Wind Surf preparing for 1st Panama Canal

[new_cruiser]

I thought someone else would post something, but since no one else has, here goes. 

 

Since last afternoon, Wind Surf has been at Colon preparing to enter the Panama Canal for the first time. It is too tall for a full transit (can't go under the Bridge of the Americas on the Pacific end) so it hasn't been in the canal before.

 

We will be doing a partial transit tomorrow as part of the Surf's journey around the Caribbean.

 

They have to install a Panama chock and associated hardware at the stern. That's a very strong attachment point for the lines to the mules (engines on tracks) that keep a ship centered in the locks. 

 

The tenders/lifeboats have been replaced with life rafts because they stick out from the hull. I don't think they make the ship too wide for the canal. Apparently the concern is that they could be damaged if they contacted the side of a lock.

 

We docked at Colon late afternoon yesterday for all the equipment and life rafts to be loaded on. The tenders were left at the dock. Today, we are at anchor while the work is being done. A smell of welding gas invaded our aft cabin. Hopefully, that will dissipate before night.

 

The attached picture shows the big box of equipment they loaded on to do the work.

 

[Chipshot from Michigan]

Very cool.  Enjoy!

Edited February 8, 2020 by Chipshot from Michigan

[sb44]

9 hours ago, new_cruiser said:

I thought someone else would post something, but since no one else has, here goes. 

 

Since last afternoon, Wind Surf has been at Colon preparing to enter the Panama Canal for the first time. It is too tall for a full transit (can't go under the Bridge of the Americas on the Pacific end) so it hasn't been in the canal before.

 

We will be doing a partial transit tomorrow as part of the Surf's journey around the Caribbean.

 

They have to install a Panama chock and associated hardware at the stern. That's a very strong attachment point for the lines to the mules (engines on tracks) that keep a ship centered in the locks. 

 

The tenders/lifeboats have been replaced with life rafts because they stick out from the hull. I don't think they make the ship too wide for the canal. Apparently the concern is that they could be damaged if they contacted the side of a lock.

 

We docked at Colon late afternoon yesterday for all the equipment and life rafts to be loaded on. The tenders were left at the dock. Today, we are at anchor while the work is being done. A smell of welding gas invaded our aft cabin. Hopefully, that will dissipate before night.

 

The attached picture shows the big box of equipment they loaded on to do the work.

 

Also on board and it's been interesting.  We were able to get a local tender in to Colon for a 5 hour trip to old city to break the wait up. The activity and expense to do a partial transit has been different to say the least.  James, our excursion manager, has been absolutely outstanding doing last minute bookings due to port and itinerary changes. He deserves a medal in patience!  Carla has been on as our Naturalist. For those of you who have done full Canal transit's with her as we have, you know what a joy she is. Brilliant! Tomorrow the Gatun Locks and the lake.

[Host Jazzbeau]

So, my wife often says I'm blind [when I can't find the thing she sent me to get in our house, just because it's always been kept in that location for the 35+ years we have lived there...] but I have studied this picture and don't see the 'big box of equipment' you reference.

 

In any case this is an amazing story of what Windstar had to do to accomplish this Panama Canal transit, and a great credit to them for being willing to do it.  I'm glad that you enjoyed this 'down' day, and expect that you will enjoy tomorrow even more.

[new_cruiser]

7 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

So, my wife often says I'm blind [when I can't find the thing she sent me to get in our house, just because it's always been kept in that location for the 35+ years we have lived there...] but I have studied this picture and don't see the 'big box of equipment' you reference.

 

In any case this is an amazing story of what Windstar had to do to accomplish this Panama Canal transit, and a great credit to them for being willing to do it.  I'm glad that you enjoyed this 'down' day, and expect that you will enjoy tomorrow even more.

It is a bit hard to pick out if you don't know what you are looking for. It's a dark olive green toward the back of the picture. The man with the orange hard hat is standing in front of it and a white crane (for lowering lift rafts?) is behind it.

[CruiseOrLand]

Thank you for quite an interesting report. As I noted in my review a year ago, one of our (smaller ship) Star Breeze mule-engines broke down during one lock transit. Our captain refused to wait for a replacement or repair, saying in effect, "Thanks, I can keep off the walls myself."

[new_cruiser]

We are in Gatun Lake now having completed the transit up.

[Chipshot from Michigan]

1 hour ago, new_cruiser said:

We are in Gatun Lake now having completed the transit up.

Will you be overnighting in the lake?  We did that with another line last year, and waking up there was a special experience.

[new_cruiser]

No, we are on our way out now. We will dock in Colon in the evening so the tenders can be reinstalled & the extra life  rafts taken off.

 

Tommorow is turn-around day so many will be debarking.

[Chipshot from Michigan]

Colon is interesting because of all the activity (nothing quite like having an enormous container ship pass within feet of your vessel) but not exactly the most charismatic port.  That's the reality of the canal.  I'd like to pass through one of the new locks (no mules) someday.  Tugs are used now.

[ridethetide]

3 hours ago, Chipshot from Michigan said:

Colon is interesting because of all the activity (nothing quite like having an enormous container ship pass within feet of your vessel) but not exactly the most charismatic port.  That's the reality of the canal.  I'd like to pass through one of the new locks (no mules) someday.  Tugs are used now.

It is my understanding that only the mega-ships can transit the new canal.  I believe that is for huge container ships, not passenger cruise ships. 

[Chipshot from Michigan]

The new locks are too expensive for any vessel that doesn't really need them.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/caribbean-princess-traverses-panama-canal-as-first-ever-neo-panamax-cruise-ship-to-sail-through-newly-expanded-locks-300552964.html

[Chipshot from Michigan]

Morning in Gatun Lake.

[minidonuts85]

12 minutes ago, Chipshot from Michigan said:

Morning in Gatun Lake.

Great pic! When I lived in Panama, this was a familiar sight as we fished for Peacock Bass at the crack of dawn in Gatun. Having a the wake from a freighter rock your little fishing boat is quite the experience!

[Chipshot from Michigan]

3 hours ago, minidonuts85 said:

Great pic! When I lived in Panama, this was a familiar sight as we fished for Peacock Bass at the crack of dawn in Gatun. Having a the wake from a freighter rock your little fishing boat is quite the experience!

 

We rode in an outboard to a nature preserve and were utterly dwarfed by those freighters.  Surprisingly little wake, actually.  Speeds through the canal are probably limited.  Plenty of bird activity.  I would have enjoyed joining you with a camera while you fished.

[cruisencrazy]

Ports were  missed and rearranged because of the modifications that needed to be made for this very short journey.  We spent about an hour in Gatun.  The entire day was a bit of chaos as timing kept changing up until the end of the show.  I think we are don't with Windstar for a while as our last cruise was also modified.  Both cruises skipped ports we most wanted to see.  I know things can happen, but we will explore with other companies from now on. We have sailed 6 times with Windstar and now we will try another smal ship line.  Enjoy wherever you travel to, hope it's where you want to be.  

 

[sb44]

We were also onboard and true, there was a rearrangement of ports and one missed port, but it all turned out fine for us. Puerto Limon was a day earlier than planned but all tours scheduled for the following day went the day we were there and we had a spectacular time at a hacienda. Bocas del Toro was the missed port but we were only supposed to be there for 5 hours so not a big deal. The day missed there we were anchored in Colon while the ship was prepared with equipment to go through a partial canal transit and tours were unexpectedly added for Panama.  We went to old town and had a great day. Since we were disembarking in Panama and flying directly home,  we had a day to spend in Panama City so it actually turned into lemonade for us personally.  Some people were upset that everyone could not get off without a ship sponsored tour and I understand that frustration but we were able to take a tender over so for us it worked out. Yes, there were some weird hiccups on this piece of our 23 days on the Surf but, when I think about 3500 people quarantined on a Princess ship, I am grateful for another sweet sailing on the Wind Surf. The problem with the changes seemed to stem from this partial transit put on the itinerary but not communicated to operations so the ship had not been prepared with the canal authority's requirements. It was weird in the disconnect but the crew was great and James and the rest of the excursion people went above and beyond to do the best under the hand that was dealt them and are to be commended. Maybe we are more flexible than most as we loved our time onboard.  And coming home to a flooded bathroom made us really wish we were still at sea!