Position: 09°22’N, 79°57’W – Shelter Bay Marina,
Panama
Second time lucky. Our advisor Roy Paddy boarded Ashling on
Wednesday morning and we set off for the Canal at last.
From the start we wondered about his surname so after
briefing the Skipper and crew, we asked him about his family history. He looked
100% Panamaian so we couldn’t have been more surprised when he told us he was
actually part Irish! His surname can be traced back to an Irishman in Barbados a
few decades ago whose difficult Irish surname was probably replaced with the
traditional international Irish nickname by the locals. Roy soon showed that he
had inherited the irish sense of humour when the Skipper asked him how long he
had been working on the canal: “Working here? Well actually today’s my first
day”. He was just having the craic and has actually been working for the Canal
for 25 years. However the initial look on the Skipper’s face was priceless!
The transit across three locks and Gatun Lake took two days
to complete. We passed countless cargo ships, barges and tugboats, all of whom
made Ashling look like a little toy boat going at snail-pace speed in
comparison. Every year approximately 250 yachts or pleasure craft transit the
Canal, compared to 12,000 cargo ships, so we really are in the minority. It was a
busy day for the crew but we did manage to take some photos and footage along
the way. Click here to watch a short
video of Ashling and her journey through the Panama Canal.
After completing the Canal transit, we said goodbye to Mario
who was only too happy to be heading home to his wife and newborn baby after
spending three days on board. We also bid farewell to Caroline and Johannes,
our Swedish friends who are embarking on their own adventure to circumnavigate
the world over the next 18 months – and some people think WE were crazy?!?! We
will be following them closely on their
blog and hope that our paths/routes will cross again one day.
We are now at Shelter Bay Marina on the Atlantic
side of the Canal, enjoying some R&R and preparing for the next leg of our
trip – a 600 mile sail north from Panama to Grand Cayman. It’s been a month
since we first touched land in Panama and it’s time to get our feet wet again.
How awesome!! I got a bit teary thinking about the transition from Pacific to Atlantic...the end of one major part of the journey! Enjoy the next little while. You guys are amazing! xx
ReplyDeleteWe've all spotted you, yayyyyyyyyyy!!!!! It was Jay this morning shouting at you, in case you thought some random stranger was stalking you. I drove down to the harbor at lunch and could see your boat but not you guys. Can't wait to see you XXX
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