Transit part 2, Gatun locks and lake
16 April 2012
Pip
One has a choice, theoretically, of how to proceed through the locks: tied up to the lock wall; tied up to a tug; on your own in the middle of the lock;or rafted or 'nested' up with 1 or 2 other boats in the middle of the lock. The first option is not good, as the lock walls are rough concrete and the turbulence is severe. We had to tick the form for our choice- we said 'anything but no 1' . As we approach the lock, we don't know which of the other 3 options it will be..
we are then directed by our pilot to tie up to another boat- she's bigger than us, steel; another smaller yacht joins her on the other side, so we are 3 nested together. The pilot on the middle boat takes charge, giving clear instructions as to when and how much to use our engines; he also 'borrows' one of our linehandlers, as the ropes used to keep all 3 boats in the middle of the lock are coming off the central yacht and its going to need strong experienced crew. We don't mind- I steer, Kevin doles out the drinks and snacks, and Robin and Javier are free to chat and take photos!