Sailing Brahminy: THE PANAMA CANAL!!!

What an experience! One of the greatest man made engineering feats of our time and we transited on the 100th anniversary! The canal was completed in 1914 by the Americans. The French started construction in the late 1800's by the same engineer who made his fame by engineering the Suez Canal. But the Suez was sand and desert where Panama was jungle, rock and mountains, proving almost impossible and as the French investors lost too much capital and many thousands perished, they finally withdrew from Panama.

Then in the early 1900's the Americans, pushed by a desire to have naval superiority in on each side of their continent took off where the French left off. it took many, many years and reportedly over 20,000 people perished, mainly from Malaria and yellow fever. In fact this was the site where they discovered that Malaria was actually carried by the little 'Mozzie'. Finally by draining all the swampy water and installing fly screens on every hut, the disease was reduced by a significant percentage.

The most amazing thing about the canal is that the ONLY thing that has changed in 100 years is that they have put hydraulic rams on the lock gates instead of electric motors.

Sara expertly researched and planned all the administration side of our transit and we were able to organise everything without an agent which was a rare feat when talking to most of the other boats who paid large amounts of cash for an agent. We had to visit the dodgy end of town to deposit the cash into the Port Citibank which was an experience but it was all fun and Sara knew exactly what we needed to do. For other people out there, you dont need an agent as we proved, but you need to work a little harder to organise everything but a friendly smile goes a long way!

Thanks to our amazing line handlers Darshey, Robyn and Alyra who volunteered to come on Brahminy for the experience. You were all amazing!

Sara's now famous Shelter Bay Marina notice! We were literally swamped with line handlers a few minutes after this went up.

The old forts and barracks left by the Americans when they were ousted out of Panama in 1989. Shelter Bay Marina was the Navy Base.

Our early morning walks around the jungles were amazing, Howler monkeys, birds of all sorts, and giant Guinea pig cuties which we still haven't found out the name...

The new Canal Gates! The new canal is being built next to the existing ones and will take the super panamax cargo and container ships.

We got to the Gatun Locks at night. We were rafted up with a mono hull on either side and Dan steered all three from lock to lock with no damage to any of the boats. It was pretty hair raising to be responsible for the boat on either side to make sure neither of them scraped the savage concrete walls little over 1 meter on either side. Well done little Brahminy!

Goodbye Atlantic, hello Pacific!

The water gravity filling from Gatun lake, mega eddies going on! Sara keeping watch

Our first 'Advisor' Robyn was a legend.

After a night on Gatun Lake, Sara and Alyra cooked up a storm for brekky!

25 NM through Gatun lake to the Miraflores Locks. Sara expertly skippered brahminy most of the way!

Widening the banks for ever larger ships. Each white post is a hole with dynamite ready to blow.

General Noriega is apparently imprisoned here in the 'cut' approaching the Mira Flores locks

The gear cable snapped at the worst possible time and chief engineer Robyn jumped into the engine bay to the rescue. We had to manually put the port motor into gear.