Still Savoring the "Canal" experience

October 10, 1991—this was our transit date for the rest of the canal.  After an enjoyable few weeks at the Pedro Miguel Boat Club, we said goodbye to everyone and cast off.  Don and Mary from the States joined us for this momentous occasion. 
 
Line handlers were Don and Mary, plus a young boy (Carl!!)from the boat club, who got more than he bargained for because he would not be returning home that night.  Our pilot on this day was Gregorio Rodriguez, and he was awful. If he wasn’t sleeping, he read a newspaper, which he left behind when he got off Bijou. Not cool. 
 
We rode center lock behind another small boat, which also rode center lock.  It went fine.  Once through the locks, we motored through several miles of channels and natural waterways to Lake Gatun.  Gatun Lake sits at the top of the rise and fall of the canal, and its water is what feeds into the locks. 
 
We timed it so we would be forced to anchor in Gatun Lake to savor the experience a little longer.  We learned this trick from other cruisers who had gone through before us.  Boats can’t request to anchor here.  Skippers have to finagle their timing, so it’s apparent they won’t have time to lock down during the business day.  Radio calls are made, and approvals given.  Thank goodness Gregorio left, but young Carl was stuck with us for the night.  He was pretty cool about it, though.
 
We swam, ate, and finally went to bed.    

Center lock. We needed to have VERY long lines to reach the line handlers at the top of the lock.

​Next morning Gregorio came back (drat) and repeated his behavior of the day before, only this time he aggravated the lock people because he didn’t have Bijou ready to go when he was supposed to.  Behind us loomed this huge cruise ship—700 ft long, 90 ft wide.  We must be in thousands of pictures because of the sizable crowd that gathered at the bow with cameras.  The bow overhung us like a mountain; we never felt so small. What a trip!!
 

Lori and Don, handling lines on board Bijou.

We're in a lot of pictures. That ship kept coming until its bow was right overhead. Very daunting.

​We arrived in Colon late afternoon.  The Panama Canal Yacht Club is there, and we planned to spend the next couple of weeks there.  Many friends from our Mexico and Costa Rica days had decided to do the same, along with several new people we hoped would become friends.
 
Over drinks, we all decided this was one of those experiences that lasts a lifetime.

Lori, Carl and Don in Bijou's cockpit

Lori, Carl and Mary at the entrance of the Panama Canal Yacht Club entrance.

Oct. "91. The gang at the yacht Club L to R: Lori, Kathleen, ?,?, Carl, Kathleen, Roger, George, Laila, Glenn.

It's raining!! That happens when in the tropics.