Well, who'd have thought. Here we are locked out of Miraflores and finally in the Pacific.

Until last July we still hadn't decided what we'd do this year. eastern Caribbean, (again), western Caribbean with the Ocean Cruising Club, Cuba or, cut through the Panama Canal and head west.

To a degree it was the young lads of "Vineyard Sound" back in Martha's Vineyard in July that tipped the balance when they bounded into the OCC barbecue and gave us their acapela rendition of Crosby, Stills and Nash "Southern Cross". Such is the depth of our planning. Or indeed our need for a plan. Listen to the words if you've time. "Heading for the Marquesas" hit the right note with us and so, here we are at the start of the downwind leg.

24,000 miles back to the Caribbean. 29,000 to Largs!!

Our canal transit was uneventful. Just a bigger version of the Crinan but without the need to push open the lock gates. Just as well as they're pretty ginormous. Fifteen World ARC boats headed out from Shelter Bay Marina at 2pm on Tuesday. Or at least 14 and us, the interlopers. We all anchored about a mile from the canal entrance where each boat picked up their advisor. It's compulsory to have one of these guys on board. It's also compulsory to keep them fed and watered, and entertained. Despite all the horror stories of grumpy, over weight men our guys on each of the two days were good company.

At 4pm the fleet formed into five rafts of three and we headed into the first lock where the shoreside line handlers chucked down light lines onto which we tied 1" poly warps which they hauled up from each corner of the raft. Repeat a few times and by dark we were through the up locks and rafted up to a ten foot diameter rubber buoy in Gatun Lake. A few rafts had problems losing control of the raft. Inexperience took its toll on a few gel coats and lines not controlled resulting in cleats being pinged off the side of the boat.

Next morning the advisors were due back at 06:30. On Island Time that meant nearly 8am and with twenty odd miles through the lakes to go before going down through the famous Miraflorres lock it was a high speed motor to make up the lost time and make our scheduled locking through the Miraflores locks.

Locked in, we got the ropes sorted, drain the chamber and bingo, we were in the Pacific......without a fixed plan.

Funny thing was that as we worked our way out of the lock the VHF sprang to life and David and Gitte from Comrie, 15 miles from our house, called up to welcome to the Pacific.

Small world.