Finally, the moment has arrived: Mabul is heading through the Panama Canal. Ahead of us lies the final leg of our journey from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The Panama Canal transit will take two days. Together with an Advisor from the Panama Canal Authority and our three linehandlers Nico, Dries and Jani on board, we set course for the famous locks.
Before reaching the first lock, we raft up Mabul with the sailing boat Siella, sailed by Laura and Henri. It is already dark when we enter the first lock behind a huge cargo ship and are lifted up towards Gatún Lake. Once at the top, we motor a short distance to a gigantic buoy, where we spend the night. By now, it is pitch dark around us, with only the lights of the ships and the sounds of the locks accompanying us through the night.
Early the next morning, we continue through the Panama Canal. With our binoculars, we watch the enormous cargo ships passing us on Gatún Lake as we make our way through the tropical landscape. After 28 nautical miles, we reach the Pedro Miguel Locks, where we descend three steps towards the Pacific. Then the final lock gate opens. The Pacific lies before us. For the first time, Mabul floats in the pacific ocean, and what started as a technical adventure suddenly becomes a very personal and emotional moment. Four years in the Caribbean are behind us. A new chapter of our journey begins.
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