these chance meetings the topics of transit fees, transit requirements and whether or not to use an agent keep coming up. Day to day reports from other cruisers’ blogs detail their experiences and what we should expect. We were fortunate to transit the canal previously with Selene 5311, owned by Burnham and Peggy Beard when they cruised "Morning Mist" from CA to FL. An agent was used to handle the paperwork as we were on a fairly tight schedule. This was most beneficial.

While in Costa Rica, we also decided to employ an agent, Enrique Plummer, on the advice of Scott Bulger on Alanui (fellow FUBARbarian). Enrique would be one-stop shopping for us. We emailed him scans of our boat documents, insurance, passports and crew lists. When we called Flamenco Marina for slip reservations to prepare the boat prior to transit we were told they were booked out. (This is very common in South & Central America. You have two options, make plans early or just show up!) Flamenco asked who our agent was. I said "Plummer". They said, "Enrique may be able to find you a spot in the marina". My subsequent calls to confirm a slip where greeted with NO PROBLEMO. We had slips waiting for us! This was a big relief as my parents were flying down to transit with us and the prospect of being on a mooring ball and using a water taxi at Balboa Yacht Club (another option if a marina slip isn’t available) wasn’t all that appealing to us.

The alternative to an agent is the do-it-yourself venue. This starts with having immigration, agriculture and customs officials show up on the boat to clear you into the country. When we arrived, the officials came to the boat to start the paperwork but quickly left when they were apprised we were using agent Enrique Plummer. They also said "NO PROBLEMO, Enrique takes care of all the paperwork". This was a great surprise! We knew he would facilitate the transit paperwork but didn’t expect the local run around to be dealt with as well.

The canal paperwork can be a bit tedious (if not expensive) if you were to endeavor the task individually. We have great friends on another trawler who asked "how hard can it be?" The fact is it is not that difficult, it is just stringing together the multiple trips to the canal office at the right time with the right paperwork sequenced as per their requirements. After $150.00 in cab fares and 10 days of tripping from one office to the next our $300.00 agent fee looked pretty good. (The normal fee would have been $500.00 for our 53’ and $350 for "Wandering Star" at 43’ but like a lot of things, it was negotiable and we settled at $300 each.) In addition to the canal paperwork Enrique also secured our visas and cruising permit.

Now about the time you think you have entered North America again and everything is on schedule you are reminded that "manana" is a lifestyle and it doesn’t necessarily mean tomorrow. Enrique came through on everything on time but sometimes he kept us in suspense. It’s just a way of life and I have to remind myself of that fact. One other advantage of using an agent is the bonding provision. On a transit without a bonded agent our boat would have been required to post a "buffer" fee of $891. When employing a bonded agent this fee is not assessed to your credit card. This is in case you incur expenses with the canal authority on your transit. Sort of like a security deposit. Without the agent the buffer fee is assessed and within a month credited back to your account. Generally this is not a problem but introduce a language barrier when you try to dispute an assessment. We feel that Enrique was a bargain.

The Panama Cha Cha

When you leave California and enter Mexico you always hear the phrase "Mexican Cha Cha". This refers to the paperwork dance that is required and a process that takes you from the port captain’s office to the immigration office to the customs office to the bank, then back to customs and back to the port captain. This dance is just the check in. When it’s departure time, a visit to the port captain and immigration offices are in order. Much of this "cha cha" has been eliminated in Mexico and many marinas can take care of it for you if you are just traveling in country. Leaving Mexico is another story but for the most part it is painless.

Much of the old procedural protocol is still in place in Panama. Panama treats all vessels equally. If you arrive in your sailboat or trawler you are a vessel that will be dealt with no differently than if you were an oil tanker or a car carrier, regarding paperwork.

To transit the canal, after all the ship’s arrival procedures of immigration, customs and agriculture have been satisfied, the boat needs to be inspected. The first order of business is to schedule an admeasurement. Our agent scheduled our appointment for the morning after our arrival at Flamenco marina. The admeasurement is one of those throw back in time requirements that "measures" a ship to determine its transit assessment. The admeasurer takes out their tape measure and gets a length and width overall. In our case the data is really superfluous. There are only two lengths that would apply to us. If we were over 65’ we would have to employ a pilot at an additional expense of $2410. We measure 59’10" so we were assigned an advisor at no extra charge. The other relevant length would be if we were over 80’. The tariff would change from our price of $750 to $1000. The entire measuring procedure has nothing to do with tonnage (or displacement in our case) but nonetheless a requirement. The admeasurer will also make sure you have a sanitary facility within two decks of the pilothouse. If not, a portable toilet will need to be rented and assessed to your bill. You can now see how the rules are written to encompass all vessels inspected. One other interesting item that we were apprised of was the food we needed to supply our advisor. It had to be of a quality that was acceptable to the pilot/advisor. Seems that some offerings from sailors to steamships may be too ethnically oriented or of such a low quality it is unacceptable. In such an instance, as we were told, the advisor has the authority to order a box lunch via his radio. The costs would be an added assessment to our transit fee. The box lunch is only $25 but the Canal Authority launch to deliver it would be $250! There was much discussion as to what "Wandering Star" and "Voyager" were going to offer as our agent made suggestions. The shopping list began!

Lines and Line Handlers

For a vessel our size we are required to have 4 lines of good quality measuring not less than 7/8" in diameter and not more than 1 ½" in diameter with a length of 125’ or more. Our agent rents lines so for $100 we had the lines delivered to the boat the day before our transit. We are also required to have 4 line handlers of sufficient strength and skill that could control the boat during times of turbulence. The line handler could not include the captain or the advisor and should understand Spanish. Enrique, our agent, also has a cadre of experienced locals who fit the bill perfectly. The line handlers were $65 per person per day. If we were able to transit in one day they would run a total of $260 and all they could eat. These guys are more important than you can imagine. Our last experience with line handlers in Panama was an offering of two 90 pound retired cab drivers, one experienced mate, and a new kid learning the ropes. We didn’t understand the importance until we were in some severe turbulence in a rising chamber. In that situation the lines needed to be manhandled in and coordinated front and aft. This time through, our guys were great and we never had an issue.

Placement in the Chamber

This is probably one of the most talked up aspects of the transit. Where are we going to be placed? If you have ever done any locking before your arrival you know exactly what I mean. When you fill the paperwork out with the admeasurer you rank your placement preferences. The options are:

  • Center chamber
  • Alongside an ACP (AUTORIDAD DEL CANAL DE PANAMÁ) tug
  • Sidewall
  • Special Request

We requested to transit with two other trawlers, "Wandering Star" and "Dreamweaver". "Dreamweaver" belongs to Ken and Dottie Saville. Dottie is JoJo’s sister from "Wandering Star". This would be the ultimate passage…three trawlers rafted together (all great friends) for the transit of a lifetime! The actual placement isn’t known until we arrive at the locks and our advisor makes the request to the lockmaster. Since we didn’t know if we would be placed alongside a very rough and abrasive chamber wall, we secured multiple old tires wrapped in garbage bags to act as fenders. We spaced them approximately 3 feet apart all around "Voyager". This would be the most dreaded position but felt we had enough protection in place should that occur. The placement anticipation was palpable right up to our first approach!

Transit Reservations

Since we had our paperwork in plenty early we could place a request for a desired transit date. We allowed ourselves enough time to explore the Las Perlas archipelago about 30 miles from Flamenco marina in the Gulf of Panama. We requested a transit date of June 2nd. Normally a three to five day lead time is required when everything is running smoothly. There had been delays for Atlantic to Pacific transits that reached out as far as five weeks so we wanted to be sure we had our reservation in early.

Transit Day

Per our agent’s instructions we were scheduled to pick up our advisor at 7:15 a.m. between buoys 2 and 4 on the approach to the canal. The line handlers arrived at 6:00 a.m. and made a few adjustments to our tire placement. Then Rose fed them a hearty breakfast to get them off to a good start. We motored out of the marina at 6:30 for the half hour run to our rendezvous point. We hailed Flamenco Signal, the VTS for a northbound transit. We apprised them that "Voyager", "Wandering Star", and "Dreamweaver" were in place and ready to receive our advisors. We were given a new ETA of 8:00 A.M. and instructed to remain in the area. About now our hearts were really pounding! In addition to the transit we also had the concern that if we didn’t get started early we wouldn’t be allowed to finish our transit the same day. In this case, the line handlers would remain onboard to sleep on your decks overnight in Lake Gatun and you would have to finish the transit the next afternoon. There are provisions for making 8 kts which wasn’t a concern for "Voyager" and "Wandering Star" but "Dreamweaver" has to really push to get to 7.5 knots.

At 8:03 we saw a pilot boat approach and a call came on the VHF radio to confirm our vessel names. The advisors for "Dreamweaver" and "Wandering Star" were dropped off first. Our advisor boarded and called Flamenco Signal, and the procession started. Upon our arrival to the Miraflores Locks the request for a three boat raft up with a center chamber position was approved. If you ever wanted to see four really happy line handlers it was my crew. "Voyager" would be placed center, "Wandering Star" would raft to our starboard side, and "Dreamweaver" would raft to our port side. Once these lines were well secured there would be no line wrestling for the rest of the day for our guys. Our lead line handler, Winston, then asked Rose to put in a CD while we were getting organized. So with salsa music to set the pace, we passed under the Bridge of the Americas while "Wandering Star" and "Dreamweaver" came along side for the raft up. From now on "Voyager" was the locomotive that would be steering and powering the group through the locks! This was something I hadn’t experienced before but what a thrill! On our first approach I felt like I was landing a Boeing 747 on a dirt road. We were only 45 feet wide going into a 100 foot wide lock but it sure felt tight.

Locking Procedures

When we approached the gates we spotted the lock attendants. They threw a monkey fist to each of the outside boats ("Wandering Star" and "Dreamweaver") fore and aft. Their line handlers then tied their respective lines to the monkey fists and they were retrieved by the lock attendants. The lines were secured to the chamber bollards and the line handlers tensioned the slack. We were in place with no other vessels in the chamber. Normally, smaller vessels share the chamber with large ships. We couldn’t believe it! We had the whole chamber to ourselves. When the aft gate was closed the chamber began to fill with water. In less than 15 minutes we were 26 feet higher than the Pacific Ocean. As soon as the chamber was full and the turbulence quieted down the far gate opened. Since "Voyager" was the vessel in control our advisor coordinated all the activity for entering and leaving the chamber. I was advised to signal the canal’s lock attendants to release our lines with one blast from the ship’s horn. At that point we started our 1000’ journey through the first chamber to the entrance of our second chamber in the Miraflores Locks. It was during this first lift that calls were placed via "Voyager’s" iridium phone to friends and family back home that we were "locking"! Many captured our picture via the Pancanal webcam.

The same procedure was followed as we transited the second chamber at Miraflores. As soon as we left the second chamber we started across Miraflores Lake. We were still three abreast and "Voyager" was going 7.5 kts. I was amazed at how easy it was to motor the three of us together while burning only 5.5 gallons per hour on our way to the Pedro Miguel lock. By now we had a good dose of confidence under our belts and the anxiety was bleeding off. With only one chamber at Pedro Miguel we were quickly through. The three boats were released from one another, then a quick call by our advisor to the Gatun Locks to apprise them of our ETA. We were scheduled for a 3:45 p.m. lock time. This was great news since the cut-off for small vessel transits is around 5:30! With no time to waste, we continued toward the Atlantic.

Two down and one to go

We had just completed our three-chamber trip up approximately 85’ to cross over the continental divide on our way to the Atlantic. Our trip from Pedro Miguel Lock was going to take about three hours. During this time the advisor, line handlers and family aboard were fed lunch. Afterwards, the line handlers settled in on the aft deck for an afternoon nap while our advisor guided us toward Gatun Locks. So far things were really going well and this was a dream passage. Our advisor, Rodolfo, was an incredible fount of knowledge. He was the senior of the three advisors in our group. He is still a tug captain for the canal authority during the week and performs the advisory job on his days off. He has been pushing and/or pulling ships, dredges and barges for the past 17 years in the canal. The other two advisors were fairly new to the position. At every turn we were given a story of how the canal has evolved. He knew the dredging operations like the back of his hand and we even took one shortcut between two islands that the other advisors wouldn’t follow. We had our own personal tour guide that had us captivated throughout the day.

When we arrived at the Gatun Lock we were about ten minutes in front of "Wandering Star" and 25 minutes ahead of "Dreamweaver". Our advisor informed me that the currents here made it very difficult for the big ships to line up for the entrance and we would experience the same issue. Oh joy, things were going so well.

The Last Lock

The Gatun Locks are comprised of three chambers. They are one single set of three versus the two at Miraflores and the single at Pedro Miguel. The water here would also be going down which would eliminate the tremendous turbulence we experienced during the filling process. Since "Wandering Star" would again be placed on our starboard side our advisor instructed us to raft together in the back eddy and then head into the lock in tandem without "Dreamweaver". After we were lashed together I set "Voyager" and "Wandering Star" up against the lock wall where we tied off to some low bollards. Then "Dreamweaver" ducked into the lock and secured to me in quick order. We needed to get our act together quickly as a 700 foot tanker was approaching and would be sharing the lock with us. As soon as we were secure we cast off and the raft proceeded down the 1000 foot lock to the far gate. We stopped our approach about 30 feet from the end. We were 85 feet above the Atlantic and could feel the tropical breezes beckoning us on.

As soon as we started going down we knew this would be much easier than the up-lock. No rushing and boiling water and very little input on my part to keep us centered. The sequence of letting out the lines and waiting for the initial current to subside once the gates were open was like old hat for us. As soon as we were ready to proceed out of the chamber I was instructed to blast the horn and the lines were released lockside. We motored into the second and third locks without incidence. To depart our last chamber I blew the horn to signal the line release. Generally the canal’s workers are very prompt and I had become used to advancing immediately after the signal. I put the boat into gear and had gone about 10 feet when I heard "Dreamweaver" shouting to stop! We looked up the 30 foot wall and saw the attendant was having difficulty removing the port forward line on "Dreamweaver". I quickly went to reverse to stop 80 tons of forward motion in a hurry. Nothing like having 12.5 liters of John Deere called to action for some heavy torque when you need it. We were soon free and headed out the approach to break up the raft.

Shelter Bay Marina

The sun was setting when the pilot boat picked up our advisor in the "Flats" outside of Colon. All of the line handlers from the other two boats, their equipment and lines had all been loaded onto "Voyager". It was going to be a passage in the dark to drop off the line handlers at the Colon Yacht Club and then on to Shelter Bay Marina where a slip awaited us. As "Dreamweaver" headed toward Shelter Bay, I made my way into the marina through the commercial port and huge derricks to the docks of the Colon Yacht Club. With everyone and everything off the boat in record time we headed out across the flats towards the traffic lane with "Wandering Star" close behind. I asked Cristobel Signal, the VTS for this area, for permission to cross the traffic lane enroute to Shelter Bay. I can’t say enough about AIS but here we are like a rabbit crossing an interstate in the dark. Being able to see traffic and interpret lights against a cityscape would be most difficult. As soon as we crossed traffic we zigzagged our way around anchored ships in the hazardous anchorage area as we headed towards the marina. The marina is the old Fort Sherman property tucked in behind the breakwater. Like most entrances it is a non issue in daylight. Not so in the dark! "Dreamweaver" was already dockside and gave us a few hints on the radio regarding the approach. "There will be breaking water about 30-40 feet on each side of you when you enter." I had the big spot light on to starboard and Rose had the million candlepower handheld spotlight on to port. We could hear the surf but couldn’t see it yet. The last thing I wanted to do was to go aground at the end of a perfect day. Soon we saw the white water rolling only about a two foot crest but we could make it out. With guidance from the docks we meandered through the marina buoys and approached the dock. There were no less than a dozen people waiting for us with champagne bottles ready to be popped. We turned the boat around, backed in and broke out the bubbly.

3M’s

This passage was truly a culmination of Man, Machine and Moment. My wife and family were with me, the boat was superb and the moment was indescribable.

Adrian reminded me once again that "we had cheated death", and were safe and sound. We were in our new home for the next four months and it was great to be there.

Looking Back

Prior to departure I was very concerned about the growth I had been experiencing on my thrusters. I wanted them at their peak performance but it had been difficult to keep ahead of the barnacle formation. I was really glad I personally had cleaned them two weeks before the transit and then had them cleaned two days prior to going through. They performed flawlessly and I love them being hydraulic. There were times I needed to hold position of all three boats and was able to run them continuously for extended periods. The articulating rudder offered great maneuverability that even impressed the advisor.

Our agent Enrique Plummer was the best. I would definitely recommend him.

Reservations for Flamenco were made through Enrique. Not sure if we would have been able to secure them ourselves. If you are headed this way put a little forethought into that detail. You may have difficulty securing slips all the way down from CA if you don’t. In particular, Ensenada, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, Barre de Navidad, Los Suenos Costa Rica and Flamenco Panama.

Shelter Bay offers a great place to leave the boat during the hurricane season. Security is great, there is no surge and the power and water meet all our needs. If you think you may want to spend some time in Panama and explore Panama City I would suggest you extend your time on the Pacific side. Access to the international airport is much easier and Panama City has a lot to offer. Our location in Shelter Bay is removed from everything. There is a free shuttle that goes into Colon every morning that drops off passengers at a large grocery store and shopping area. Colon can be a very dangerous town and even the locals are concerned for their own safety so walks around the center of town are not advised. On the brighter side, Shelter Bay offers great access to the Bocas del Toro island group as well as the indescribable San Blas Islands and Cartegena, Columbia.

Enjoying the Tropics!
Les & Rosemary Dobbe
"Voyager"
Selene 5334
Shelter Bay Marina, Panama

Canal & Agent Expenses

Panama Canal Toll $910.00
Agent Fees $300.00
4 Line Rental $100.00
Government Fees
This included check in, visas, cruising permit and national zarpe
$265.00
4 Line handlers (1 day) $260.00
Sub Total $1835.00
5% ITBMS Tax $91.75
Total $1926.75

If you plan to buy anything with a credit card plan on paying a 3%-5% processing fee. This along with your credit card company’s assessment of a 2%-3% International Exchange Fee may increase your total substantially. Cash is readily available via ATM’s. Make sure your associated bank has an ATM fee refund policy or you will assessed again.

Links & Other Resources

 
  Installing Solar Panels on a Selene 60  
  Selene Cruising Blogs  
  The Down East Circle Loop (Part 1)  
  Three Wishes, Part 1: A Big Problem for Nancy  
  Three Wishes, Part 2: Nancy's Ambitious Plan  
  Three Wishes, Part 3: Can Nancy Do It?  
  Selene 49 "Hakuna Matata" crosses the Atlantic  
  Jet Tern Marine Appoints a new Northwest Selene Dealer  
  15th Annual Northwest Selene Owner's Rendezvous  
  Selene Annapolis joins forces with Luke Brown Yachts  
  2019 Selene Rendezvous  
  Preparing a Selene for International Shore Power (Part 1)  
  Lithium Ion Batteries for Boats: Fact or Flame  
  Adding an Electric Get Home Drive to Our Selene 47  
  Passing through History  
  Wenstroms Travels in Guatemala  
  Mikey Smith Joins JTM as VP of Engineering  
  Brian Calvert ("Further") Celebrates 2 years of cruising  
  Mayday Mayhem -- A Selene Rescue Operation  
  Three Wishes, Part 4: The Pleasure and the Pain  
  Three Days on Alaska's Lituya Bay  
  Preparing a Selene for International Shore Power (Part 2)  
  A Winter Cruise to Princess Louisa Inlet  
  Transiting the Panama Canal on Selene 53 Rediscovery II  
  From Sail to Power: Joel Marc's Story  
  What Puget Sound Pilots Want You to Know  
  Selene Owners Visit the Monarch Butterflies in Mexico  
  Barging in Europe  
  Installing a Thermopure MSD on a Selene  
  Book Review: "Cruising the Big U" By Ade & Jo Salzer  
  Three Wishes, Part 5: Queen of the Fog...and other Stories  
  Three Wishes, Part 6: More Adventures for Nancy  
  Selene Owners Summary of the CUBAR Odyssey 2022 to Baja  
  Jet Tern Marine Celebrates 15 years of Selene Trawlers  
  Fifteen Days at Jet Tern Marine  
  Jet Tern Marine Announces New Pacific Northwest Dealer  
  Bar Hopping -- Tips for making a safe bar crossing.  
  Selene 47 Rescues a Classic Tug Boat  
  2011 Selene Bahamas Rendezvous  
  Stabilizing A Selene at Anchor  
  Two Selenes Transit the Panama Canal  
  Seven Selenes Cruise Baja  
  Princess Louisa Through Eastern Eyes  
  Solutions for Leaking Diamond Sea-Glaze Doors  
  The Down East Circle Loop (Part 3)  
  The Down East Circle Loop (Part 2)  
  Selene Wins a 3rd "People's Choice Award"  
   
 
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