Panama Canal Yacht Club Is No More

[videorov]

Finf all the info here.
Cruising World - Panama Canal Yacht Club Is No More

Panama doesn't really want small boats going through the Canal it
looks like and this is the first step to make it more difficult.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by videorov

Panama doesn't really want small boats going through the Canal it
looks like and this is the first step to make it more difficult.

I don't think that is the problem at all. The yacht club was on someone elses land and they wanted it back! Pretty simple.

Both pilots we had told us how important yachts are and how there are no plans to get rid of them.

[s/v Jedi]

Indeed, most yachts get an advisor, not a pilot. Yachts are their training-ground for becoming pilot.

But it would be much better to not go through the canal and visit Suriname, Brasil, Uruquay, Argentina and Chili instead!

cheers,
Nick.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Indeed, most yachts get an advisor, not a pilot. Yachts are their training-ground for becoming pilot.

.

Oi! Don't let me have to look up Pedant in the dictionary!

And no they are not necessarily a stepping stone. Our 2 advisors were doing it part time, one Signor Alvin Mcmillan had been doing it for 20 years or so but I don't remember what he did for his full time job; the other one was a full time tug skipper.

The ones who didnt want to become full time pilots because the hours are much better. Advisors work only a few days per week from 4pm till 11pm or day time 7am till 3pm and can scrub a shift at short notice. Whearas Pilots can be ordered out of bed at midnight for a 4am transit and it they don't comply get red hot pokers shoved under their finger nails! (True! True!)

Anyway the GP (general pblic) reading my posts understand what a Pilot is so I dont need to explain Advisor

Plus I don't let the fact get in the way of a good story.

Did I tell you the one about the crocodile when we were in the Chargos River.......?


Mark

[Starbuck]

Mark,

Crocodile? Are you sure you don't mean a caiman?

Heh.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by CaptainJeff

Crocodile? Are you sure you don't mean a caiman?

Hey Jeff, go swiming with this feller and I'll let you call it!


Other photo is of our Pilot / Advisor / Panama Canal Expert This, by the way is the only time he had his hand on the wheel. They were all beaut people! The stories of horror we not encountered by us He taught Nicolle a dance which they were doing on the foredeck. LOL And gave us a wonderful insight to the canal and Panama

Mark

[redcobra]

I spent two years at Ft. Amador and drank many a cuba libre at The Balboa Yacht Club. Used to rent boats for trips to Tobago Island. This was at the Pacific entrance to the canal. Is it still there?

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Oi! Don't let me have to look up Pedant in the dictionary!

And no they are not necessarily a stepping stone. Our 2 advisors were doing it part time, one Signor Alvin Mcmillan had been doing it for 20 years or so but I don't remember what he did for his full time job; the other one was a full time tug skipper.

;-) I meant it the other way around: most (if not all) pilots were advisor first. This is the best way for them to get to know all the details of the canal (lake and locks) before taking the ships through. And they earn money for Panama Canal Authority at the same time, instead of investing money for their training! So, I wasn't trying to correct you but explaining why Panama likes the yachts to transit the canal too.

ciao!
Nick.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by redcobra

drank many a cuba libre at The Balboa Yacht Club. Used to rent boats for trips to Tobago Island. This was at the Pacific entrance to the canal. Is it still there?

Yes its still there. Bar has been modernised but looks like the same mob at the bar. They all remember you.



It will always be there, I think


Mark