Sunday, January 10, 1999 – Underway to Roatan, (Bay Islands), Honduras

G’day!

What a day! This has been another one of those numerous memorable experiences this millenium voyage beholds. It all began last night when we invited the crew of the Natanya II over for a quiet one. We met them fleetingly in Puntarenas (Costa Rica) on a rainy day and vowed we would share a drink in the near future somewhere in Central America. When we left Balboa this morning at 07:00 three of the five crew joined us for their first crossing of the Canal. In addition, we welcomed a French lady aboard who also wanted to experience a crossing.

TUG in Miraflores lock behind the ALYONA

What a trip it was. First we passed under the bridge that connects the Pan American Highway and then into the Panama Canal and the two Miraflores Locks. The purpose of the locks is to allow vessels to slowly rise up, in steps, towards the highest point of the canal which is ~25m (85’) above sea level and known as Lake Gatun. This lake feeds all the locks with millions of tons of freshwater daily so that all vessels may reach the Pacific or Atlantic. If there were ever be a drought, the canal could not function, and all traffic would have to go around the Cape Horn. Anyhow, STARSHIP shared the locks with one other huge cargo ships. Initially we were going to ride in the centre of the canal, but it turned out that we had to pull up along side the rear tug boat and tie on to her starboard (right) side. This made everything very easy as we only ever needed to worry about two lines, rather than four.

Once the locks were shut on either end, water poured in and we rose up about 8m (~24’). Then the front "doors" of the lock opened allowing us to move on and into the next lock to repeat the process.

Prop wash as we were leaving the first chamber

From there it was into the Miraflores lake and on through the next lock, Pedro Miguel, which brought us up another 10m (~30). A 31-mile run through some beautiful jungle country side, snake through the Gaillard cut (nine mile cut through rock and shale) and into the Lake Gatun. Then it was literally all downhill. The whole experience was breathtaking. Late in the afternoon we pulled into the final Gatun locks. The three chambers brought us down the 85' we had risen over the whole day and finally into the Atlantic.

The view from the top of the first lock down to a vessel just about to enter the Atlantic below us, was stunning.

"Last gate to the Caribbean"

The Panama Canal really is an amazing engineering feet. Once we reached Puerto Cristobal we dropped anchor and broke out the champagne to celebrate the crossing a bit. I have probably made the whole journey sound a little trivial, but trust me; it was an experience I shall treasure for a long time.