We arrived in Colon, Panama
Friday scorching hot and windless. and were
extremely fortunate to grab the last spot in
the run down yacht club there. Then we were
doubly fortunate to have a very good yacht
agent.
Typically, one has to wait in that
hellhole for a week to two weeks waiting for
a spot inbetween the big boats. The big
yachts slip right through. We stuck the bow
sprit way out the bow, and the canal
mesurement guy signed off on 66.17 feet for
my boat, classifying me as a megayacht! We
went through the next day, which was still
one day too much in colon.
Being a overclass boat, we were provided
with a professional pilot (not an "advisor"which
is normal) and the agent engaged two
professional line handlers, in additional to
my friend Jimmy and my Uncle Don who flew in
to help. It was a flawless transit, inspite
of some challenges. We had to drag a small
german boat through the locks, with our
motors, our labor, and our lines! They never
even said thanks! Germans! Later, my agent
told me he had been particularly nervous
about our trip due to the particular
circumstances about our wide boat.
We dropped off Uncle Don on the way out
in Balboa, and just put Jimmy and his
girlfriend Joan in a taxi to the airport,
and are finishing up here in Flamenco Marina
in Panama City. We leave at noon for Salinas
Equador to party with family for two days,
then off to the Galapagos. Wish us luck as
the wind is funny lately, and the waves out
of the south. Hmm.
