July 14

We got into the bay offshore from Panama city early on the 12th, and got word from the customs agents that we couldn't use our zodiac to go ashore, but instead had to pay $650 a trip for the pilot boat to shuttle us to shore. The same thing happened last year and mostly involves a combination of the Panamanians wanting to make some money, and also to retaliate for the US for refusing to let their merchant mariners go ashore when they visit US ports. I took it as a bad sign when a Spanish warship parked between us and the Yacht Club, but after a few hours of panic our shore agent and the Captain got permission for everyone to load up the zodiac and head to the beach.

The Yacht Club (aka Flamenco Marina) is out at the end of this long spit of land across the bay from Panama City proper and the skyline is pretty impressive with 18 skyscrapers under construction by our count. The Marina is about twice as large as when I was here 3 years ago, and they have lots of bars and cantinas instead of just one but we still ended up in the same old outdoor dockside cafe for most of the night. Its a good spot with a view of the boat traffic and plenty of beer, so why move? We had a designated zodiac driver to get us home through all the ships, but the Gould wasn't too far away and is hard to miss even at night. We also had the big US Hospital Ship Comfort anchored not to far away. I think the US Navy has two of these ships (the other one is the Mercy I think) and usually keep one on each coast in the US, so I'm not sure what the Comfort is doing down here.

The next day we headed into the canal about 7pm. First we crossed under the Bridge of the Americas, and then got to the first Lock at Miraflores. There are actually two canals and big Panamax container ship traffic was heading to the Pacific on the other side while we headed to the Caribbean with another short ship so that we both fit into one lock. They send a dozen line handlers on board to take care of mooring us to the little train cars (aka mules) that keep you centered while you move through the locks. The line handlers also came aboard with a stockpile of things for sale like switchblades, MP3 players, watches, porno DVDs and other sailor necessities, but I think they were a little put off on their sales pitch by all our female crew members.

After Miraflores, you cross the lake and go through Gatun locks on the other side before getting to the Caribbean, but I decided to call it a night, only to be woken by fairly heavy seas once we got underway. The Pacific had been really calm for weeks but we've had squalls and lightning storms all day here in the Southern Caribbean, which is nice from a not having to work in the blazing heat sense, but has it's own drawbacks.

Anyhow, we should be in Fourchon, Louisiana to start drydock on the 19th. I'll write more then.

July 10

We passed the equator today just after lunch, but the weather was kinda cool and the seas were kinda wallowy so the Cap didn't let us do a swim call. While it is nice being back in the Northern Hemisphere again, we haven't seen any sign of land in a week. We're just over 200 miles from the Ecuadorian coast, and just over 200 miles from the Galapagos Islands, threading the needle in International Waters so we don't have to fill out any damn paperwork until we get to Panama. Which, if all goes as planned, will be late on the 11th, so we can maybe sneak ashore on the 12th.

Otherwise its pretty nice working here on the boat. I get up in the morning, put on my grubby work clothes, wander to the MPC's office and get coffee, then wander downstairs and read the NY Times PDF edition which has just arrived via satellite. Then we get to work and start pulling wires and cables through the ceiling of the ship. This involves dropping ceiling panels, and then jumping up and crawling around in the overhead over hot pipes, jagged edges, and a continuous rain of fiberglass insulation. Sometimes we draft the other departments and have maybe 4 or 5 ceiling monkeys working at once, and the rest of us running around with ladders feeding them wires. Then we break for lunch and maybe a shower. Then, with the days wires run, We split up and start soldering up connectors and patch panels and either end of the cable run. This takes the rest of the day, once you add in testing, and debates over connector types, cable placement, and why won't this damn thing work. Then dinner at 5:30, followed by clean up and secure, followed by movies or something in the evening.

All and all, pretty nice. No commute, the Boss is several thousand miles away, we decide what we need to work on and do it. Yesterday we took a break and had a welding class on the back deck. I am sad to report that welding seems to be something else I have no natural talent for.

Anyhow, I'll write again when we get to Panama.

July 5

We are off the coast of Peru at 12 degrees latitude south, so in the tropics, but it's still not that warm here, and the hot tub has not made it's appearance yet. Maybe by the time we get to the equator. The schedule is still to go through the Panama Canal the night of the 13th, but we're making good time and the seas are calm so we will probably arrive offshore near Panama City the night of the 10th. This means waiting two days on anchor for our turn in the canal, and the Captain will try and anchor us offshore from the yacht club where it's just a short zodiac ride to the patio bar next to the marina. I shall have to polish up my manners if we're going have cocktails with Lovey and Thurston for two days.

For the 4th of July we gathered up all the expired flares and rockets and shot them off on the back deck. Big fun and some of those things are freaking bright. Fred tried to put one out in a water bucket we had on deck and it didn't go out but just bubbled and smoked with green flame till we though the bucket would melt so Meghan jumped in and dumped the whole bucket over the side. We could see that flare still going under water as it drifted away. I was at a loss personally, not having much experience with flaming green things that don't go out when you dunk them in water.

We may have a crossing ceremony or swim call or some such when we get to the equator. I'll send you a report.

Cheers,
Andy

June 27

No hot tubbing yet. We're in the inside passage so it's calm but drizzling
freezing rain all day and low clouds so we can't see much of the mountains.
We stopped for two hours off a King Crab (Centolla en Espanol) processing
factory where they usually come out and we can trade oil drums and cable
and such for crab, but no one from shore felt like venturing out in the
rain. Either that or the Palmer which passed by last week traded them such
rotten junk they didn't feel like going out to deal with another big orange
boat. Anyhow, we had to leave after a few hours, crabless, and head North
to make the high tide at a place called English Narrows where there is a
Virgin Mary stature at the spot where a British ship got hulled in the
shallows and sank about 70 years ago. The shore along here looks something
like the coast of southeast Alaska with even scragglier trees. Since it's
the middle of winter down here there is snow just a little ways up the
mountains, and pretty damn cold, but getting warmer every day we sail
North. I figure we can break the hot tub out in a little over a week.

Cheers,
Andy

June 25

We just left PA after a wild 3 day port call. No science but a lot of cargo
and are now heading North up the Chilean coast. We expect to go through the
Panama Canal on the 13th, and be in Louisiana on the 20th. Without a bunch
of kids on board I might have time to take some pics and write some
dispatches. We bought a big tank to make a seawater hot tub on deck about
the time we cross the equator.