Bound towards the Atlantic

Posted On 27 May, 2014

Tom Cunliffe reports that GREY WOLF has now exited the Panama Canal and is on passage into the Caribbean Sea.

The most recent AIS data were received at c1930UT on 24 05 2014 as follows:

Position – 9° 33N -79° 52W

Speed – 10.1kn

Course – 018°

No wind and sea data were, of course, transmitted via AIS, but with a ground speed of 10.1 knots it is safe to assume that, at this time, the crew were enjoying lightish conditions. The passage plan is to pass east of Jamaica (c 550nM from Panama) and thence, via the passage between Haiti and Cuba into the Atlantic, past Great Inagua and Mayaguana Islands.

As Peter and the boys approached the canal, Tom Cunliffe asked some questions for them to consider about the canal experience. He sent a second set of queries to Nathan. Here are Peter’s initial responses, heroically posted while still in recovery mode after coming out of the Caribbean-side lock.

TC Do you have to book in advance?

Peter Yes. You can do this yourself but this means traipsing around a series of offices in the heat, then making a payment to a bank. We opted for canal agent Tina McBride. She did all the leg work and it was money really well spent.

TC Is the process of being measured difficult?

Peter Not at all. We anchored up at the side of the channel at a time given to us and a launch appeared with an official measurer. He came aboard and asked me for the registration documents. We then had a discussion confirming the length and the type of transit we could choose. These are: ‘nest’ (rafting up), ‘on our own’, ‘alongside a tug’, and ‘wall-side’. He then kindly advised us about covering up our solar panels to protect them against heavy lines being dropped by the line throwers.

TC Are the officials friendly and helpful or are they a stone-faced nightmare?

Peter All were really helpful, but not all spoke English. With them, some Spanish at our end would have been useful.

TC Does the canal cost an arm and a leg or do charges seem reasonable?

Peter Here are Tina’s figures:

Panama Canal tolls: $1,508.61

Agency fee: $650.00

Cruising permit: $193.00

Visas: $525.00

Consent to clear/clearance: $27.40

Overtime and incidentals: $60.00

Bank fees: $45.00

Total: $3,090.01

Tax: $210.63

Grand Total: $3,126.64

TC Are you obliged to take on a pilot or some sort of official helper?

Peter Because they viewed us as over 65 feet (or so close as to make no difference), we came under the full-blown pilot regulations. Ours was a ‘master unlimited’, Captain Jaime Chen. He was an extremely pleasant guy and for him the trip was a relaxing one. He said that normally he has to work hard bringing large ships through, but we were like a day out for him. He knew his job inside out and made our evolutions through the locks so much easier. He managed to get us alongside other vessels in the locks so we did not have to pay out for lines (you need 120ft lines if you are alongside) and even asked tug skippers to cut their wash for us. He was a mine of information and it was great having him on board with us. If I went again I would ask for him by name, but I doubt whether I’d be lucky. The canal has 240 registered pilots.

TC Do you have to travel in convoy?

Peter In the locks only, but we did have to wait around before dropping down the Caribbean side. The whole transit took us 11 hours, but if we’d been able to get into the outbound locks straight away that would have been cut to 8 hours or so.

TC I hear it often takes two days for small craft. Is this right and if so what happens overnight?

Peter Yes. If your boat speed is only about 5 knots, you’ll be obliged to anchor up for the night. There are two anchorage areas, one at each end.

TC Do you have to hire professional line handlers? If so, do they come with their own super-long lines? And what happens to them overnight, if that’s how it works out?

Peter If you don’t have four crew plus the skipper, you must hire line handlers. If you are central in a raft of three, you are ‘the main event’ with the others hanging on. This means you’ll be working the lines in the locks and you could well need all of these people. The canal operates on ‘worst-case scenario’ planning, so I can well understand these requirements. And make no mistake. You really do need 120-foot lines.

TC What’s the scenery like?

Peter Mainly tropical rain forest apart from both ends. For the most part, the route follows what was once a old railway line.

TC Describe the mighty locks, how big the rise is, etc.

Peter I’m unsure of the exact height, but it was incredible. A passenger liner went through before us and by the time he had reached the lower level in the lock ahead, we were looking over the top of him with ease.

TC Is it steaming hot?

Peter It was very hot and humid

TC Are you beset with Mozzies?

Peter Not many. Actually, our pilot claimed there were none at all, but I still managed to get bitten.

TC What happens at the other end?

Peter To put it bluntly, we were all knackered, so we anchored up for the night. We had a fair number of forms to fill in, but we now have a nice card with a unique number, so if we ever come this way again, we shan’t have to be measured next time.

TC How do you pay? Cash? Card? Etc.

Peter We did it all via Bank TX to our agent.

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