Pedro Miguel and Mira Flores Locks Transit 2/06/10

Stuart's internal alarm goes off at 5am and he is up making coffee as the rest of the
crew awakens and dresses for the day. Today we transit Pedro Miguel and Mira Flores
locks. We have all had our coffee as we see the pilot boat approaching the mooring
field and without stopping Emiliano, our advisor, jumps down onto Imagine's deck.
After meeting everyone we hear yet again, "Let's go"! We untie the lines and begin
the 4 hour motor ride to Pedro Miguel lock. It is only one lock and will this
time lower us to Mira Flores depth then we will travel through 2 locks at Mira Flores
and will be lowered to the level of the Pacific Ocean. Again we are all soooooo
excited! The 4 hour long trip through Gatun Lake is breath taking. Beautiful Islands and even a croc sunning himself along the way. We are making phone calls to our family members and friends now that we know the cam is working at Mira Flores and
tell them to watch at 11:30am as Emiliano thinks this will be when we come through
the lock. I get Stephanie and Scott's recorders but do speak to Helen and she is
on it! We later find out that Vinnie also watched and even took a photo of us as
we past under The Bridge of the America's. Again, we are rafted up with Peter Pan
for the trip through the locks. It is again an amazing experience but seems easier
this time with the water emptying rather than swirling around us as he fills. Our
handlers did a great job and we all ate breakfast motoring to the first lock and
had our lunch while passing through the Mira Flores locks. Thanks to my friends
Jeannie and Betsy (fellow galley slaves) who did a great job helping supply food
and beverages to the crew. This time we were placed ahead of a large freighter.
I have photos which I will post of him looming over us in the locks. The pilot
on board wanted us out of his way and radioed us to tie up to the first buoy
after leaving Pedro Miguel so they could pass us. Our advisor ignored him as
he said we were to be in front of the freighter not behind it. We all laughed as
the freighter took much longer coming through the lock as he was so wide he only
had 5' on each side of the ship to the side of the lock so went very slowly. We
were in the Mira Flores lock a long time before he had even left the pedro lock.
Now, we thought, our friends can see us. So we all waved at the camera and found
out later some saw us but the cam was for the most part angled towards the boats
travelling east. We did hear the commentator at the Mira Flores Visitors Center
announce the 2 sailboats going west. Again, sooooooo exciting! The gates opened
and we motored out into the Pacific. The Placid Sea, Meagellan called it.
We motored through the Bridge of the Americas to Balboa Yacht Club where our crew
members disembarked and we were able to rid ourselves of the 125' lines and tires.
Fond farewells to our friends, Bob, Jeannie, Jim and Betsy we could not have done
this without you guys. Bob, Jim, and Jon worked so hard at securing the lines and
keeping them tight. Then Stuart, Jon, and I motored to La Playita anchorage and
anchored for the first time in the Pacific complete with its 7' tide. Jon left
us then to catch a bus to Costa Rica and after a call to our friends, Paul and
Moreen on Calypso, who had crossed the week before us, we had a bite to eat, sat
watching the ships pass us by in the channel of the canal, and went to bed very
early. Happy we had succeeded in our crossing! Photos to follow soon.