DAY 30 TUESDAY APRIL 24 THE CANAL

Very exciting day. It was raining and misty when we started moving at 1am.
We moved slowly up the river and arrived at the first lock at 3am.
There was a huge operation taking place parallel to us as they build a new
canal that can accept wider ships than ours. We coul toch the lock walls on
either side of the ship. There were hundreds of workers busy as we moved
through. One tried to sell us a panama cap for ten bucks but we declined.
We were changing from side to side and from upper yo lower decks all day.
Another ship was following us closely in the next lane of the canal so  we
had a good view of the procedure from outside view as well. After three locks
we sailed across the huge freshwater lake that proides the water for both
sides of the canal. Crocodiles were seen along the bank and there were
several dredging barges deepening the channels between the locks. We
arrived at the desceding three locks at 10:30am and emerged at sea level
an hour later.
The Manet berthed after lunch and we received clearance to go ashore to
visit the city of Colon which services the Eastern end of the canal. Very few
people can speak English so we were lucky to be given a taxi driver who was
bringing back passengers from another ship.  He gave us a rundown on where
to go and arranged to pickus up at 7pm where he dropped us off.
The people of Colon were clean and happy but the streets were filthy and
hazardous. Malcolm fell over negotiating deep gutter in the dark and ahuge black
man picked him up and dusted him off. Came away with only a sore wrist.
We found out the hard way that there was no wifi in this city. We decided the
safest place to eat was MacDonals. There was  beautiful cathedral under
repair.
A long day but one we will never forget.

WATER POURING INTO THE LOCK AND LIFTING THE SHIP

WE COULD TOUCH THE LOCK WALLS ON BOTH SIDES

EARLY MORNING VIEW OF THE NEW CANAL WORKS

OUT OF THE LOCK AND UNDER THE BRIDGE

LITTLE TRAINS THAT PULLED US THROUGH THE LOCKS

THIS SHIP FOLLOWED US THROUGH THE LOCKS IN THE OTHER LANE

HEROES OF PANAMA CELEBRATED IN COLON PARK

COLON CATHEDRAL IS BEING RENOVATED WITH U.N. MONEY

DAY 29 MONDAY APRIL 23 PANAMA

Last evening we saw land for the first time in two weeks. By midnight we had
reached the bay off Panama City and counted more than sixty ships. The city
has a population of 800,000 and we were surprised to see so many tall buildings
along the seafront. At 5:30am a bunker ship pulled alongside and took two
hours to refuel us. We waited all day in the queue and were told it costs
$50000 to pass through. Double that if you miss your appointment.
An inspector boarded at 11:30am and had lunch in our messroom.
Later the pilot will arrive and a dozen rope hands will prepare board and
keep the ship tied to the mule trains as we go. There are many birds in the bay entertaining us as we wait.

FIRE SAFETY EVIDENT ON THE BUNKER

PANAMA REFUELLER

THIS IS AS CLOSE AS WE GOT TO PANAMA CITY

PELICANS DANCING AS THEIR LINES CROSSED

SUNKEN SHIP IN THE FOGGY HARBOUR

DAY 28 SUNDAY APRIL 22 CALM

We are north of the equator and the weather is hot and still. The sea is the
flattest we have seen.  There have been headwinds most days since
Melbourne. Two booby birds are now roosting on the ship and feasting on
the flying fish that try to escape our wake.  We are seeing some rubbish in
the water as we approach Panama.

DAY 27 SATURDAY APRIL 21 GALAPAGOS

The Manet was near Galapagos Islands last night so that might be where
our little bird came from. We are heading northeast towards Panama and hope to
to get there on Monday.  Cathy and John are in Bolivia now which is not far
away.
A pod of dolphins passed us and a large bird with a beatiful blue beak settled
on the ship and made fishing expeditions from the bow. We guessed it was a
booby.
At 1530 the emergency alarm rang so we picked up our lifejackets and
reported to the bridge where the captain said OK and then we went to B deck
to watch the crew deal with an imaginary fire in the galley. Quite entertaining.

SUNRISE FROM OUR PORTHOLE

POSSIBLY A BOOBY

FIRE DRILL BY THE CREW

DAY 26 FRIDAY APRIL 20 STARS

Nice sunny day. We watched the sunset from E deck balcony. There was no
moon so we saw the southern cross and the milky way. A small bird flew
y the ship today.  It looked like a dotterel but we are very long way from any
land.

WATCHING THE SUNSET

DAY 25 APRIL 18 THURSDAY CROCHET

We take regular walks aroud the main deck to keep fit. We see the little
flying fish by the hundred every day.  They have blue wings and can fly at the
same speed as the ship for up to thirty secoonds.
Lyn has spent a lot of time learning crochet and has produced a dozen little patterns.

DAY 24 WEDNESDAY APRIL 18 RAINBOWS

As we leaned over the side of the ship the spray from the wake produced
regular rainbows along the side of the ship. A comfortable day with a lovely sunset.

PAUL GAUGIN JIGSAW

 SPARE BRACE RODS FOR THE CONTAINERS

SECOND AND THIRD LEVEL CONTAINERS ARE BRACED TO STOP THEM TIPPING

SUNSET AFTER 3 MINUTES

DAY 23 TUESDAY APRIL 17 PACIFIC OCEAN

SAMPLE OF THE LOCKS THAT ARE USED TO HOLD CONTAINERS TOGETHER

The ocean was calm and blue so we spent time on the bow. The bridge prints
out an international news service each day and passes it on to us so we have
a morning paper. The ship is at full speed ENE.

MORE CALM SEAS

DAILY NEWS OF THE WORLD

DAY 22 MONDAY 16 APRIL THE ENGINE

Another day of smooth seas. The Second Engineer has the cabin next to us and
is very friendly. His name is Alin and he is Ukrainian.  He took four of us down to
the main deck and through a door into the engine room. The noise and the heat
were awful.  He handed us all gloves and earmuffs. We descended four stories
to reach the bottom of the engine which had eight huge cylinders and burns
seventy tonnes of fuel oil per day. The fuel tanks hold 1800 tonnes. We were
standing fifteen meters below sea level. We watched the drive shaft pass
through three main bearings before it exits to drive the propeller directly at
about eighty RPM. Alin said the motors down there provide everything on the
ship except food: drive for the rudder, desalinated water, elecricity at varying
voltages, power for the hundreds of refrigerated containers, hydraulic and air
pressure power for tools.In the afternoon the seas got rougher and it started to rain.

                               

                                                                                         SMOOTH SEAS

                                                                                        TOP OF THE ENGINE

                                                                                         CHIEF ENGINEER, SECOND ENGINEER, IAN AND CHRIS IN CONTROL ROOM

                                                                                        LATHE FOR THE FITTERS

                                                                                          STEERING CONTROLS

                                                                                       OILERS AT WORK

                                                                                        MAIN BEARINGS AND DRIVESHAFT FOR PROPELLOR

                                                                                        AIRCONDITIONING ROOM

DAY 21 APRIL 15 SUNDAY CREW BARBQ

Seas are calm again.  Watched a beautiful sunrise.  More flyng fish every day.  At 5pm the crew put on a massive barbecue on the poop deck.  They really deserved a party after all they went through.

During the day they were pumping out water from the bilge.

DAY 20 APRIL 14 SATURDAY - WET CABIN

At breakfast even the captain said to us: "rough night".  Our carpet was wet and the crew came in and tightened up the portholes to keep the rain out.  We now believe what our daughter Evelyn said to us while spinning the globe before we left: "There is a lot of weather out there".  We are enjoying the meals; here is a menu: