Wanderlust 3 Sailing Adventure: Colon (Port Cristobal) Panama

PCYC Panama Canal Yacht Club:

Preparation for the Canal Transit

People say that it is usually better the second time around. That may be true with a lot of things in life, we'll see if that holds true about crossing a continent.

After the Antigua Sail Week back in early May 2004, I arrived here by way of a week in Aruba then a week in Cartegna with a beautiful, young red-head from Namibia, Carla Hildebrand. It can't get much better than that!

Carla is an experienced sailor and she was a big help for me on crossing the Caribbean, me being a complete novice at the time. Carla was to fly out of Panama City to meet up with her mother in Ecuador for a charter to the Galapagos.

This, my second trip to the canal zone, was a little different. I sailed alone from Jamaica, stopping at one of the San Blas islands on the way in. Otherwise, little has changed. The entrance is straight forward and well lit. I had to wait just outside the harbor breakwater for over an hour to let, first 2 large container ships pass me into the harbor and then 3 more coming out. And this was at 3 am.

The place is non-stop, 24/7 ship traffic. It is well organized and 2 dozen or more little but powerful 'pilot boats' are continually zipping around guiding ships in or out or picking or dropping off pilots or advisors off of the ships. Every boat through here must have either a Panamanian 'Pilot' at $2400 a day or an 'advisor' at $240 a day on board once in the canal zone.

The anchorage, called the "F -Flats", is just off the eastern edge of the marked channel into the first locks. There are the off-loading docks lined with huge cranes and the Port Captain's building framing a large triangle of marked water where any boat or small ship can temporarily anchor until getting clearance.

It is just off this anchorage, up a little river, where the 'Yacht Club' is situated . It is in the middle of the off-loading cranes and container storage and just around the corner from the main bus station. The anchorage is rolly with all the pilot boats moving at their full speed from ship to ship, and it smells of a large commercial port.

However, the small club area is very inviting to the cruising sailor. It is clean and well maintained compared to it's surroundings, and the people are nice and you feel welcome. There are some cruisers who spend months here waiting until the hurricane season passes and they can return to somewhere in the Caribbean. Or others have been here years and make it their permanent 'Club'. Most are just waiting to have their sailboat measured and then get a 'slot' for a canal transit. That is my case, as well as 2 dozen other sailors.

Three years ago, I was lucky and found a very nice and knowledgeable taxi driver, Joseph' who, for $10 an hour, would take me to all the various agencies and offices needed to get the paperwork completed for the ACP (Panama Canal Authority). Joseph had moved to the Pacific side with his family but there was a good replacement, Tito from the Yacht Club. Tito was a line handler and had made over 350 crossings. He now represents the small sailboat owners who want to try to do all the paperwork themselves and save the $450 cost of an agent.

Tito charges $50 for the complete paperwork procedure. The only difference between Tito and an agent is that the agent does all the paperwork and agency running around for you, with Tito, you have to do all the running around and signing yourself. Tito is only a 'guide'.

Tito took 3 sailboat owners around in his car to the different agencies, 5 in all, with each of us carrying 16 photocopies of our documents in hand. After 4 hours, we had all the stamps, passes and permits needed to stay and cruise in Panama for 3 months. $50 each for Tito and about $80 more for the permits.

Still to come was the admeasurer, who comes aboard and measures and inspects the boat, and, if he approves, you get an assigned 'slot' for the crossing.

Juan was very cordial, but exact. He measured with his own tape measure, the deck from nose to tail, 49' 9" not including the bow roller nor the dingy davits. He may have let me off on that one. If he measured just 4 inches more, the cost goes up from $600 to $850. He did not say a thing, but I heard from 2 other boat owners that they were measured tip to tail including all stainless overhangs. He checked my cleats, fenders, anchors and chain and even had me blow my portable air horn. I rented four 150' lines and 10 covered car tires as fenders from Tito for $80 and, if I don't find one or two people to cross with me, I will also have to rent 4 'line-handlers', one for each corner of my boat at $50 a piece. The 'Pilot', who is really just an 'advisor' or 'pilot-in-training' comes included in the $600 transit fee.

Tomorrow I will be notified of my scheduled transit date. I am hopeful that the delay won't be too long. I want to get moving out across the Pacific Ocean.