Panama Canal: a key stage in the World Odyssey 500

Gathering at Shelter Bay Marina

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At the end of February, the fleet of the Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey 500 gathered in the peaceful marina of Shelter Bay, facing the large city of Colón and its 90,000 inhabitants, gateway to the Panama Canal. Let's hear from Victor, Event Manager on the rallie. We spoke to Victor by telephone from Panama airport, where he was about to set sail for the Galapagos:

"The boats stayed at Shelter Bay Marina for between a week for the latest arrivals and 10 days for the first ones on site, such as Chamagui 2. There, the bulk of their activity consisted of preparation for crossing the canal. This included measuring and registering the boats with the canal authorities for administrative purposes, and technical preparation for passing through the locks, which require four people per boat. After crossing the Caribbean Sea, the crews took advantage of these moments to make supplies, fill up with diesel, and then prepare for the departure to cross the canal".

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The Panama Canal, a piece of history

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As early as 1534, Charles V ordered a study to be carried out on the Panama Canal. This would save Spanish ships from having to sail around South America via Cape Horn. The King of Spain and the German Emperor, thanks to the accounts of the conquistadors, had identified the Isthmus of Panama and its 80 km of coastline as the narrowest passage in the whole of Central America.The construction of the canal, begun by the French in 1881 and completed by the Americans in 1914, was fraught with difficulties. Nearly 6,000 people died on the site, for reasons ranging from malaria to earthquakes and landslides... The history of the site is also marked by a huge scandal in the 1890s. Ferdinand de Lesseps, who had "paternized" the Suez Canal 40 years earlier, remained convinced that crossing the isthmus could be done without building locks - but he was wrong, and led many gullible shareholders into this error.Rich in this eventful history, the Panama Canal today represents a strategic point for world maritime trade. Every year, some 14,000 ships pass through it - mainly merchant vessels, but also pleasure yachts such as the rallie.

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Around 14,000 ships pass through the Panama Canal every year - mainly commercial vessels, but also pleasure yachts such as the rallie.

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The Pacific, a great moment for all

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Victor describes crossing the canal as follows: "We split into two groups of 12 boats. Let's take the first group, for example, which left mid-afternoon on a Tuesday. It crossed the first three upstream locks in the late afternoon. Known as the "Atlantic locks", they involve an ascent of around 30 meters. The boats then found themselves on Lake Gatum, where they tied up to the buoy in pairs until the following morning." On the second passage, Chamagui, Chaps, Bluway and Salavida found themselves moored together at the buoy on Lake Gatum: this provided one of the beautiful images of this Panama Canal crossing. Victor continues: "On Wednesday, 10am, departure for the second section of the canal, crossing Lake Gatum until reaching the two downstream locks of Pedro Miguel and Miraflorès at around 4pm.

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Here again, the gradient drops a few dozen meters, offering a unique view of the Pacific Ocean below. Crossing this section takes a few hours, and by 8pm everyone had crossed the Bridge of the Americas into the Pacific. A great moment!

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Then, because of the requirement to have 4 "handliners" on board in addition to the captain, we organized a shuttle to bring crew members from the first team back to Shelter Bay, so that they could help the boats taking part in the second passage. This was a great opportunity for the crews to get to know each other and strengthen their mutual support. It was important to stay focused, however, because once the boats, which come in as a pair, have entered the swirl of locks, you can't miss your mooring knot! 

‍Theboats crossed the canal unharmed. Everyone gathered at the Playita de Amador marina, on a peninsula southwest of the canal exit. It was time to celebrate the passage into the Pacific, a first for almost all the crew members present. Now it's time to set course for the Galapagos, 900 miles away, heading south-west!