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Panama occupies a strategic spot in the
world because of the 'Big Ditch', started by France and finished by the US
during Teddy Roosevelt's presidency.
This string of islands and cays lie along the east coast of Panama and have
been controlled by the Kuna Indians despite
sovereignty by Spain, Colombia, and now Panama. The men fish and tend coconut
plantations and the women make and sell molas for hard cash. Molas
are reverse-appliqu� creations where multiple layers of cloth are cut to make
colorful pieces of art.
A delightful anchorage, with old Spanish forts on the surrounding hills -
this is a great stopping spot between the San Blas Islands and the Canal.
For a small sailing yacht, transiting the Panama  Canal
is the ultimate thrill! The process goes something like this:
- Have boat measured
- Pay ($125 in '94, $500 now)
- Get 4 people to handle lines
- Get up early day of transit
- Wait for pilot
- Motor to vicinity of first lock
- Wait
- Enter lock inches (it seems) behind huge freighter
- Pass lines to guys 30' up on canal walls who tie you to cleats
- Take up slack as boat twists and bucks when lock fills
- Repeat 2 times - look back down on the Caribbean 80' below
- Motor like hell for 60 miles across Gatun Lake
- Anchor for night
- Up early/wait for pilot
- Motor to 1st 'down' lock
- Repeat all of yesterday's drills
- Motor proudly under Bridge of The Americas
Our transit went very smoothly, thanks to a well-trained apprentice pilot and
Nat Gladding, a senior Panama Canal pilot, owner of a Shannon 38' who provided
valuable advice and put us in with a not-so-huge freighter.
The towns around the Canal are memorable - Col�n is a dangerous place that
looks like a perpetual war-zone; go shopping in groups and take taxis wherever
you go. Balboa (Panama City) is safer, upscale with lots of high tech
gear. The Duty-Free Zone near Col�n is a good source for electronics and
liquor.
After the transit of the canal we were off to the Galapagos |
