July 12, 2025
Before departing Shelter Bay marina I got an e-mail from Webb Chiles with a brief commentary about his experience crossing the channel in RESURGAM. “[…]. But overall I don’t like the canal because while in it your boat and your life are not your own.” True.
We made it across with almost no scratches but a couple of times — in the Miraflores locks — we were close to disaster because of the canal’s line handlers were not up to the task.
We started the crossing on Thursday afternoon, one day later than planned because BEHEMOTH wasn’t ready. The four line handlers came on board at 15:45, by 16:00 we were in the flat”, and the pilot/adviser boarded at 17:00. A nice guy, very competent, he showed me the boat we would be sharing the first set of locks with — a 300+ feet commercial vessel — and asked me to follow it while keeping the red buoys at a short distance on starboard. By 18:00 we were entering the first of the three locks in Gatún close to the wall on the starboard side for the line-handlers to receive the messenger lines that they made fast to the mooring lines, then crossed to the opposite wall to get the port messenger lines. The advisor told me whether to slow down the boat or move forward, and whether to adjust the helm to port or starboard. He guided us to the center of the chamber behind the commercial vessel, and the mooring lines were secured to the walls by canal’s line handlers. The lock started filling with considerable turbulence and we were lifted some 9 meters before the mooring lines were released — attached to the messenger lines — and we moved to the next lock. Not having to catch the messenger lines made the procedures easier in the next two locks. Still, one depends on the skills of the line handlers, including those working for the canal, to stop the boat and keeping her secure.
We exited the third lock at around 19:30 and motored through the canal marked with red and green flashing lights up to Isla Trinidad where we picked a mooring for the night. Natalia had prepared a delicious spanish rice for dinner that was eaten while under way. Once moored I took a quick shower and poured myself a well deserve G&T. We all went to bed at around 22:00. I told the line handlers they could sleep inside in the main cabin if they wanted to. They did and were still sleeping there when I got up at 06:00 the next morning.
I prepared coffee and Natalia made breakfast: eggs, chorizo, bacon, toasts, and orange juice (pure). I run the red monster to turn on the fridge and freezer while waiting for the new pilot/adviser. I also checked the blue monster’s oil and coolant levels. The advisor arrived at around 08:00. She was a nice and competent woman with several transits under her belt. Before getting under way I proceeded to turn off the red monster but it wouldn’t. The solenoid was not functioning properly so I had to activate it by hand. Then I turned on the blue monster, the crew casted the lines, and we went back to the canal.
It took us some 4.5 hours to reach the San Miguel lock. Before Gamboa the surroundings of the canal are beautiful, a green forest cut by affluents of the main river some going back to the Atlantic. There are a couple of resorts where locals and tourists stay. They rent small speed boats to explore the surrounding and discover the flora and fauna. There was not much traffic that day, just a few commercial boats transiting in both directions. The line handlers were sleeping on the deck, Natalia and Marina reading, the advisor taking pictures, and BEHEMOTH on auto-pilot when I saw we were about to hit a red buoy. I rushed to the wheel, set the autopilot to stand-by, and made a sharp turn to port while shouting “cuidado!” We barely missed the buoy. Just a few days before, the agent I hired told me to be careful because people get complacent (there is an advisor after all), nobody is really on watch, and then the boats hit a buoy or run aground.
The lock at San Miguel wasn’t ready when we got there and had to dock by the wall just before the entrance. The procedure wasn’t flawless and poor BEHEMOTH got a couple of scratches. How it happened with all the big red fenders the line handlers brought on board is beyond my understanding. But this at least wasn’t dangerous.
The real danger we faced at the next set of locks in Miraflores. After existing the San Miguel lock I put the blue monster in neutral and let a 2+ Kts current push as slowly while the next locks got ready, so that we didn’t have to dock again. The doors opened and we went ahead. Contrary to the Gatun locks, in San Miguel and Miraflores we entered the lock ahead of our companion commercial vessel and with some current behind. After catching the messenger lines the challenge was to stop the boat at the center of the chamber just before hitting the exit doors. The engine alone can’t do that without turning the boat sideways; the mooring lines at the stern are critical and have to be secured to the walls swiftly by the canal’s line handlers. They almost missed in the first lock at Miraflores but we got through.
The second lock is the worst of all because the current coming from behind is stronger. When entering we had already the messager lines, the canal line handlers were walking along the walls with BEHEMOTH doing some 2-2.5 Kts in neutral. At some point the line-handlers had to go down the stairs connecting the first to the second lock and one of them, who was carrying the starboard stern messager line, had obvious difficulties; he was going down as if soared after an extraneous workout or run. He couldn’t keep up with BEHEMOTH and eventually dropped the line, one of our breaks! The exit doors were approaching fast, Natalia who was at the bow taking pictures came alarmed to tell me I had to stop the boat, which obviously I couldn’t. One of the line handlers on board, the most experienced, who has handling the starboard bow mooring line had the brillant idea to switch it for the stern line that could no longer be pull to the wall. Doing the change took a few stressful seconds but once done we had breaks again. Then he threw the messenger line of the now bow starboard mooring line back to the line handlers on the wall who pulled on it frenetically and secured BEHEMOTH. It was a vey close call and I remembered Webb’s words. If it wasn’t for Alex, the line handler who switched the lines, I wouldn’t be writing this now.
The next danger was exiting the lock because the salt water from the Pacific enters creating a strong under current as the fresh water from the lake ebbs. The boat has to have enough power to move forward and maintain steerage. But the blue monster did a great job and soon we were motoring at 7+ Kts on the Pacific side of the canal. The advisor disembarked next to Balboa yacht club and we continued towards marina La Playita. By 17:30 we were in our slip, the line handlers disembarked, and I thanked them profuselly. Ian, Marina’s boy friend, was waiting for us.
Today Ian and I prepared BEHEMOTH for sailing and Natalia and Marina did some grocery shopping and laundry. Will have dinner at the old city tonight and tomorrow early in the morning cast the lines and sail to Isla Contadora, our first stop.
PS: A few hours ago Natalia remembered that yesterday was our anniversary; 11 years. What a better way to celebrate than crossing the Panama Canal. Will continue the celebration tonight.
Sailing to the Pacific 