Canal transit Prep

On WINGS, there is lots to be done to get ready for our canal transit!

Yesterday, Monday, we had to go into town to immigration to complete our paperwork. We were first in line at 9AM. After completing our papers at 10:30, we were told that there was no one there authorized to stamp our passports and to come back at 2PM. We came back at 1 just to be in their faces. We finally got the necessary stamp at 2:45. If we had arrived by air, there would have been no problem. Today, we had to get a zarpe, or clearance to go with the boat through the canal to Panama City. The official was supposed to show up at the marina at 10. He showed at 1.

In the meantime, we paid our agent, in cash, the $1300 fee. He delivered 10 plastic wrapped tires for fenders, and 4 125’ lines to tie up in the locks. Deb has prepared for the dinner, breakfast, lunch that we will serve our 3 line handlers (2 pros and 1 yachtie looking for experience) & our pilot – there will be a heck of a lot of testosterone aboard with 5 guys! We will be pot lucking on Lake Gatun with our friends aboard “S/V STARDUST”.

Wednesday morning: We will leave the marina dock at 1PM (eastern) and move with Stardust to an anchorage called “The Flats”, near the entrance to the Gatun Locks. There, we wait for our advisor to board. He is scheduled to arrive at 5:40 PM, although we understand that may be quite flexible. We will send out another email on his arrival. We will then leave the anchorage, raft up with Stardust, then enter the first of three locks that will raise us the 92 feet to the level of Lake Gatun. Once out of the locks, we will anchor on the lake for the night, and cross the lake and finish the transit sometime early Thursday AM.

  

  

PANAMA CANAL TRANSIT DATE

The real purpose of this update is to explain how to follow our passage through the Panama Canal. The trip from Jamaica was uneventful, about 4 days long with good winds and comparatively small seas, at least compared to the previous week!

We've completed the check-in into Panama. Found the Panamanians pretty good at extracting fees! We had to pay $193 for a cruising permit, since we are staying at a marina more than 3 days. There are several other, smaller fees, and numerous copies of various documents (ships papers, passports, etc.) required.

The marina is nice.  It is surrounded by jungle on 3 sides & water on 1.  It has a nice restaurant, $1/beer happy hour, small chandlery, mini mart, pool, alligator in residence which discourages bottom cleaning and nice shower facilities. All for $1.20 a foot/day. Colon is a bus ride away, but pretty good shopping. We hear it is better on Pacific side, even a Costco!

  

  

 

 

Our arrival turned out to be a week before Panamanian Carnival time. Apparently, (or is this another fee generator?) transits will get backed up next week, as canal workers call in sick. We had to pay overtime ($170) to get the boat measured before next Friday, as they do not assign transit dates until after you are measured. It was still cheaper then marina fees.

So! We have a date! Read on to track us! You do not need to wait, we have left our AIS transmitter “on”. You will find us at the dock, you may even see a satellite picture of the marina! Cool, huh?

WE ARE SCHEDULED TO GO THRU THE CANAL ON 2/15/2012 – WE LIKELY WILL BE TIED IN THE CENTER OF THE LOCKS RAFTED NEXT TO OUR PORTLAND, OR. FRIENDS ON STARDUST (SEE PICTURE) TO SEE WHERE WE ARE NOW & THE ENTIRE AREA OF THE CANAL GO TO http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais

THIS PAGE TRACKS SHIPS WITH AIS – AUTOMATIC IDENTIFICATION OF SHIPS. THIS SITE IS NOT SET UP TO TRACK US ACROSS THE OCEAN. ONCE YOU OPEN THAT PAGE, ON YOUR LEFT SIDE OF SCREEN YOU WILL SEE:

Ships Map

Go to Area

Go to Port

Go To Vessel

TYPE “PANAMA” IN “GO TO PORT” BOX.  IT WILL OFFER YOU ANCHORAGE ON ATLANTIC, ANCHORAGE ON PACIFIC, CANAL & PANAMA.  I’D PICK ATLANTIC ANCHORAGE.

Notation & Display options:
Show Ship Names                      CHECK THIS BOX
Predicted Course for:
Passenger Vessels

Cargo Vessels 

Tankers     

High Speed Craft 

Tug, Pilot, etc

Yachts & Others

Navigation Aids 

Unspecified Ships 

Ships Underway  

Anchored/Moored

YOU CAN CHECK OR UNCHECK AS MANY OF THE ABOVE BOXES AS YOU LIKE.  THE MORE YOU CHECK THE MORE TYPES OF SHIPS YOU WILL SEE.  BUT DEFINITELY CHECK CARGO.  BY CHECKING CARGO YOU WILL SEE A STEADY LINE OF GREEN SHIPS FROM THE ATLANTIC SIDE OF THE CANAL THRU LAKE GATUN TO THE PACIFIC SIDE.  BY CHECKING THE YACHT BOX YOU MAY SEE US AS WE WILL LEAVE OUR AIS ON TRANSMIT.  CHECK SHIPS UNDERWAY ALSO.

ON YOUR RIGHT SIDE OF THE SCREEN WILL BE A MAP OF PANAMA. YOU CAN HAVE MAP VIEW OR SATELLITE VIEW (TOP RIGHT CORNER OF MAP). PICK SATELLITE VIEW. YOU CAN HIT THE + OR – BUTTON (TOP LEFT CORNER OF MAP) OR USE THE WHEEL ON YOUR MOUSE TO ZOOM MAP IMAGE IN & OUT. YOU CAN MOVE YOUR MOUSE AROUND THE SCREEN TO FOLLOW THE CANAL TO THE PACIFIC. AS YOU MOVE THE MOUSE AROUND YOU WILL SEE LITTLE WHITE NUMBERS ON THE SCREEN WHICH ARE GPS COORDINATES. UNTIL WE HEAD OUT TO GO THRU WINGS IS IN SHELTER BAY MARINA NEAR FORT SHERMAN ON THE ATLANTIC SIDE. I DON’T KNOW WHY BUT SOMETIMES WE ARE ON THE MAP & SOMETIMES NOT. OUR POSITION IS: N09 22 011 W79 57 054.

AFTER CHECKING THE BOXES TO SEE THE SHIPS I’D ZOOM OUT SO YOU CAN SEE THE RIBBON OF BOATS HEADING ACROSS THE CANAL. THEN ZOOM IN ON THE ATLANTIC SIDE TO SEE WHERE WE ARE.

THE LINK BELOW IS TO VIEW SHIPS AS THEY ARE IN THE LOCKS. THERE ARE 3 SETS OF LOCKS. EACH LOCK IS 110’ WIDE & 1000’ LONG. THE 1^ST LOCKS WE COME TO (3 IN A ROW) ARE GATUN LOCKS. THESE 3 LOCKS WILL RAISE US UP 84’ TO LAKE GATUN. WE DO THAT ON DAY 1 OF OUR TRANSIT. IT WILL LIKELY BE LATE AFTERNOON (USA EAST COAST TIME) OR EARLY EVENING. WE PICK UP OUR ADVISOR BETWEEN 3 & 7 PM ON DAY 1.

ON DAY 2 WE GO ACROSS LAKE GATUN TO PEDRO MIGUEL LOCK (1 LOCK) & THEN INTO MIRAFLORES LOCKS (2 LOCKS). OUR ADVISOR COMES ABOARD SOMETIME AFTER 6 AM. WE SHOULD BE IN THE PACIFIC NO LATER THAN 2 PM . THESE 3 LOCKS TAKE US BACK DOWN TO SEA LEVEL.

I DON’T THINK WE CAN COME UP WITH MORE SPECIFIC TIMES UNTIL WE ARE ACTUALLY THERE. WHAT WE CAN DO IS SEND AN EMAIL OUT (LIKE WE DO FOR THE BLOG) TO SAY WHEN WE ARE ABOUT TO ENTER THE 1^ST LOCK. THAT MAY HELP PINPOINT THE TIME.

http://www.pancanal.com/eng/photo/camera-java.html

YOU WILL WANT TO CLICK ON ANY OF THESE CAMERAS TO SEE IF YOU CAN SPOT US. YOU CAN USE THE MAGNIFYING GLASS IMAGE IN THE PICTURE TO ZOOM IN.

Miraflores Locks/ Miraflores - High Resolution/ Centennial Bridge/ Gatun Locks/ Gatun - High Resolution

Ft Lauderdale to Jamaica (mon!)

New! (At least to this amateur): Now, if you make a comment on this post, I will receive it as an email and be able to respond. Thanks to S/V Gypsea Heart who showed me the way!

We said our goodbyes to Pam in FLL, then got up at 0 dark hundred the next morning and quietly left the dock on the high tide so as to negotiate the shallow waters that led to the Intercoastal Waterway and out the inlet. The WX forecast was good for the crossing of the Gulf Stream, always a concern for the trip to the Bahamas. Our destination was Bimini. The sail across was easy. We sailed the whole way, only starting the engine for the short entrance into the harbor. In spite of some good directions from other boats, we managed to bump the bottom several times on the way in, due to the poor markings and the shifting sands. Once tied up, we headed for the cash machine so we could pay customs for our “cruising permit”, a $300 piece of paper. Apparently, pirating has not entirely gone away out here.
Again with the high tide the next morning, we bumped our way back out of the harbor, went north several miles to North Rock, then headed east , and mindful of our marginally deep keel (7.5 ft) for the Bahamas, just north of Mackie Shoal, then a few degrees right to Northwest Shoal light, a 70 mile day. This was the first time we have anchored in 15 ft of sand with no land in sight! And, we had a comfortable night!

Next AM, still on the fast track, we entered the NW Channel and set a course for Nassau, where we topped off the fuel, then anchored in front of the Nassau Yacht Club for the night, ready for another early, high tide  departure through the shallow waters just east of Nassau. Crossing the Yellow Bank proved to be a non event, thankfully, and we anchored the next PM at Shroud Cay.
Shroud Cay was, finally, a “slow down, your cruising” point, and we readied the inflatable for some exploring. Shroud Cay is located within the Exuma Land and Sea Park, where fishing of any kind is forbidden. It is a special place and it has proven to be an asset both for cruisers like us and for the locals, as it provides a nursery for the local fish to repopulate the heavily fished waters around it.
We dinged ashore and had a look around, went swimming for the first time this year, (had a look at our bottom and pronounced it pretty good, except a few places where the paint is falling off)
Next AM, we were off to Warderick Wells, the park headquarters. There, we took a mooring, but with our draft we had to stay off somewhat exposed to the swell, so the next morning we moved over to Hog Cay, we we moored again in absolutely calm, clear waters. It was here, long ago, that pirates lay in wait for passing ships, their masts hidden by the islands behind, and the ships behind  the Cays in front
                            
       The park mooring field                                                      Clear water!

                      

       WINGS at Hog Cay                                         Spotted Ray. This guy is 1m across!
       

This doesn't look like much, but this coral is 2.5
million years old!
Several days later, we headed south once again for Staniel Cay, a must stop for me, as I visited there with my kids on a boat some 42 years ago, and that trip contains some of my happiest memories with them. With our draft, we could get close to Staniel, but not quite there, so we anchored as close up behind Big Majors Spot as we could, expecting some winds out of the east and northeast.
From there we went a few miles south, to Black Point, positioning ourselves for the longer hop to Georgetown. At Black Point, I scored a first, we got the wash done, had lunch, bought a small amount of groceries, and I got a haircut, all at the same store! I got to sit in a plastic chair looking out over the harbor while getting the haircut too! Good cut, too, but not quite as good as at 6th St Hair. Way cool!
Up at first light, we turned south again for Georgetown, another must stop for me. We anchored close by the local hangout, the “Chat n Chill”
           
        
After waiting several days for a weather window to Jamaica, we finally got a narrow window and left Georgetown, arriving in Jamaica several days later, at Port Antonio. We had heard that here there is a low crime rate and a nice marina. We are not disappointed! Jamaica is a beautiful country, and we have not encountered any problems. Customs came aboard promptly and professionally, no charge! On Sunday! So far, we've had all the rust spots on the boat removed and the stainless polished, all at a reasonable price. Yesterday, we took a tour to a coffee plantation high in the mountains, saw how the coffee was made, and bought some (of course!)
              
                 
       
       
This afternoon, we hope to go to the “home” of jerk chicken and pork. That will be an adventure! We are waiting for a weather window to go to Colon, Panama, to start our trip through the canal It looks as though that will be a week away, as high winds and higher seas are dominating the area through which we must pass. In the meantime, we are not suffering!
Enjoying Jamaica, mon! Terry & Deb

Antigua to Ft Lauderdale (It’s about time!)

Well, here we are, sitting in front of a private dock in Ft. Lauderdale. 2012 is just a few days away. The house has been rebuilt and is again for rent. We know we will leave here on the first wx window after 1 January. Just where we will go is a bit more sketchy. We know we will go through the Bahamas on the way to the Panama Canal. After the canal, we will probably go to Hawaii, but that could change to a trip up the west coast. Either way, the plan is to be home in Anacortes, WA sometime in August, give or take a month.

So what has happened? Good question, long answer.

The house is beautiful. BT& D did a great job with the rebuild. In budget and close to on time. I even have a friend who is considering renting our house while he rebuilds his from a fire that has not yet started! (This is a joke!) We can not say enough about USAA insurance. They treated us promptly, fairly, generously. We have a new home with some improvements for a few thousand $$. Now to get it rented!!

 

Returning from Anacortes to Antigua, we took the first good weather to sail up to St. Bart's for a look around and a Cheeseburger in Paradise. Finding the anchorage a little rolly, we didn't stay long, but continued on to St. Martin, where we did some boat maintenance and had a fun visit from some retired NWA friends who were there for a day on a Caribbean cruise .

                    

 

                    

 

 

          

From St. Martin, we went to the heart of that Paradise called the Virgin Islands. We made stops at Tortola, St. Johns, Norman Is, Peter Is, Jost Van Dyke, and St. Thomas. We went to Foxy’s, hiked on St. Johns, listened to Eric Stone, swam, and enjoyed the mostly fine weather.

              

Sometime after leaving St.Thomas for the Spanish Virgins we lost our dingy. We turned around and searched for it for an hour or so, but it was gone. I felt bad, we’d had that dingy ever since  we left, and it was like losing an old friend. But Puerto Rico was close by, they even have a West Marine, so we felt sure we could replace it. We did, but I do not like it as much as the old one. The Spanish Virgins were very nice. Much less “touristy” then the Virgins. A week or so there, then we headed for Puerto Rico.  Puerto Rico is well worth a visit. The old city is beautiful, and the national park is spectacular.

           

                      

Leaving Puerto Rico, we bypassed the Turks and Caico’s as too shallow for WINGS, and continued on to Conception Is., the first in the Bahama Group.

              

From there it was on to Georgetown,  Staniel Cay, and up through Nassau to Freeport, where we visited Frank and Barbara, who oversaw the building of WINGS in Taiwan.

              

  Thunderball Cave, Staniel Cay                                   WINGS at rest, Freeport

 

From Freeport we edged out into the Gulf stream and rode the current all the way to Charleston, SC for a look around. Then we made several stops while  rounding Cape Hatteras. Arriving at Annapolis, we started several major projects . We needed a new mainsail, the generator was replaced, and our old refrigeration went to the junk pile. The $$’s were flying! While all this was happening, we returned to Anacortes to check on the house rebuild. I came back to the boat earlier then Deb to monitor the boat progress. Deb had the bigger job. I had the hot muggy one. When all was completed on the boat, we mostly powered north through the Chesapeake Bay and Delaware Canal to Cape May where Deb’s parents paid us a visit. Then, with stops at Woods Hole and Provincetown, we headed to our summer destination – Maine.

                 

               

              

Once in Maine, we slowed down to enjoy the local sights. We dodged many, many, Lobster Pots. Ate a few lobsters as well. Visited several interesting museums, endured the fog, and generally relaxed, at least until hurricane Irene appeared on the scene. For that event, we found a nearly landlocked bay, put down 2 anchors, removed the Genoa and generally got ready for the blow.When it finally came, it turned out to be a non event, with winds less then 30 kts where we were. Then, it was time once again for Deb to return to Anacortes to see to the house. While she was doing that, two friends of mine from Anacortes, Dick and John, relieved her. Deb is fond of reminding me that it took two men to replace her help with the boat. Now an all male crew without adult supervision, we headed south with stops at Portsmouth, Gloucester, and Salem to meet Deb a week later in Boston. We had a great time together,and laughed all the way, even in spite of a serious infection that Dick had developed. There were several theories about the source of the infection, including my cooking.

 

              

With Deb back on board, we went back down the Cape Cod canal, this time staying in the Long Island sound. In Newport we experienced our strongest winds of the summer, about 35 knots. Even Irene was not that strong. The boat second in line in front of us dragged down on the boat first in front of us at about midnight. Not wanting to become involved in this, we hauled in our anchor and got out of there, re-anchoring a short distance away. Then, not trusting our newly deployed anchor, we spent an uneasy night. The morning arrived clear and calm though, and we made our way towards New York, with several more stops.

             

Arriving in New York was quite a thrill! We motored down the East river, with a detour down the east side of Roosevelt Island. As luck would have it, Obama was due to speak at the World Trade Center, and we were a security threat. We didn’t see the skyline as close as we would have liked, but still, it was spectacular. We dropped anchor near the Statue Of Liberty and close to Ellis Island. We toured both, but left New York for another time, having been there lots of times.

               

On down the coast we went, with stops to see Deb’s parents and an unexpected stop in Charleston to do a new coat of bottom paint. That was due to a problem with the Interlux 77 we had applied in Barcelona that had an unacceptable amount of growth. Interlux paid most of the yard bill, we did the labor. We thought it more then a fair trade. With the exception of a long stop in Baltimore, and a long weekend in Annapolis for the boat show, we stayed on the move to Ft Lauderdale, where we now sit. We returned home for the final details of the house, then came back here for Christmas, traveling to Naples to be with friends and family.

                

From the boat in Baltimore

When I was flying P2V’s with  VO-67 in Vietnam (VO-67.org) one of our planes was shot down. The plane commander,Cmdr. Millius, died trying to save one of the other crewmembers. For his heroic actions, a destroyer was (is) named after him. The USS Millius; DDG 69. While passing close to Jacksonville, we heard “warship69” on the VHF radio close by. I called the bridge and identified myself as a VO-67 member who knew Cmdr. Millius. A short time later he called me back and asked for permission to turn close by. I was thrilled, of course, and asked him to come as close as he dared, so I could take pictures of him with WINGS. I would have liked him to come within 20 ft,  he didn’t, but did come close enough to get some photos. See below!

              

We will be in Ft Lauderdale for several more days. It looks like Monday, the first day we could leave will be too windy to do so. We have the Gulf Stream to cross, so we can not fool around with weather! We will be back to doing updates on our position as before.

Hope you had a very Merry Christmas, and will have a wonderful New Year.

Cheers! Terry & Deb