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25 May 2016

Wordless Wednesday | The Panama Canal


Wordless Wednesday is supposed to be about posting a photo without any words. But, I'm a rule breaker, so here are a few words:

1 - I love the free table at our marina. You can score some really great stuff, like nautical charts.

2 - Big ships go through the Panama Canal. Little ships too. Maybe one day, we'll take our little ship through the canal and head back to New Zealand. Or, maybe not.

3 - It costs a lot of money to transit the canal. I wonder if you get a discount if you wear a Panama hat when you go through the canal?

4 - If you want to see some amazing pictures of a cruise ship transiting the canal, including aerial shots, check out Rhonda's blog post at Albom Adventures.

What words does this picture bring to your mind when you look at it?

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20 comments:

  1. It may cost to go through the Panama Canal, but what about the alternatives?

    Southwards to Patagonia and through the Beagle Channel
    Eastwards to Capetown, Madagascar and the Far East or Australia
    Northwards through the NW-passage
    Northwards to the great lakes and then put the ship on a truck to the pacific

    Are any of those cheaper, easier or more appealing ways to get into the Pacific?

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    1. I don't disagree :-) It would be fun to do the canal, it would just be something we would have to budget for.

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  2. So, eight hundred dollars for a little boat to go through? That's a lot.

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    1. I just looked up the latest fees and it looks like for a boat our size (under 50 feet), you have to put a deposit of $1875 down. $891 of that is a "buffer", which might be refunded to you if additional costs aren't incurred.

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    2. I used an agent back in 2010. He charged US$ 300. But for that he did the paperwork, provided the lines and fenders, and (most importantly) put up what you call the buffer.

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    3. I hadn't realized that agents would put up the buffer - good to know.

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  3. It probably costs more if you wear a Panama hat. Look at these suckers, they'll believe anything! The fee is $12,000! -Lucy

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    1. I'll have to remember not to wear the Panama hats :-)

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  4. Our boat has transited twice with previous owners. I wonder if they will recognize her if we ever go through. Maybe they will give us the 1978 price. You think?

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    1. It will be interesting to see what you guys end up doing once you get to Mexico - across the Pacific, stay on the West Coast or come through the canal to the Caribbean.

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  5. Rhonda and I just met in San Francisco on Sunday. She does take some amazing photographs and she also writes some great posts about her adventures.

    Have a terrific Wordless Wednesday. ☺

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    1. Fun! I'm glad you guys got to meet. She's a nice lady and a great photographer.

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  6. Totally different subject to the Canal but I love charts, especially the old ones. They make beautiful photographs, just like the one you posted.

    Cheers,
    Stephanie @ SV CAMBRIA

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    1. Confession time - it is a new chart, I just used a filter on the picture to make it look more interesting :-)

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  7. Thank you so much for sharing this, I learned something new! And I am glad you broke the rules. :)

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  8. We are also in the same category; previous owners took our boat through the Panama Canal, east to west. Then they loaded her on a ship that ships ships. (say that 5 times in a row) In the pictures, it looks like our 50ft boat is a matchbox toy on the deck.

    In my new creative endeavor, I want to use old charts to make greeting cards. I love the photo you posted. I wonder where I could get some......

    Donna/Denali Rose

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    1. Using old charts for cards is a great idea! Not sure where you can find old charts though, unless you stalk free tables at various marinas :-)

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  9. It always boggled my mind that the Panama Canal crossing is actually from west (NW) to east (SE) instead of the other way around, like I used to think. An interesting fact. We did the transit on our 35' Irie in January 2013 and it cost us under $1000. You don't need an agent. The alternative is more costly, in time, distance, discomfort, boat parts that might break, and maybe even fuel... If you ask me.

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    Replies
    1. I have read that some people do it without an agent and it worked well - good to know that you're one of them.

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