Email from the Ship: Our long awaited for experience of going thru the Panama canal has finally begun @ 8 pm 2-8-04.First we had to wait about 3 hrs. along with 25 other ships in the waters around the canal. What an awesome sight with all the different ships. It took us about 3 hrs. to get thru the first set of locks Gatun locks, this includes the wait time for a ship ahead os us to clear the locks.It was dark by the time we started and it was fascinating to watch how the locks work and to see all the lights.
It was 11pm when we cleared the first set of locks. Then we traveled about 3 hrs on Gatun lake to the next set of locks which is Pedro Miguel. Tugboats and electric locomotives which everyone calls donkeys towed us thru the locks. After Gatun locks, David, Florence, Daphne bowed out and went to bed. Ron and I stayed up thru the Pedro Miguel locks and only I stayed up for the last set of locks Miraflores. As we were emerging the last set we had to wait for the ship ahead of us to clear so that's where I konked out @ 3 am. It took about 7 hrs. from start to finish. We took on some pilots to guide us thru and some of them are quite entertaining and humorous. This morning I woke up and a big fuel ship was by our side refueling us. Again I counted 20 some ships waiting on this side of the canal. The 3rd mate said we will be under way again after lunch. It will probably be another 12 hrs. at sea until we get to Tahiti.
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