a couple more canal shots (won't you all be happy when we're in Honduras: no more canal)

this great shot of the enigmatic sea lion on the stern (I call him "Teaky") and the Bridge of the Americas at sunset was taken by our buddy Pablo, who also joined us for the transit. He has lived in Bocas off and on for more than 10 years (he owns and manages the marina here), but had never been through the canal, so this was clearly the right boat to make it worth the wait!




One of my favorite things about this transit was watching Captain Allison very confidently and calmly maneuver a 90-ton boat into some pretty tight spaces. She was constantly working the bow thrusters to keep us centered in the locks.....a whole different ballgame than Ute's transit (understatement). She never got ruffled, even when we pulled into Flamenco Marina and we were too big for all the spots, and the 18-foot tides and huge surge were making the boat buck and strain against her docklines, which were cleated off on cleats more suited to a Ute's dinghy. What a great role model.......