January 10, 2007

January 10: From the Panama Canal Authority, we'd received the instructions
to be ready for our advisor by 0730. So we were all up shortly after 0500.
Then Keith, Kerry, and their 15-year-old son, Spencer, our new friends who
are Americans living in Panamá, arrived at 0630. Then we waited. The
advisor, Orlando, finally came aboard at 0930.

He may as well have waited even longer. We slowly motored to the basin at
the entrance into the locks, where we circled for another hour and a half
before we entered the chamber at Miraflores at 12 noon.

On the locking up from the Pacific, we were side-tied to a mega yacht, so
there was much scurrying around on both boats each of the times (three) we
tied up and untied. The crew of about six on the yacht was most concerned
about the multi-million vessel they were in charge of. The owner and family
looked on with what we thought were expressions of disdain. But all went
well, and neither the multi-mil. nor the multi-thou. was damaged.

As we raced across Gatún Lake, our poor old gal pushing 7.5-8 knots, we were
all sure we'd have to spend the night in the lake. But fortune shone on us.

As we approached Gatún Locks, our advisor, Orlando, who was in every way
excellent, could see the ship that was supposed to be the last to be locked
down for the day still parked outside the locks. He called the lockmaster
and was told the ship was delayed with mechanical problems and we could go
in with this ship if we could make it to the first lock by 1730.

We had about 5 miles to go in the winding channel and 25-28-knot head winds,
and it was 1645. Nevertheless, we arrived at 1720, pulled around in front of
the ship, and were centered-tied through all three locks, with the ship
behind us.

We came into Colón in the dark, but had called our agent for the passage,
Enrique, and he had talked with the harbormaster at Panama Canal Yacht Club
to arrange for a slip for us for the night. So we were in safely on the dock
at PCYC at 1930. I had had probably the most exciting birthday of my life.
Maybe I'll do it again at 80!