Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Canal Transit is Scheduled for Saturday 6th October!

We were inspected this morning and measured for the canal transit. We had to get up early (for us) and take the boat down to La Playita to get the boat boarded and measured as they would not come to the Yacht club. So we were up at 8am and then had to get clearance to transit close to the channel down to La Playita. The canal authority have been great to deal with though.


We now are booked in for a transit on Saturday 6th October! You can even see us during the transit on the Panama Canal webcams! We'll be going through the Miraflores locks some time in the morning (probably early).


The website for the cams can be found at http://www.pancanal.com/eng/photo/camera-java.html

We'll have the spot tracker on so you will be able to see where we are in the canal transit and which camera to look at by seeing our current position from the 'Where are we now' page from our blog.



Thanks to Octavia for sending the link to the Cam's. Please take a screenshot of the cam if you see us and email!

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Dismasting at Balboa Yacht Club

I've heard boats getting dismasted while out at sea, but i never thought my first time seeing one would be while i was safely moored in a yacht club! This afternoon i was sitting in the cockpit having a beer and watching the cargo ships go by, when the periodic wake of a tug disturbs my quiet afternoon and i grab my beer to make sure it doesn't go flying. I see the other boats doing the wake dance bucking with the waves when i hear a loud ping noise, followed by another and then i see the mast on the boat in front of us collapsing with each additional passing wave!


As we're right by the channel for the Panama Canal, we are not allowed to drop our dinghy. I couldn't head over there, but i quickly got on the radio to inform the yacht club. Within a few minutes the club boats were over there.  Luckily it looks like the owners were not on board.



I feel really sorry for these people. I can't imagine coming home to your boat to find this waiting for you. I guess in some ways it's better that it happened here rather than out and sea though!