Category Archives: Panama Canal Transit

Transiting the Panama Canal from Atlantic to Pacific

The History of the Panama Canal

A brief history on the Panama Canal.  In the 1500’s, King Charles V of Spain studied the feasibility of a canal through the isthmus of Panama.  However, they were unable to create anything substantial with picks and shovels.  So, they settled with a cobblestone trail over which tons of gold was transported.  This trail can still be seen today.  Image author.

Panama Canal trail and map.

Construction begun on the Panama Railway in 1850 which then opened 5 years later.  However, that was only after many hardships, including 10,000 casualties.  Once opened, the canal was a huge success with over 400,000 people crossing the Isthmus in the first 11 years.

Panama Canal Railway. Photo courtesy of Panama Advisory International Group

Panama Canal Railway. Photo courtesy of Panama Advisory International Group

In 1879, Count Ferdinand de Lesseps created the Compagnie Universelle du Canal Interoceanique Panama.  Columbia granted the exclusive privilege to construct the waterway across the Isthmus of Panama.  This was to be a 99 year agreement.

The Compagnie was obligated to pay $750,000 francs to Columbia within 3 years.  Columbia was also to receive the following payments:

  • 5% of the gross revenues the first 25 years
  • 6% for the next 25 years
  • 7% for the 25 years
  • 8% for the final years.

And they added another clause, that no payment was to be less than $250,000 which was what the Panama Railway was earning.

In exchange for all of the above payments, Columbia would concede 1,235,000 acres of land, plus 200 meters of land on either side.  At the end of the 99 years, Columbia would own all of the equipment, land, and the canal.

Unfortunately, the incredible skill of the french engineers could not overcompensate for the many struggles.  This project incurred rough terrain, disease, and hardships.  Sadly, the company was in financial ruin by 1889.  This was after they spent over $285 million and lost over 20,000 lives.

In 1894, a second french company, the Compagnie Nouvelle du Canal de Panama emerged to continue the work.  However, they were unable to obtain funding and were forced to sell the equipment and rights to the United States.

Columbia wanted to raise the fees which President Roosevelt felt were already too high.  The two countries hit the negotiation tables. Panama wanted to ceseed from Columbia and President Roosevelt supported the change.  In exchange, the U.S. receive the rights to build the canal.

It took a decade, more than 75,009 workers, and almost $400 million to complete this project.  They faced unprecedented struggles with the unique geology that caused landslides.  In addition, an enormous amount of excavation was required for the massive size of the locks.  Interesting site on “What it Costs, photo courtesy of this site.”

Canal Construction

Canal Construction

The project was completed under budget and ahead of schedule, opening on August 15, 1914.  About $100 million was been spent annually to ensure it remains fully operational.  From 1979-1999 the canal operated in accordance to the treaty between the Republic of Panama and the U.S.  The transfer to the Republic of Panama occurred December 1999.  The Panama Canal Commission now manages everything, which is composed of 5 U.S. citizens and 4 Panamanians.

In 2007, construction began on two new sets of locks that added a new lane of traffic for large ships called Panamax.  At cost of over $5 billion the new lane opened in June 2016 to the traffic of these giant ships.

Compare old and new locks. Photo courtesy of Cruisemapper.com.

Compare old and new locks. Photo courtesy of Cruisemapper.com.

Photo courtesy of Cruisemapper.com.

Stay tuned for more Panama Canal blogs:

  • How the Panama Canal works
  • Transiting the Panama Canal

We are not historians, as a result, we gathered the information for this blog from several resources including:

  • the Bauhaus guide,
  • wikipedia,
  • and the internet

If you want the United States version of this project visit the History of the Panama Canal.

Rey's mascot posed for a photo with me.

Panama Canal Transit Preparations

Sugar Shack arrives to Shelter Bay Marina again after being gone for 3 weeks.  We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Bocas del Toro and the Rio Chagres, but we need to make ready for our transit.  We have a huge laundry list of things to do before we receive our friends and transit the canal.

We were assigned the same slip at the T-head of C-dock which provides a great breeze through the boat.  We secured the boat and connected up to water and shore power.   I hopped off to pay the marina and collect one of our deliveries.  Marine Warehouse delivered our Engel Cooler and spare alternator a few days ago and we needed to retrieve it.  I baked a batch of chocolate/peanut butter cookies and started an “art project.”  The sail-loft allows you to put your boat name on their building so I spray painted a red box.  Later I will paint “Sugar Shack” in white paint inside the red box.  While I was busy, Matt washed the boat with fresh water and filled the water tanks, emptied the trash, and showed Wayne around the marina.

Across from our boat, the marina “pet” was hanging out.  Yep, that is a 6′ crock and he is real!

Crocodile pet that hangs out at Shelter Bay Marina

Crocodile pet that hangs out at Shelter Bay Marina

We managed to get a few boat projects done, baked brownies, made pizza dough, made arrangements to get our propane tank filled and scheduled a taxi to take us provisioning.  It was a gorgeous day at the marina with light winds, blue skies, and a tempered sun.

Promptly at 1700, we showered and headed toward happy hour to see some of our friends and get some chow.

The next day, Victor our taxi driver picked us up and took us to Super 99, Rey’s, and the outdoor fresh market.  We did some damage at Super 99 picking up the majority of our food and drinks for our guests, then hit the fresh market for a 20 lb pork shoulder and fresh fruits and veggies.

Rey's mascot posed for a photo with me.

Rey’s mascot posed for a photo with me.

20 lb pork shoulder from fresh markets.

20 lb pork shoulder from fresh markets.

It took us awhile to put everything away.  Matt had the butcher chop the 20 lb pork shoulder into 3 sections so it was more manageable.  It still took him about 45 minutes to clean, cut, and vacu-seal everything up.  I am so looking forward to some yummy pulled pork!

We finished up last minute cleaning, scrubbing, and stowing just in time for our friends arrival.  Stacy and Gene arrived first.  They are staying on “Uno Mas” and will be line handlers during their transit of the panama canal.  We are hoping to nest with them during the transit.

Stacy arrives to Shelter Bay.

Stacy arrives to Shelter Bay.

Heather and Michael arrived late in the afternoon and I nearly fell off the dock running to hug them.  It is so awesome sharing our home with our landlubber friends.

The next day, we all went on a little hike near the marina with our friends from “Uno Mas.”  Mark led us around as he and Angie had found the trail.

Shelter Bay Marina used to be an old military base so there are a lot of dilapidated buildings around to explore.

IMAGE: Top shows us exploring two old buildings and artists showcasing amazing graffiti; bottom is an old gun turret and track where they transported ammunition.

Hike around SBM

Hike around SBM

Me walking to the SBM trail.

Me walking to the SBM trail.

IMAGE: Heather is so strong, she helped move a fallen tree. And lower right photo shows Michael swinging through the jungle thus earning his “Tarzan” nickname for the trip.

Hike around SBM.

Hike around SBM.

We received an email from our agent, Erick that we were scheduled for a 0500 transit time.  It was rather surprising as the majority of the transits from the Atlantic to the Pacific are 1600, not 0500.  Not a big deal really, but it means we would be doing the entire transit in one day as opposed to two days with a night in Lake Gatun.  We planned on celebrating being in the lake and going for a dip, but we will have to make other plans.

Matt readied the boat by removing our front life lines, removing our jib sheets, and placing our bean bags over our forward hatches (to protect them from the flying monkey fists).

Heather and Michael helped me finish my art project.  And if I must say, it looks spectacular!

Sugar Shack branded the sail loft wall.

Sugar Shack branded the sail loft wall.

After we returned to the boat we discovered that several things were delivered:

  • Fenders and lines for the transit
  • Generator that we expected a week ago
  • Propane bottle filled and ready to go

With all the deliveries made and most of the prep work done, we headed to the pool for some R&R.

Stacy and Gene headed back to “Uno Mas” while Heather, Michael, Wayne, Matt and I had a nice dinner on shore.  To bed early as we have a 0400 wake up call.

Successful inspection and ad measure.

Panama Canal Inspection and Ad Measure

Transiting the Panama Canal is a once in a lifetime experience.  But it is also expensive, requires a Panama Canal Inspection with a lot of paperwork, and can be dangerous for your boat.  We spoke to many cruisers, did a lot of research, and changed our minds several times before we decided to transit the canal and leave the Atlantic ocean.  It is a big decision as very few boats come back to the Atlantic (there is no easy way to return).

Once you decide to transit the canal, you have to decide whether or not to hire an agent.  After interviewing 5 agents, we decided to go with Erick Galvez.  An agent can guarantee your bond so you do not have to put an $800 deposit down, will assist with all of the paperwork, schedule the inspection and ad measure, provide fenders and lines (required for transit), and be your advocate.  Various agents charge different amounts, but Erick charges $350 and for us it is well worth it.  He has been exceedingly responsive, professional, and helpful in all of his communications.  See below for transit costs.

The first thing you need to do is submit a pertinent information on your boat to get a “Ship ID.”  This includes boat specifications, speed under motor, and the last 10 ports you have visited.  We submitted that information to Erick and a few days later he provided us with our Ship ID number  – we are official.

After you receive your Ship ID you need to be inspected and measured (which is called “Ad measure”).  In order to get your Panama Canal inspection you need to be in Shelter Bay Marina or the flats so the Panama Canal agent can board the boat.  The flats are used as a staging area for boats preparing to transit the canal and the holding is not very good.  So, we decided to go to Shelter Bay Marina.

Within an hour of arrival, Erick stopped by our boat to introduce himself.  He went over a few basics for the inspection and instructed us on what to request for positioning during the transit.

The inspector arrived the next day and went through various documents.  He asked us where we wanted to be located in the transit – we asked for “center chamber”.  You don’t want to be near the sidewall as you could damage your mast.  He asked if we wanted to tied to a tug and we held firm on the negative as the rub rail from the tug could damage our life lines and stanchions.  He asked if we wanted to be nested and we said “sure.”  Typically, they will put a catamaran in the middle and tie a monohull on either side.  Great for us as we are protected in the center and are the power for controlling movement of all nested vessels.

He asked some interesting questions:

  • How much fuel will we have during the transit? (full tanks)
  • How fast can you go under motor? (6-7 knots is our comfort speed)
  • What RPM are you at to make that speed? (2k-2400)
  • How much fuel would you consume in 24 hours at that RPM? (192 liters or 50 gal)
Reviewing paper work with Panama Canal Inspector

Reviewing paper work with Panama Canal Inspector

The inspector reviews the process for transiting the Panama Canal.  The day before the transit date, our agent will drop off our rented fenders and lines and the Canal authority will schedule our transit time.  Typically, transits from Atlantic to the Pacific start at 1600 (and 0400 from Pacific to Atlantic).

An adviser boards every boat to assist with the transit and it is our responsibility to provide him with hot meals, water, and a working head (toilet).  So, the inspector checked our bathrooms to ensure they were suitable.  He also wanted to hear our handheld horn to ensure we had a way to communicate a warning.

Then it was time to measure the boat.  He takes out a giant tape measure and while Matt holds one end at the bow he walks to the stern and says “49.7 feet do you agree?”  What!  No way, we are a 47 catamaran with no bow sprit, and nothing sticking off the sterns (the davits and dinghy do not pass the sugar scoops).  He measured the slope down the stairs.  The reason I am flipping out is because the transit cost jumps $500+ if you hit 50′ in length.  But, he corrected it once on the dock and came back with 46.9′ which made me beam from ear to ear!

Ad measure for Panama Canal Transit

Ad measure for Panama Canal Transit

Our inspector does some more calculations to complete the paperwork:

Inspector calculations

Inspector calculations

And we are handed our official SHIP ID, Panama Canal Transit pamphlet and lockage request.

Official Panama Canal Inspection Complete

Official Panama Canal Inspection Complete

Panama Canal inspection complete.  Job well done!  We successfully completed the inspection, ad measure and paperwork and have a transit date of 6 March 2018.  We specifically scheduled it a month out so we could have our friends fly in from the United States to transit the Panama Canal with us.

Successful inspection and ad measure.

Successful inspection and ad measure.

Added notes:

  • Typical scheduling time from inspection to transit is 4-6 days, but with this busy season it is 2-3 weeks.
  • We over compensated and asked for a date 4 weeks out to ensure our guests had plenty of time to travel to Panama.

Busiest time of the year to transit:

  • We came into SBM just as the ARC (Atlantic Rally Crossing) of 38 boats completed their transit.
  • Carnival is scheduled to start in a few days and Panama will shut down for the 4 day celebration

Panama Canal Expenses:  $1,504.00

  • $800.00  Transit fee for boats 49′ and under (50′-80′ cost is $1300)
  • $350.00  Agent fee
  • $  54.00  Transit  inspection
  • $130.00  Transit security fee
  • $  75.00  Fender and line rental (real fenders and not tires covered with trash bags)
  • $  60.00  Bank fees
  • $  35.00  Check out fee
  • The above does not include the marina fees for 8-9 days (approx. $1k), fuel, extra food/beverages to feed line handlers, stay at Balboa Yacht Club on the other side ($500)