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The Panama Canal transit
An apparently impenetrable web of bureaucracy and a good deal of hype
about the physical dangers currently make the transit of the Panama
Canal from Atlantic to Pacific a daunting operation.
We on Marie Tomasia, a New Zealand registered steel ketch, initially
cleared into Panama at El Povenir in the San Blas Islands, that
fascinating somewhat separate area of Panama of the Kuna Indians,
renowned for the beautiful reverse appliqué molas which adorn the
women’s garments and today are made to sell but no less beautiful for
that.
Clearing in here is straightforward and pleasant, but come armed with US
dollars. A cruising permit, valid for three months, costs $US 97.50,
there is a $5 charge per entry stamp in the passport, and we paid $8 to
the Kuna administration.
Moving on to Colon at the entrance to the canal, the anchorage called
“The Flats” is unprepossessing and a long dinghy ride to the yacht club
where some alongside berths are also available to those prepared to pay
during what might be a lengthy wait for transit. There is also cheap
($US100 plus daily rate) slipway but it has draught limitations,
somewhat under 6 feet we understand.
In any event immigration at the yacht club required us to visit
immigration in the city for full visas for all four crew. We are not
sure if this is always the case but we were fortunate to be befriended
by Rudy Whittaker, one of the taxi drivers who works from the yacht club
and knew the ropes, who smoothed the way as we provided numerous
photocopies, photographs and finger prints to obtain Panamanian visas.
The cost is $11 each. Taxis from the yacht club are very cheap and as
the city of Colon has an evil reputation for muggings and is not
considered safe for strangers to walk around in, we were thankful for
Rudy’s obliging with trips to the ATM for money and then the canal
company’s office to apply for measurement. The yacht club has a cheap
restaurant & bar plus showers, laundry and internet.
When he came a day later the measurer was friendly, and ran his tape
from bowsprit end to dinghy on davits astern, the extreme overall
measurement, and in our case this was just over 65 feet, entitling us to
a full pilot, rather than an “advisor”, usually a tug master or pilot in
training (and consequently more used to small vessels). The advantage to
us of a pilot was that in early April, 2005, there was a shortage of
available advisors and consequently a wait of up to three weeks for
smaller yachts to transit.
Piloted vessels could expect to go through in a few days and we had some
time constraints. After measurement the measurer came to the yacht club
bar and we completed the considerable paper work (including signing away
just about every right possible as yachts simply do not comply with
canal regulations). Vessels are required to do eight knots (impossible
for most smaller yachts) but in practice as far as we can tell (we
delayed no-one but haven’t got our buffer back yet) the scheduling
usually allows for a slower speed and the $440 fee for delay may not get
charged. Yachts must be able to do a minimum of 5 knots.
The system then requires a cash deposit or Visa card transaction for the
canal fees plus what is termed a buffer in case a yacht creates problems
or delays in the canals operation. Currently the fees for under 50 feet
are $US600 with a buffer of $US850. Over 50 feet pay $US850 for transit
and the same buffer, with over 65 feet paying an extra $US150 for an AIS
- a ship identification system, although on none of the yachts we know
who paid for it was it used.
Once the bank had informed the Canal Company of satisfactory payment we
were instructed to ring the Marine Traffic Scheduler, 272-4202, after 6
pm, for a transit time. Initially we were given a time a few days away,
but by ringing at a lucky moment (another piloted yacht couldn’t use
their slot) we only had a two day wait.
Vessels waiting to transit keep a listening watch on VHF channel 12 for
amended pilot times and ours went from 1530 to 1900. We had contracted
Rudy to come as a line handler and he was tremendously good value, being
able to converse and cajole in Spanish, and I am sure he smoothed the
way.
Yachts are required to supply four line handlers and a helmsman, plus
four
125 foot lines of at least seven eights inch diameter and closed type
fairleads (called Panamas on big ships) are much preferable as strains
are usually upward. Smaller yachts specially have a problem of
inadequate belaying places for large ropes, especially on the foredeck.
Currently, although some yachts transit in a day (and most from the
Pacific
side) it is usual to send yachts up the three locks to Gatun Lake in the
evening, tie to a buoy there overnight (be warned if anchoring, it’s
over 20 meters deep) and proceed in good time the next day.
We were fortunate to travel up alongside a canal tug, with their great
power winches and experience crew doing all the line handling. It is
important to let go and then make fast again traveling between locks.
The turbulence from water entering the lock is manageable enough (I have
previously gone through centre chamber) and the thing to watch is the
prop wash from a big ship ahead when it starts moving to the next lock.
Most damage is caused by the unsuitability of the average yacht to lie
alongside a commercial vessel (plastic covered tyres are readily
available for $3 each from people around the yacht club at Colon and
freely available at Balboa where they charge $1 each to get rid of them)
and it can be worth rigging them in tandem to increase the width so that
the hull, not the stanchions, touch first. There is also a problem with
yachtsmen unused to operating closely round commercial shipping and
possibly being unfamiliar with maneuvering in tight spaces. Luckily
there is usually not too much wind in the locks, but on the Pacific side
going down there is considerable current through the locks to the sea
making pulling up more difficult and strange eddies burst in when the
last gates open to the tidal Pacific.
The pilot is taken off by launch at the Balboa yacht club where moorings
and a free ferry service (no dinghies allowed on the dock and a very
strong
current) is available from the friendly club for 35 cents per foot per
day.
There are cold showers and an open air bar-bistro serving basic food
(closed Mondays). There is also an anchorage just inside Flamenco Island
which we found quite satisfactory if you didn’t want to go ashore.
Landing is possible on a rough beach with a lot of surge but the only
jetty asks $5.25 to tie the dinghy up.
Both Colon and Balboa have Rey and other supermarkets which we found
excellent and both yacht clubs have diesel and water. Panama city is
huge and we found it much easier to store in Colon.
Clearance at Balboa is a little more
complex than Colon (where it is possible to clear from Panama if not
stopping this side). The important thing is to get a Port Authority
inspection and with this document it is comparatively simple to follow
through the sequence of offices in Building No. 78 in Balboa to get a
Zarpe (clearance), cost US$4 in stamps and US$4.50 for the paper
(possibly a photocopy as well) and then immigration is back at the yacht
club. A Quarantine officer may also give the boat a cursory inspection
(just wanted to see our sanitation and fridge!) and charge US$15.00 for
the pleasure.
Incidentally, the recently appointed yacht club manager, David Cooper,
is extremely helpful and wishes to encourage yachts to stop at Balboa.
The canal transit, in spite of tribulations, is a great experience.
Marie Tomasia
Panama
April 2005
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