We left Panama City at 8:30 am on 2/15 after our Canal Advisor William arrived on board. In addition to Tom and I, our crew included Canaan (who joined us in Golfito, Costa Rica), Michael from Switzerland and Laurie and Damon Jones from Austin, TX. We had an amazing two day journey though the canal.
We ended up being side tied to tugs both days. The first day it was a commercial tug and we ended up with some damage on the toe rail when a large wave from the freighter in from of us slammed us into the tug. Fortunately, it's not too bad and Tom said he can fix it. We anchored in Lake Gatun overnight, having just missed the window of time needed to transit in one day (most sailboats take two).
The second day we were side tied to a Panama Canal tug - they were absolute pros! Although the day was gray, cloudy and raining, our spirits were anything but damp. As you can see by the looks on our faces - it was an incredible experience! Thanks to Laurie for taking such amazing shots!