Prins Henrik on the WWW and the seven seas: February 2009

Balboa, Panama West Coast

So we are about to be as ready as we can get. All anxiety we felt before leaving Colón not knowing wether or not we could accomplish the passage through the canal has gone. Now we are sailing.
We have all the neccessary stamps, clearances and provisions. Tomorrow, 5 pm local time, we will be leaving for las Perlas which lie some 50 miles from here. Then we are headed for the Galapagos and nobody can tell when we will reach them (however you can follow our progress: check the details of our profile to see how). All depends on the variable winds in this region.
We are looking forward to it.
Ohoi again!

el pacifico!

Finally the Pacific Ocean! The last port is opening, salt- and freshwater is mixing and creating some turbulences and a strong current. And then the sight is free towards the west!
The transit was done in two days. We were moored in the Gatun Lake in the jungle, where sometimes the apes shouted in waves, like a choir reaching a crescendo, awaking everybody on board. Our pilot was an extremely broadminded, friendly, unassuming and competent young man. Thanks to him and particularly thanks to our three linehandlers, who generously spent two days together with us on board our tiny spartanic boat. We feel relieved and lucky having reached that far.

Our pilot at work.
All were concerned whether or not we would make it to the locks on the Pacific side in time. The outboard's 3 HP and a faint breeze is pushing our Prins at times to 5,5 knots.

More pictures of the prince leaving Colón on www.desaudade.nl/Fotos/Panama Canal

Colón, still Colón

Today we payed the fees. It may cost us an estimated US$ 1,000 to 2,000 to transit the canal.
We had to advance US$ 2,309. And we needed a toilet (which now we have - the bucket is still not installed on this picture)

Still in Colón

Portauthorities, Inmigration, Customs, Canalauthorities with all their officers, traveladvisers, portcaptains...time here follows other rules than in Europe. Offices filled with people, moving slowly, very slowly back and forth, uttering or grunting a word now and then, mostly "no", but definitely not working in an European sence. There are always problems which make it impossible to satisfy a citicens or a customers requirements. Procedures nobody can decrypt, inclusive the employees or officers themselves.
Outside the offices we, the sailors, would convene like the accused in court discussing our chances by greasing an officers hand or just by mere chance the following day

or the day after. What a frustrating spoil of time, resources and money.
On the foto you can see the loosers of a preliminary adjudication, who try to convalesce.

Apart from that Colón decays and with it its houses and inhabitants. The Carnaval is cancelled due to the exploding numbers of murders in previous years. Lets hope we soon can get on, wheresoever, through the bloddy canal or northward towards civilisation.

Colón, Panama

Getting closer to the Panama Canal also the traffic got denser.

An exeptional quick, though shaky, ride from Isla de Providencia to the eastern entrance of the Panama canal.
Now we are here, trying to figure out all those tricky rules, which apparently were made to prevent us from proceeding through the canal.