A thorough rig check.

We now have a date for our canal transit, the 19th, three days away. At last we have a bit of time to slow down a little and have a look around. All major jobs have been done, the last one was a complete strip down of the rig where each stay was removed cleaned and each component lubricated before reinstalling and tensioning. The boat is almost provisioned, but we need to pick up fresh produce before going to sea.

At last we are now thinking of sailing and what lies ahead for us on the Pacific side of the canal.

Yesterday we joined a group of yachties for a walk in the nearby jungle. We saw a lot of birds, monkeys and a sloth moving very slowly through a tree. In the afternoon we took a tour of the Panama locks and saw a number of ships transiting through the lock system. The canal system was completed in 1914 by the United Stated and they managed it till 1999 when the canal management was handed over to Panama. It is listed as one of the wonders of the world and when you see the scale of the whole operation you can appreciate why.

For our transit we need to have onboard, the skipper, a pilot and four line handlers. We are trying to recruit voluntary line handlers from the yachties in the marina in preference to paying our agent for line handlers, so far we have one volunteer and need two more. Damien will make up the fourth line handler. He volunteered to do the line handling for an Australian yacht and found the experience fascinating.

Bern