A canal pilot has to be aboard every ship that goes through the Panama Canal. Our pilot boarded our northbound ship this morning. We were scheduled to follow a tanker and be beside a tugboat in each lock. It is costing our ship $3800 to go through which is less than the thousands of dollars that big ships have to pay. We are charged by the length because we have no cargo and only 22 passengers plus crew.
After breakfast we began the trip through the first of three locks we would go through this morning. It was a fascinating process to watch from our catamaran since we were low and could see everything so well. I thought it was especially interesting to watch the lock doors close behind us, then the water began to rise. The ships inside rise, of course, then the north lock door opens to let us continue on to the next lock. After the third lock, we had risen 85 feet. Then we motored on Gatun Lake quite a while until reached our mooring spot. We also saw two videos today on the history of the Panama Canal.
This afternoon after a delicious lunch of marinated beef and chicken kabobs, salad, corn-on-the-cob, eggplant, fruit, and wine or beer, some of us went kayaking for about an hour. After that, we went on panga boats to spot wildlife. We saw lots of birds and three sloths.
For dinner we had seafood pasta in red sauce, salad, dessert, and wine. After dinner our ship tour director gave us a presentation on the history of Panama and how it was used for overland transfer of goods since the time of the early Spaniards.
Our captain (right) and the canal pilot (left)
Entering the first lock from the Pacific going north
The lock doors closing behind us
Water filling the lock
Three Toed Sloth