Panama Canal Long Delays Solved by Yacht Being Trucked Across Isthmus

Created by doina. Last modified on 2008-05-01 13:53:38
Topic: Cruising Information
Countries: Panama

The eight week waiting time (reported to have been extended to 10 weeks) forced the owner of the French yacht Dolce Vita to enlist the services of local agent Centenario & Co. S.A. to have the yacht trucked from the Caribbean to the Pacific side. The agent, Mr Erick Galvez, made a feasibility study then cleared the operation with the local and port authorities, who gave their approval. The measurements had to be very precise as there are strict limits imposed by road bridges and other obstructions. In this case, a total height of 4.15 metres (including the lowloader), 4.15 m width and 12.8 m length were acceptable.

The mast was lifted at Shelter Bay Marina near Colon and placed on top of the yacht. The yacht then motored to Manzanillo port terminal where it was lifted from the water with a gantry crane and placed on a flat bed trailer. The truck crossed the isthmus to La Playita on the Pacific side. The yacht was lowered into the water with a rolling lift at Amador Marina and finally the mast was placed back in position with a shore crane.

This was the first time this operation was completed by this agent, who indicated a total cost of $5,000 for the entire operation.