Amy and Chris backpack South America: Crossing two oceans in one day

Panama City

We completed our circuit of Panama and returned to the Capital. Panama City is a city of contrast, the old and the new, the "haves" and the "have not's". There is nowhere we have been in our nine month adventure where we have seen such a divide in wealth. With the construction of the new canal and a growing tourism industry it feels as if the whole country is "under construction".

Downtown

Old town

Fish boats idle outside the local fish market

The days catch awaits the fry pan

Typical crafts hand stitched by the local Kuna women

The walls are all that is left of this church

From the back window of our hostel you can see the locals going on with their daily business

Crumbling houses, apartments and infrastructure.

Panama Canal

Our return to the capital was strictly for business. When Amy and I first arrived in Panama from Colombia we left our contact information at the docks for any yachties needing assistance in crossing the canal. Unsure if we would get the chance to see the canal by boat we visited the museum. After some time traveling through the country we were contacted by a couple needing two "line handlers". Jean and Alan from New Zealand and their 50' yacht "Tuatara" were finishing a circumnavigation, so we jumped at the opportunity to assist them back to the Pacific Ocean. Having crossed the Canal in 2007 I knew the drill and with Amy's yachting experience we were a great duo.

View of the Miraflores locks from the museum balcony

View of the museum balcony by boat

Jean and Alan and the Tuatara crew

Tuatara moored in Gatun lake.

The Panama canal is run like clock work. Time is big money and getting you from one side to the other as quickly and efficiently as possible is in the best interest of all parties. Leaving the marina with our Panamanian canal pilot on board we made our approach to the first set of locks. Alan at the helm navigated Tuatara between two slightly smaller yachts and us crew rafted the three boats together. Now tied together as one, the three captains directed the boats into the first lock.

Approaching the first lock the Panamanian line throwers chucked their lines to the outside boats.

Making sure everything is held fast

100 year old lock doors

The three boat raft, Tuatara with two fiberglass shields protecting her hull from the unforgiving concrete walls of the lock. Team France in turquoise and team South Korea with the dark hull.

Going up the 60m through three separate locks into the second largest man made lake.

Team New Zealand

Captain observing the upward progress

Entering the lock in 2007 aboard "Southern Dawn II"

2013 Deja-Vu

Amy keeping an eye on those bow lines while we nestle up behind a freightor

Arriving on Gatun Lake for dusk Jean made a great home cooked meal for all of us and we moored for the night.

Fire tug practicing on the lake

Up early the next morning with a new Pilot aboard our three yacht convoy began the 70 km lake crossing. Weaving our way through the jungle lined lake we threaded the needle between freighters and the shoreline.

Ahhhhhhh! TOO close!

Tuatara making her way through Gatun lake.

A picture taken of the construction on the new canal.

New canal construction from the Lake side.

Gigantic drill used for dredging the lake.

Another dredging barge.

Where jungle meets lake

Going under the bridge that connects North and South America

We are all rafted together once again just waiting for our much larger lock partner.

That's close enough!

Before

Going down...

After

Being the middle boat not only do we have the added benefit of having shields on either side of us should anything go wrong but the crew can relax and take photos while the locks are filling or emptying.