Moored and anchored, on the edge of the Pacific approaches to the Panama Canal at Balboa, Panama, the Picton Castle is part of a curious tropical world unto itself. This early morning, unlike others recently, comes in with a shining sun and patches of blue sky overhead. Quite welcome. White clouds piled high make for dramatic sculptures far off towards the horizon, and linger over the anchored ships and islands to our south. With the waters still for now, we can hear the calls of jungle birds, or howler monkeys maybe.
Across the channel appears to be wild and untouched jungle from here. Mists hang low over some peaks over on the other side. Calls of wild birds blend in with the sounds and hum of traffic on the great bridge crossing the channel off our bow. There are two such bridges crossing the canal. These are the only two roads from North America to South America. On our port side, big, sometimes huge, ships stream into Panama steadily. We have a ringside seat to an amazing display of shipping and commerce.
When the big ships steam by, leaving no wake at all, they displace so much water that we shift substantially at our mooring. And this with only the bow of these ships abeam. No visible waves or wakes at all though. On our starboard side we have what appears to be a few long-forgotten cruising yachts, all moldy with tattered sail covers or sails and blown out biminis. We guess that these boats represent the termination of some fond sailing and island dreams. At the edge of the huge Pacific Ocean, one can be daunted by the prospect of sailing onwards. Or it could just be damp tropical fatigue. We do not know. A curious pirate-looking craft is moored here as well. Someone else’s dream. To brighten this morning further some keen paddle-boarders just paddled by as I sit under the pilot’s awning on the bridge in the low morning light, writing this, coffee cup on the varnished mahogany bed of the engine controls. These folks say “nice ship” in rich Spanish accents as they paddle onward.
Some of the ships passing by here are over 1,000 feet long. Coming in at some speed, 6 knots and more, one at 9 knots, always surprises me, but the folks involved in running these ships and the pilots know what they are doing – so I may be surprised but not worried. This channel, looking so big to us, must look tiny to a ship 1,000 feet long and 150 feet wide while making some knots. Pilot boats and tugs scurry about as do sundry service craft. A number of 50’ steel supply boats load up all manner of boxes, ropes, liferafts, provisions and such at the long cement finger wharf of the Balboa Yacht Club and then out to the dozens of ships anchored just south of the Canal. We guess that these ships are waiting for canal transit. Some ships seem to come into Balboa to drop off cargo for transshipment onward and then sail out again, back into the Pacific.
We are wrapping up provisioning, with a heaven-sent visit to a massive fresh produce market outside the city. Donald was pleased. This story will be written by others – soon I hope. Final bits and pieces to be found for various jobs about the ship on passages ahead. We are waiting for two barrels of main engine lube-oil and a visit to the dentist for one crew member. With these things done we can go.
The Picton Castle is mostly rigged up for sea again. Boat davits are swung back out. Main brace bumpkins have been overhauled and re-installed with new bolts. Many big hawsers we had on standby as per canal requirements are draped over boats on the galley in hopes of drying soon for stowing. And the poor cotton sails are screaming for a drying day. Maybe today is the day.
