Panama

While awaiting our transit date for the Canal, we sailed over to Portobelo to explore the ruins of an ancient fort, a World Heritage Site. Spanish explorer, Francisco Velarde y Mercado, stumbled onto Portobelo, making it an important silver-exporting port, and becoming part of the route of the Spanish treasure fleets on the Spanish Main.

Captain Henry Morgan's incurred one of his notorious adventures here in 1668 when he led a fleet of privateers against Portobelo. Despite its good fortifications, he raped and plundered the town for 14 days, stripping it of all its wealth. The British commandeered the port for a time, attempting to gain a foothold in the Spanish Main and galleon trade. Eventually the town was recovered by the Spanish, who fought and lost against the Cartagena de Indias in 1741. The loss launched a new pattern of Spanish fleets calling at few ports to small fleets trading at a wide variety of ports. They also began to travel around Cape Horn to trade on the West coast. Another interesting note it the internment of Sir Francis Drake, who died of dysentery in 1596 at sea. He was buried in a lead coffin near Portobelo bay.

Walking through the small town of Portobelo is a joy. Security concerns are not like that of Colon. Many expats, preferring the charm of quiet Portobelo over modern noise back home, have moved off boats and stayed here.

Portobelo

Kuna or Cuna is the name of an indigenous people of Panama and are the country's friendliest people. The Kuna reside in reservations, called comarcas, with the majority living in the autonomous Kuna Yala islands offshore Panama. Other Kuna comarcas are the Kuna de Madugandí and Kuna de Wargandí in the Darien Province of mainland Panama.

The Kuna are famous for their molas, an exquisite handicraft of colorful textile art, using the techniques of reverse appliqué. Mola panels are used to make the blouses of the Kuna women's national dress, which is worn daily by many Kuna women. Mola means "clothing" in the Kuna language. The molas are sought after world-wide. Purchase as many as you can, as it is the Kuna’s major source of income, next to lobsters for US markets. Molas are lovely gifts for family and friends back home. I use them to as framed art and for pillows covers in our salon.

The economy of Kuna Yala is based on agriculture and fishing, with a long tradition of international trade. Plantains, coconuts, and fish form the core of the Kuna diet, supplemented with imported foods, a few domestic animals, and wild game.

Kuna woman selling Molas

Kuna Indians

Panama Canal cuts through the Isthmus of Panama of Central America, allowing vessels to travel between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and avoiding the long, arduous task of rounding Cape Horn. The canal is 64 km (40 mi) long and takes two full days to transit by sailboat.

Our Transit

Sailing from the Atlantic side, we entered Limón Bay and anchored behind the breakwater. Once meeting with Canal Authorities, our vessel was measured and we sat back to await our transit date, which came two weeks later over the VHF radio as a request to call them.

The day of our transit, our pilot met us the crack of dawn and once onboard, we entered the Gatún Locks, a series of three continuous steps. Now our vessel was under canal jurisdiction. We motored 11 km (7 mi) to the first Gatún lock. Line handlers at the top of the docks on both sides of “Scud” tossed down monkey fists of rope that were attached to thick lines. We quickly wrapped the heavy lines around our winches that were attended by two crew members each, in order to avoid entanglement or mistakes. Once the chamber starts filling with water, it’s easy for things to go wrong. By the third step Scud was raised to the level of Gatún Lake, 26 m (85 ft) above the sea.

We sailed through Gatún Lake to anchor for the night beside Barro Colorado, a wildlife refuge operated by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Being a hot, sultry day, we were all eager to take a swim, but just as our pilot jumped into the ferry boat for his night ashore, he warned us of “Big Jim”, a monstrous croc that roams the brown shallows.

Next morning, our pilot met us to guide us through Gaillard Cut, the narrowest section of the canal, which measures 14 km (9 mi) and traverses the Continental Divide. At the end of Gaillard Cut, we slowed to enter the Pedro Miguel locks, where we were lowered 9.4 m (31 ft) to Miraflores Lake. We crossed the 2.1 km (1.3 mi) lake and entered the last two locks called Miraflores Locks. Here, we were finally lowered to the Pacific Ocean and entered the harbor of Balboa. Crossing undr the Bridge of the Americas and into the Bay of Panama into the Pacific was a thrill that matched none other!

Yacht Transiting Lake Gatún

Gatún Locks

Stern View from Scud

Gatún Lock Opening

This cross section shows the route of a ship through the Panama Canal. From the Atlantic Ocean, a ship is raised 26 m (85 ft) through three sets of locks to the level of Gatún Lake. It travels through the lake and Gaillard Cut, the narrowest section of the canal. It is then lowered through a lock to Miraflores Lake, and passes through two more locks before reaching the Pacific Ocean.

A lock is a section of a waterway enclosed by gates at either end to allow ships to be raised or lowered to a different water level. In this example, a ship enters the upper level and the gates close behind it. The water is then allowed to drain into the lower level, lowering the water level of the lock and the ship. When the water level of the lock equals the level of the lower canal, the lower gates will open and the ship can proceed.

Lock

Canal Cross Section

How does the Canal work?

The boys on Mid-Canal Break

Lake Gatún

Canal Construction

Canal construction began in 1904. After initial plans for a sea-level canal, the canal commission decided on a canal with locks, recruiting more than 50,000 laborers, mostly from nearby Caribbean islands. In all, another 100,000 people migrated to Panama during the construction era, adding to the diversity of Panama’s population.

An important breakthrough during construction was the successful effort to control mosquito-borne diseases. Malaria and yellow fever had killed thousands of workers during the French canal attempt. But a U.S. campaign, directed by Army medical officer William Gorgas, drained or sprayed mosquito breeding grounds and built sewage and water systems. Within two years the diseases were brought under control.

The overall cost of the canal was about $350 million, the largest and costliest work ever undertaken by the U.S. government.

Excursions Around Panama

Colón Street Boy

Colón is Spanish for Columbus. Being a major commercial center, marine gear can be found, but take note of the crime rampet downtown. Ask around for the hot spots or dangerous areas are located; don't walk alone -- day or night. Best to take a taxi, even if only for a few blocks.

We saw truck loads of mahogany, bananas, and coconuts being loaded onto ships for export. Many of the workers were West Indian, descendants of canal laborers.

Surf's Up!

While waiting for our transit date, the boys took off by taxi to catch an international bus to Costa Rica to ride the big waves hitting the coast. They met up with an old friend of theirs from cruising, who lives near San Jose.

A week later they returned with a couple rock scrapes, but with big smiles all around!

Our
Transit

Canal
Diagrams

Kuna
Indians

Excursions

Canal
Construction

Spanish Fort Ruins

Us by the Guardhouse

Fort Wall

Ancient Pieces of Eight from Shipwreck Spanish Galleons