At this writing we are rafted to two other yachts, Paradise Found and Overseas Express and tied to a huge mooring, with another raft consisting of Nina, Carango and Mystique Soul on the other side of the mooring, floating in the Gatun Lake. Yes, we've started our transit of the Panama Canal, having completed the three Gatun Locks! With Paw Paw on the starboard side of the raft, Roy and Keenan did a great job as line handlers today. Tomorrow we'll be up early to transit the remainng two locks, Pedro Miguel and Miraflores.

The canal, which opened in 1913, ten years after the USA and Panama signed the Hay-Bunau-Varilla treaty, following Panama's independence from Colombia in 1903, was initially started by the French in 1892, but disease, the harsh geographical and climate conditions coupled with a lack of funds halted the operation, having cost 1,435 million francs and consuming 20,000 lives. When it was eventually completed by 75,000 men and woman, it had cost and additional $400 million.

Be that as it may, it is still an engineering marvel 100 years later which we got to witness first hand and which gave us the coolest day - just incredible!