24 March 2019; Panama Canal.

Good news all around, the weather gurus were off their track today and they only got it right as far as the outside temperatures was concerned. No rain and hardly any wind.  The wind I could not predict as I did not look at the 500 MB charts lately, which show (under the influence of the Jet stream) how the larger weather patterns move.  But I had it in my mind that there would be no rain. Panama is going through a severe dry spell at the moment and thus there is not enough moisture building up in the air to create rain clouds that will reach sufficient density to become over saturated and start releasing rain. We had a few overcast spells today with dark clouds building up but they were not dense /dark enough and the cloud bands not compact enough.  Good for our guests, dry and partly overcast which reduces the chance of sun burn.

We had a good and rapid transit today, which was amazing as we had two things we were not expecting.

Beautiful Panama Canal Day. enough clouds to provide a good shade. not enough clouds to make it rain,

This below is the email that the Panama Canal Authority sends to the ship the afternoon before the transit, when they have figured out the convoy sequence. I do not know how they exactly do this, but it seems that they want all the cruise ships at 05.00 or at 08.00 and then you fit at once in a slot with the convoy going through.

Quote:

We confirm Panama Canal Authority has scheduled your vessel to commence Panama Canal transit  at 05:00/24^th (GMT minus five hours). 

Please contact Cristobal Signal Station VHF channel 12 when within radio range to report your position, coordinate approaching to breakwaters entrance and to obtain latest traffic/transit information. 

Transit will continue as follows:
Gatun Locks (East Lane)
Arriving                           06:30 hrs
Departing                        07:55hrs

Passing by Gamboa      12:25 hrs

Pedro Miguel Locks (East Lane)
Arriving                          13:35hrs 
Departing                       14:15hrs

Miraflores  locks  (East Lane)
Arriving                          14:40hrs

Departing                       15:40hrs 
ETA Balboa                    17:00hrs

The schedule above is the normal expected transit time if you arrive at 05.00 hrs. We did and then we found out that a cargo ship going out had engine issues so we had to wait until she could clear the bay. That made us 30 minutes late in the locks. Because of that we had to wait another 30 minutes as our exit now interfered with a ship coming out of the new locks.

This is a moment which still amazes me, even after going through the canal for 39 years. The moment the mules come racing down the track. They have to give slack on the wires to be able to go down and at the same time maintain the same tension  so that the ship stays in the middle of the lock.

Then we had a stroke of luck; it was a fast convoy and as you have to keep the speed of the slowest one in the convoy and that can be very slow. But now the pilots were able to keep up the pace and that nibbled a whole hour from the transit. We passed Gamboa at 11.30 instead of 12.25. From then on we could keep the schedule and as a result we were out of the canal by 15.45 hrs. instead 17.00 hrs.  This makes absolutely no difference for the guests as we are not exactly racing through the canal now, its just that the sights show up a bit faster.  Or as the bar tender in one of the bars said, this is good, now they will be here on time for happy hour.

The mules or locomotives are connected in the same pattern on every ship. When a ship is designed, regulation size and location Panama cocks are being built in. The four  mules on the bow are always in the same configuration. At the stern it sometimes differ as it can rely on the design of the stern. On our Vista Class ships we do also have bollards on the side of the ship on the walk around deck (deck 3). Pilots sometimes consider that easier for the mules than using the mooring deck.

Tomorrow we are at sea, as we are sailing towards Costa Rica / Puerto Caldera. Here we hope to arrive on the 25^th. of March at 08.00 hrs.

Weather:  Mostly sunny with increasing temperatures (going up to 34oC /94 oF) and a gentle North Westerly breeze later shifting to the North East. And the last bit will not please our Bo’sun as it is the perfect wind direction for birds to land on the ship and to take off again.  And while birds sit……….. they……….