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We volunteered to help on a yacht as ‘line handlers’ as it passed
through the Panama Canal, a journey of 80km connecting the Atlantic and
Pacific Oceans. |
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| Our Captain, John (left) and our ‘Advisor’, Victor
(right). Within the Canal, Captains have to hand over control of their boats
to the Advisors and Pilots who work for the Canal Authority. |
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| Each boat passing through the Canal requires at least
four line handlers. The lines are used to maintain the boat’s position
whilst water levels change within the locks and to stabilise smaller boats
when larger ships turn their propellers. |
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| Bigger ships use these trains which act as mechanical
line handlers. |
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| There is a regular flow, 24 hours a day, of large ships
passing through the canal many of which have been built with the specific
dimensions of the canal in mind. |
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| In a yacht they make you feel very small. |
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| These are the final gates of Miraflores Locks opening the way to
Panama City and the Pacific Ocean. |