This was my sixth crossing of the Panama Canal. My first transit was 20 years ago in 1993. That was on a 53 foot sailing boat on our way to Chile! Like all things it is good to have some experience, to know what to expect but the canal never fails to impress. It is awesome and it always feels like an epic adventure. The size of the locks and the massive ships that I usually spend my whole life trying to give as much space to as possible are shoulder to shoulder, passing within 20 meters rather than a mile or two.
The canal it self is due to celebrate it's 100th birthday in 2014 but even after 99 years they still need two men in a rowing boat to pass the lines that connect the ships to the towing mules. Each mule reportedly costing a staggering five million dollars each!
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