We awoke at 3:30 a.m. at the Balboa Yacht Club and went to the standby
zone. This is where the sailboats anchor. The night before, I
received instructions on VHF Channel 12 that an advisor would board at
5:30 a.m. At that hour, a pilot boat drew alongside with Mr.
Guermilleo Eduardo Warez, and we began our transit.

The advisor or pilot is required to transit the Panama Canal.
The advisor, upon boarding the vessel, takes full command and
responsibility. His word is law. If the captain does not comply with
the commands of the advisor, then measures can be and are taken
against both the vessel and its master to ensure that the Canal is not
damaged or endangered.

My advisor was great. At one point, when we were halfway across, the
rain began pouring down. I offered him a rain suit, but he was in such
a hurry to put it on that he put in on upside-down. He stood in the
rain, straining to see ahead for the 30 minutes that it rained. I
admired his willingness to get soaked to the skin for the safety of my
little boat. I never felt nervous because of Guermillos diligence.

We made the 40 miles in one day, which is a rather rare opportunity.
It took 18 hours at the helm with the engine running constantly.
Melody was great in helping not only with the line handling , but also
with the preparation of the food and feeding of the crew. I was
greatly concerned about running the engine for such a long period of
time, since it has not been up to the task since we left Mexico. We
made it through all the locks by 6 p.m. and anchored on the flats.

The next morning, we heard a launch come along side. The driver handed
me a card with Mr. Jim Robertson's name on it. Mr. Robertson is with
the Panama Canal Commission and awaited on the pier to welcome us. I
rode over in the launch, and we invited him to come aboard for coffee
and conversation.
He is a fascinating man, having grown up in the Canal Zone, and has
traveled all over the world. In fact, he was here when Robin Graham of
Dove came through. (Robin until recently held the record for the
youngest circumnavigator for over a quarter-century). We were invited
and gratefully accepted the invitation to his home to lay back and
watch the news, eat supper and share stories of his and our adventure.

At the Mira Flores Locks, Mr. Paul Reid and Tony Grenald graciously
provided their time and information about the operation of the locks.

At his insistence, Jim served as driver and tour guide and took us
deep into the interior of Panama. We visited El Valle (the Valley)
nestled in the mountains. There, his friend, Pablo Caballero at El
Nispero graciously allowed us a VIP tour of his zoological garden.
There, we saw a great variety of rare birds and animals indigenous to
the area. When Manuel Noriega was ousted in 1989, many of the animals
were given to Pablo, and he has dedicated his life to preserving the
national wildlife heritage.

Afterward, we went to the local market for supplies for the boat. We
plan to leave in a day or so and needed to get fresh produce. Were it
not for Jim, we would never have known what we were missing. The
opportunity to get to know Panama as the Panamanians know it was a
fantastic treat.

The sailboats heading into the Gulf are just about gone. In a day or
so, we will be following their invisible trails.

Capt. American