16/07/2022
Every Saturday we will be sharing with you stories about our experiences sailing, this time it's up to the Panama Canal
The Panama Canal was inaugurated on August 15, 1914, having undergone numerous modifications and expansions since then. It provides a short and relatively cheap transit route between the Atlantic and the Pacific and has greatly influenced world trade routes.
To cross the canal it is necessary to carry out the immigration formalities in Panama and obtain a "Cruising Permit" for which it will not be necessary to do a "master" either. The different administrative formalities can be obtained without giving tips (as it happens in Suez) and in a not excessively long time, although sometimes due to the heavy traffic through the canal it is necessary to wait 2 or 3 weeks until they give us way to cross it.
The normal thing is to do it in a single day although sometimes it can take two, which will make us meet two different pilots.
The channel begins in the bay of Limón, 11 km from the mainland. Once inside the continent, the boats cross the area of the Gatun locks at 4 km, which raise it to a height of 26 meters and allow it to navigate through the artificial lake of the same name, along a route marked by buoys, illuminated at night by powerful headlights.
We hope you enjoy the video and if you have any questions please write to us 😉
