Miss Tippy waiting to transit the Panama Canal at sunset.

3 million years ago the Atlantic and Pacific oceans were still joined together until a land bridge formed between North and South America in the Panama area.
The red buoy marks a channel into the canal.

The land has been cut and a canal was created by damming the mighty Chagres river linking the two oceans with a lake. Vessels are able to pass through the cut via a a series of locks.
Chisal, Natibou and Camomile shared our lock.

Ships are raised from sea level to 27 metres, the level of the Gatun lake and down again on the other side back to sea level.
My Dad Syd had transited through the canal over 50 years ago and told me stories of it as a child.

It was very exciting to be going through the canal with our family on board although we had to have extra crew to handle the lines as children do not count!
Annie, Charlie, Freddie, Flo and Jim in the historic Gatun locks.

Named one of the wonders of the world, it was estimated to cost 639 million dollars but the biggest cost was in human life where up to 30,000 lives were lost during construction.
The city of Panama was founded in 1514 and the Spanish ordered a mission to unite the two oceans by hand with a channel through the land.
Freddie at the Miraflores lock and museum the day after transit.

The great Chagres river was found to be navigable for 50km up river, it was dammed and the surrounding land opened up to link the fresh water lake created, to the Pacific ocean.

The French cut the first shovelful of earth in 1880.
Work started with 17,000 labourers mainly Caribbeans however, the works failed due to flooding of the land, collapse of the earth works and death of workers due to diseases, malnutrition and exhaustion.
The gaillard cut was made through 8 miles of solid rock!

Over 21 years the French had removed 60 million cubic metres of earth but the workforce had dropped to 700 and the project was discontinued.

Work was finally completed by the alliance of USA and Panama Authorities and the canal opened on 15th August 1914.
Miss Tippy arrived in Panama via Portobello and Colon to prepare for Canal transit.
Annie and Bessie.

Our passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific was shared with Blue Magic from England..

We are placed together as similar sized boats.

The boats in a raft formation are held in place by 4 long mooring lines.The lines were sooooo comfortable for Charlie while we waited for the locks to open.

It was exciting to be moving through the canal at night.

There is a tradition for crews to help each other through the canal.
Aboard Miss Tippy we had Tim sailing on Mercury Rising .

Jim from Yacht Serengeti of Vancouver.
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Flo an experienced sailor from Austria and his sailor girlfriend Nina.

Patriotic Annie and the red ensign.

We were warned of turbulance in the locks as the water churns up from the bottom at high pressure.
The average transit time through the canal is 20 hours.

As we were on an evening transit we had to anchor overnight in the Gatun lake before setting off next morning past the big ships in the gaillard cut. Here Miss Tippy looks small!

The big ships passed with a large wake which rocked the boat!

Our friends Adrian and Nicola Roberts were able to watch our transit online at home in Surrey!
Here we are trying to wave at the camera hoping they can see us. Adrian sent a picture and I will post his webcam image as soon as I work out how to open it!
Thank you Adrian for constant support and messages, we are waiting for your return visit to Miss Tippy!

Then all of a sudden the gates opened and we were there in the Pacific Ocean!

Join us on our jorney of 9,000 miles through the Pacific ocean to Australia over the next 6 months.
Thank you all so much for the constant messages and especially comments on the website we always look forward to reading them.
Love Sheila x

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