Shipping: Catching "Her" in Panama Canal

BBC Africa was still at anchor on the Pacific side when we went to bed last night.  Below is the position report:

Time            Position Type                  Port          Speed  Course   Latitude Longitude
28-01-2014  Midnight           PACIFIC ANCH   0.2       171        8.864674 -79.52852  
00:55 UTC

Since the two previous position reports showed essentially the same Latitude and Longitude, I concluded she was still at anchor despite showing a speed of 0.2 knots and course of 171 degrees.

This morning (i.e., Tuesday, January 28 at 6:15 AM to be precise), I awoke and said to Diana, who was lightly sleeping, I think I will check to see BBC Africa's current status.  I went to my "lucky link" and saw the following position report on Marne Traffic.

Time            Position Type                  Port         Speed  Course   Latitude Longitude
28-01-2014  Departure          PACIFIC ANCH   0.0       
09:51 UTC

The report was missing speed, course and LAT/LON position information.  Still the word "Departure" strongly suggested that BBC Africa could be on the move.  Based on my previous time calculations, the reported time of 09:51 UTC, should have translated to 4:51 AM EST.  If that was the case we, to use a perfect cliché, "missed the boat."

Well that turned out not to be true.  The distance from the Pacific Anchorage to the Mirafores lock is approximately 11 nautical miles.  Hence, at 6 to 7 knots, BBC Africa could have covered that distance in less than two hours.  However, I figured that out as I was writing this article.  At the time I thought we had lost the opportunity to view her on the Mirafores Lock webcam.

Using the Ipad I tried to access the Mirafores Lock webcam without success.  I was unable to get an image (thanks to Steve Jobs' refusal to have Flash on the Ipad).  So I went to the laptop where I was able to get an image of an empty lock. Whether we were too early or too late was not clear.

Not quite ready to give up, I tried another of my stored links and this time hit pay dirt.  It showed the BBC Africa in the canal and just approaching the lock.  Note: I had tried this link earlier and BBC Africa did not appear anywhere.

So I went back to the Mirafores Lock webcam link.  There was a passenger ship in lock.  I stayed on the image waiting for the time stamp to change and BINGO, at 6:29 AM EST the bow of BBC Africa came into view.

BBC Africa comes into view

Minutes later, Guided Discovery, sitting behind a mega yacht, with her bow facing the freighter's starboard side, came into view.  Pure luck.



BBC Africa with Guided Discovery in view

Eight minutes later, the freighter exited the lock and headed into Lake Mirafores. 



BBC Africa exits the lock into Lake Mirafores

She had traveled 11 miles from her Pacific side anchorage, traversed a triple lock, which lifted her 85 feet into Lake Mirafores, and was on her way to the Gatun Locks on the Atlantic Side.  Based on what I've read, she should exit the canal at Colon in about 8 to 10 hours.

Reader Note:  In case you have not figured it out, the "Her" in the article's title stands for both the freighter and Guided Discovery.

All I can say is wow.  We saw our boat as she went through the Panama Canal.  Pure luck or maybe, just maybe, the product of tracking her as she crossed the Pacific.  Who knows.  But it sure felt good.

Written by Les.