Jun 2012 PLAYING FOR TIME IN PANAMA

PLAYING FOR TIME IN PANAMA 

Why are we still in Panama as June comes to an end ?  Because we are...stuff just happens and stuff just doesn’t happen, hence we are still here.

Waiting for our transit we had the first eleven days of the month to chill out in Colon at the Caribbean end of the canal anchored initially at ‘the Flats’ a muddy non-descript piece of water west of what appeared to be the local dump incineration operation.   Access ashore from the Flats was difficult so after a few days we relocated around to the north side of the town of Colon to the exotic sounding locale off Club Nautico, which was anything but. 

Anchorage off Club Nautico and numerous listing hulks

A pic looking into the small bay formed by breakwater to left

Same poxy trash littered water as the Flats but at least we were now just 100 metres from a dinghy dock, a bar and restaurant, free wifi with sporadic reception, a freshwater tap and fuel dock.  The only trouble was this place has been the scene of reported attacks on cruisers by thugs at night, most recently April.  So we were very cautious and locked up at night which in the wretched humidity was not a good place to be as we sweated through sleepless nights with canal service boats roaring passed at close proximity creating continuous rocking and rolling in the otherwise mostly flat water anchorage.  Not our favourite place but nowhere else to go.

Shelter Skelter

Well there was actually somewhere else to go,  the ‘Shelter Bar Marina’ built in a former US Naval Base where  P had gone on the first day we arrived in Colon to check in with the border authorities based there and to do a reci of the marina with a view to checking in.  Well he was pretty impressed (but for the USD$75 per day rate) as the place had shops, a laundry, freshwater, 230v power , restaurant and a swimming pool.  Then he was a approached by a Panamanian asking if anyone owned a dink with a blue cover.  The Panamanian courteously directed him to relocate the dink to another spot.  Next thing another chap approached and in no uncertain terms told P that he must remove our dink from this marina immediately, without any opportunity to explain why we were there.  No amount of courteous response from P helped, in fact it hindered, particularly when P informed him his staffer had invited him to relocate the dink.  But to no avail this guy was adamant they were not operating a dinghy dock for every tom dick and harry transiting the canal. This pompous Pom right out of the Heart of England turned out to be the manager of the spread and  P determined there and then we would not be giving our custom to this business no matter how difficult the conditions off Club Nautico. 

Club Nautico

From the less than salubrious 1960’s era Club Natico, a former fishing club, we were within walking distance of a shopping center with a good supermarket.  The town of Colon was close by but all information we had stated you should only use taxi’s to get around as personal security even during the day, but particularly at night, is a major problem for cruiser types who just standout (like camels in a desert) and signal opportunity.   Statistics show that the days following weekends when local (not so nice types) have splashed their cash are the worst days for robbery and battery.

Mean Streets with a Twist

Central Colon, located on a peninsula in Port Cristobal, is today a slum home to 200,000 people covering a matrix of a few dozen streets with what were clearly once grand colonial buildings dating from the late 1800’s interspersed with tumble down tenement buildings that house the majority of citizens. 

Whilst the city has a couple of wide tree lined thoroughfares this obviously once grand city is now  a ghetto crowded with a mix of latino’s living in what are appalling conditions for 2012 compared to the super modern Panama City sitting on the sparkling Pacific coast 35 miles to the west.  Its all very odd because Colon town sits alongside the huge Panama Free Zone which is a complex of approaching 2000 of businesses and warehouses which are surrounded by razor wire topped high security fences with entry restricted via a handful of gates requiring passport.   Inside the free zone the streets are full of well dressed people from we guessed mostly south and central America buying  Cartier, Prada and Bulova not to mention the latest from China with the volume and choice mind boggling.  We ask ourselves who buys all of this stuff and how can most of it even assist their lives.   From industrial equipment to motorcycles to ipads and plasma screens, designer clothing and footwear to jewellery it is all here at duty free prices by the pallet, container, truck or shipload.  A big purchase for us like selecting an Andoid tablet computer does clearly not get any salesman's juices going.  The zone exists because this is literally the crossroads of the world and there are three massive container ports surrounding Colon to bring these goods here.

The zone is pure business with no restaurants just street vendors selling refreshments and fast finger food.  In the oppressive humidity our sugar levels were quickly drained as we traversed just a handful of the tens of streets leaving after a couple of hours more bewildered than anything.   We are clearly just simple sailors maybe more at ease out on the briny rather than in what many would consider the ultimate shoppers heaven.

Manyana and Colon go together

Getting service providers to come to Musketelle for repairs to our autopilot was a problem.  We detect there is clearly a reluctance to come from Panama City to the toxic backwater of Colon.  Other cruisers were in the same situation, with fellow countryman David of SY Scot Free also with auto pilot and alternator issues finding out the hard way that the local self taught expert of all electrician, is not the way to go. 


Weather a Changing

It’s the change of season her in Panama with June heralding the arrival of the wet season and more humid changeable weather.  We start to experience rapid change associated monster thunder claps and lightning shows that have us scampering below to turn off all electrics in a possibly pointless exercise to minimize damage to systems if we take a direct hit.  The fork lightning is both spectacular and scary with some strikes so very close.

Nice sunsets but those clouds could turn on you in flash

We got a surprise visit from a vicious little micro weather system that came from some fast approaching black clouds with thunder and lightning, blinding torrential rain, then wind and hail which had the 5 yachts anchored off Club Nautico tugging at their anchors with most moving.      A French yacht without people aboard all but dragged into a ship alongside a wharf.   Aboard Musketelle we started drifting as our shade awnings created unwanted windage.  P started the engine and began motoring into the weather to hold ground as B removed the aforementioned awnings and covers. For 20 minutes we motored to hold position until the wind abated as quickly as it arrived.   Other manned yachts had to take the same action.   We decided there and then we could not both be off Musketelle at the same time in these fast changing conditions.

Ships in the Night and Day

Watching the shipping movements into and out of the adjacent Colon ports was an interesting way to pass time with the massive Panamax container ships carrying 2500 odd containers getting turned around in under 12 hours.  Watching a specially designed Chinese ship unloading 4 new massive container cranes for the Port of Colon had our attention.  The fact they sail across the ocean with these cranes straddled across the beam of the ship has us impressed.   Yes Panama clearly sees more than its share of everything and anything being traded globally. 

One of Colons ports operating 24 -7 - 365

Another 4 giant container cranes inbound from where else... but China

Transit  Time  
11 June

Transit Day commences at dusk 1800 local time with the arrival of our Panama Canal Authority advisor plus trainee advisor to pilot us through the Gatun Locks.  As the largest of the three yachts transiting tonight we are to be the middle boat in each of the locks.  This is just what we wanted because we don’t get exposed to the canal walls that can cause damage in the event of a problem.  On our port side we have a French flagged Jeanneau  and to starboard a Kiwi flagged Beneteau.   

Musketelle (as a trimaran) lined up and heading into first Gatun Lock, leaving the Caribbean / Atlantic

All lashed up with springs plus bow and stern lines we motored into the Gatun Locks late at about 1930   local time with Musketelle the only boat under power with the advisor telling P what he wanted in terms of direction and speed.

Kiwi Beneteau to Starboard

French Jeanneau to Port

Lock filling and pic of ship we are sharing lock with

Giant lock gates close on the Atlantic

40 mins later  atop 2nd Lock looking back down on a ship

Psst.....Turkish stowaway who is not even meant to be in the canal zone

The three up locks of Gatun took about 2 hours to transit and then we moored alongside a big buoy in Gatun Lake around 2145 for the night. The advisors departed on a canal launch, B made a spag bowl pasta dish for us all including the 4 line handlers and that was the day done as we tucked in for the night at anchor.  For the first and only time in Musketelle’s life she is floating in a freshwater lake.  WiFi took the opportunity to jump on to the big mooring buoy and cross over to sit for most of the night on the side deck of the Kiwi Beneteau looking back at "her floating home Musketelle", which was probably quite an exciting experience in her little world given she has not been off Musketelle for 6 months. 

12 June                                                                                                                                                                 0600 sharp right on queue another advisor and trainee are delivered by launch and we immediately cast off from the buoy to cross Gatun Lake following the well marked shipping channel averaging 300 metres wide.

Musketelle early morning heading across Gatun Lake

Islands on Gatun Lake formed when the canal built.

Jungle vegetation down to the lake edge

We pass close to shipping

A huge old steam dredge at work keeping the canal sides deep

Wildlife on lake....synchronised pelicans

The passage is notable for the magnificent jungle down to the water’s edge and in parts the volume of floating jungle debris that has been dislodged by heavy overnight rains.  This lake created by the canal builders is the source of the water required to operate the canal system and is controlled by a series of dams including the Gatun and Pedro Miguel locks themselves.

B is busy for most of the passage preparing not only breakfast but morning tea and lunch for the total complement of eight.  This was more onerous than we expected and in hindsight should have simply offered to pay $10 extra a head and asked everyone to bring their own food. The senior advisor on this leg created a bit of pressure being adamant he must receive his lunch before the last lock until B reminded him we had been feeding them all royally and yes he would definitely be fed but after the final lock and before alighting.  We later learned their day had commenced at 4am when picked up by a canal company car and driver from their homes in Panama City so maybe they were really hungry.

We transited down the single lock of Pedro Miguel  followed a mile on by the two down locks of Miraflores and popped into the Pacific at 1300 local time.  By chance P’s sister Deb back in Auckland caught a glimpse of us in these locks on the live Canal WebCam.

Gates have opened at last Miraflores lock and this is the Pacific !!

Under the "Bridge of the Americas" signals the end of the Canal Zone

Yoohoo! we are back in the Pacific !!  So after an painless (except for the pocket) transit of the Panama Canal we dropped anchor off Flamenco Island/Marina at 1500 local time with the very impressive Panama City skyline in the distance.  As the pictures show the transit took place in cloudy overcast and rainy conditions which kept the temperature bearable without the normal humidity.  

Distant shot of impressive Panama City skyline from anchorage off Flamingo Island

Using an Canal Agent

We used a canal agent to facilitate our transit contracting Erick of Centenario Services and we were happy with the service but not being in the Shelter Bay Marina which he visits each day did not help communications.  The customs and immigration people are also based there in a funny little building in the marina gardens and they can be a problem requiring agent intervention to get them to perform in a timely way.  For linehandlers Erick supplied us with four young presentable and transit experienced Panamanian  lads who brought their Laptops along and kept themselves entertained when services not required (which is most of the transit).  The lines and fenders were included in the linehandlers charge of $90 per lad and they arrived with and departed with the ropes and fenders which made it a clean seamless experience for us.  The boys were aboard for over 24 hours which is a fair rate in any currency.

Our line-handlers for the transit - its extra pocket money not their real job
the two tall ones are doing computer science degrees

We could have saved $350 and bypassed the agent doing the paper work ourselves but given the mishmash of charges that then materialise if you need line handlers and ropes and fenders, in our opinion it came down to much less of a difference.  There is so much misinformation surrounding transits and regulatory requirements and charges are always changing that the prudent course is to get online to relevant websites like ‘Noonsite’ well before arrival in Panama.  We like most cruisers rocked up as individuals and as a consequence did not learn who we were transiting with until transit day.  For those following might be a good idea to try to get together in advance with other cruisers and make up a group of 3 boats and check in together direct with the canal authority or do a block deal with an agent.

Panama City

Our stay off Flamenco Island is terminated after our first visit ashore which involves landing on a floating dinghy dock that is not connected to the shore and that requires jumping in a very unstable plastic dinghy that you haul across to a slippery rocky shore.  We conclude one slip or fall and  resulting broken bones is not worth the risk so whilst its free to anchor off the high risk would quickly be taken up with hospital bills. So we trundle back around to just south of the Bridge of the Americas right next to the Canal entrance to rent a mooring off the old Balboa Yacht Club where  $32 per day gets a secure mooring with 24hour water taxi service to get ashore and the Club has a good bar, restaurant, showers and washing machines for 50cents a wash !!  the cheapest experienced anywhere in 6 years.

Batteries and Auto Pilot

We resolve two issues that have been our major concerns….  Firstly we employ a local American electrician Kenny, in the hope he can help us solve both issues.

Batteries - We want Kenny  to stab test our battery banks and also to help us determine if our installation plans and research for a new separate starting battery for the 90hp Ford engine using a Voltage Sensitive Relay is correct and workable.  The state of our 8 Gelcell batteries has been giving us concern, as has the reliance on the house bank to start the Ford engine when everything written on the subject concludes having a separate starting battery is a no brainer.   We are concerned starting the Ford may have been spiking the power system and behind the recent demise of some of our systems like the radar dome, laptops etc.  Kenny says he would be surprised if our large house battery bank could not support all the draws on it including starting but we are unconvinced.  We are greatly relieved  when the stab tests show each individual gelcell battery is in great stable condition. 

Phew,  we are more than relieved because we would get no change out of USD$7000 to replace the complete bank.  Nevertheless we still decide to proceed with installing a separate new starting battery setup using the new battery we bought as a backup when we departed Las Palmas.  Kenny’s recommendations on installation accorded with ours so the P&B Marine Electrical Company got into gear doing the job ourselves  and whacko we have a new separate starting battery system that has dual charging via the Fords own alternator or is charged via the VSR (Voltage Sensitive Relay) when the Westerbeke generator is charging the house bank system. 

Autopilot Saga - Resolution of the Autopilot malfunction is much more complex as Kenny verifies our multimeter power and ohms resistance tests on each component as recommended by Raymarine.  These tests had been sourced on our behalf by B’s brother Phil in Melbourne.  Kenny is at a loss as to the next course of action so we leave it at that with him and happily pay for what has turned out to be largely consultancy time for both our battery and autopilot issues. 

At this point we should mention that on arrival in Colon we immediately contacted the local Raymarine service agents who informed us that “ its normally the Course Computer”  and they can fly replacements in at (USD$3K apiece) and if you want us to come to Club Nautico, Colon to assess give us your credit card details and its $300.  P was not impressed as the course computer seemed ok and the price of the house call seemed excessive.

So we join a Raymarine Technical Forum and start the process of logging questions and awaiting answers as we drill down to isolate the autopilot problem.  Initial conclusion is it’s the 12v Hydraulic Pump Motor that is underperforming and by luck or good planning we have a new backup we purchased before leaving Las Palmas when we were in backup contingency mode before crossing the Atlantic.

Installation involves cracking the Hydraulic fluid system installing the new motor and bleeding the system of air before operating the new pump but P is baulking at doing it because its not something he is familiar with.  Not helping is different ways and poor explanations in the Raymarine manuals to undertake this job so we elect to visit the local Raymarine agent previously only talked to by phone and put a face to the name.    We purchase a new fluxgate compass as one of our resistance tests shows a bad number and hope this will resolve.  Following self installation and a seatrial no such luck so we request the techs visit.

We wait nearly a week and finally two techs arrive one electronic and the other hydraulic to test the various components. Within an hour the electronics are given a clean bill of health and all eyes are on the hydraulics.

Now this is where things get embarrassing…..Before we departed NZ, and again in Turkey and in Spain we asked Raymarine experts what we should do to service the autopilot system and without fail each said ‘if it aint broke don’t touch’, or words to that effect.  There are no serviceable parts.  Wrongl

P has always checked the level of Hydraulic Fluid in the plastic reservoir (by looking at the fluid level through the plastic reservoir sidewall) and it has never changed. However when the Hydraulic Tech opened up the lid and peered in all he saw was a gooey mess with the fluid level being nothing more than a permanent tide mark on the reservoir wall. So our problem is nothing more than coagulated hydraulic fluid (think coffee grinds) not freely flowing through the valves in the hydraulic drive ram causing the electronics to identify a mechanical malfunction reflected in the ‘Drive Stopped’ messages on the control head screen. 

But wait there is more….the Techs take all the hydraulic components, pipes, ram and reservoir back to the workshop to clean, strip down and replace seals and valves as required. This done they return a few days later and reinstall but to everyone surprise the system continues to malfunction with now the electronic control head at the helm steering position give erratic readings.   The Electronic Tech persisted with pushing all and sundry buttons on the control head in an attempt to rectify,  even holding one button down  for extended time and getting B very concerned as she knew this was not right and they were floundering for a fix.  Next thing the big mechanical hydraulic ram jams and is immovable.   So it’s out with the complete Hydraulics again and back to the workshop for a second time.

Next day they are back having opened up the Ram and this time (we assume) replaced the seals and bypass valve they indicated they had done the first time, but had obviously not.  We get the thing to finally drive and move which is major progress but the control head is still giving erratic readings showing port when rudder to starboard and starboard when to port.   Clearly the Electronic Tech was out of his depth and making frantic calls (in Spanish) to a colleague back at base.  The suggestion was the control head needs replacing (another $700).  We say… back up it cannot be this.  B to the rescue armed with information we had secured overnight from the Raymarine Technical Forum and within a minute we had altered a setting in the display calibration window and fixed the problem.    We did a short Seatrial and convinced ourselves we had a resolution and sent the techs on their way.   We await the obvious showdown on what all this too-ing and fro- ing is going to cost.  Whatever it is our chargeout rate will be no less than theirs.

Socialisation

Aside from boat stuff we have still had time to meet locals and a few fellow cruisers at the laundry, the showers or the bar restaurant or around town because cruisers are one of a kind standing out with their often tanned appearance, apparel,  footwear,  backpacks and shopping trolleys. Sort of like ships of the desert (camels) humping supplies like no one else does.

One very interesting local couple P met back in 1995 are still living in Panama having arrived 34 years ago from Karori, Wellington.  James and Rosalind have raised a family here and they have mostly all grown up and flown the coup, although one son born here is still in Panama working as a teak timber dealer.   When you call the family home phone it’s this young chap on the answerphone recording and it’s a through and through Kiwi accent.  He went to Nelson college as a boarder  for his final years.  
James we perceive holds the office of elder statesman ‘godfather’ at the Balboa Yacht Club and holds sway with the expats.  He has developed a yacht services company for cruisers and anyone else that needs assistance cracking the local nonsense that typifies getting things done in Panama. He also does boat surveys and insurance surveys and generally has worked his way into a position of trust both in and outside Panama.  Rosalind is a retired journalist (used to work for NZ Truth) she had P enthralled with some of her investigative stories and outcomes in both NZ and in Latin America.  It was James and Rosalind who helped get a rigging failure on Phantom in 1995 repaired by a Maori chap from Te Kuiti tutoring in engineering at the Panama Polytech.  Sadly learned that he passed away here in Panama last year.

It’s the last day of June and we are still in Panama but the Pacific horizon beckons and the big 7000 odd mile push for home via Pacific paradise is imminent.   Join us on the next leg end of July.