For the past few days, we’ve been teasing about our “mystery location” on Instagram. We can now reveal that we’re in Panama! We’re with our friends Nikki & Jason Wynn on their catamaran, Curiosity, for the next week, helping them transit the Panama Canal!
Most of you are probably already familiar with the Wynns, as we’ve appeared briefly in each other’s videos, back in the old days when they were fellow full-time RVers (“old days” as in “the last couple of years” when we spent time with them in British Columbia, Trona Pinnacles, South Joshua, Quartzsite and a couple of other spots, too).
Since then, they have of course made the switch from RVing to boating.
So we’re announcing here for the first time, that we too are making the switch to boating instead of RVing! That’s right… beginning today, we’ll be sailing for a whole week! ;-) Don’t worry… after that, it’s back to RVing. While we love the water, we’re happy to join friends on their boats, and make our home on dry land.
Also joining us this week is Jason’s Mom, Mary. The five us will crew the boat through the canal on Tuesday and Wednesday this coming week. Jason & Nikki shot a quick video update this afternoon, announcing to their viewers for the first time that we’re here, and that the canal transit is imminent. We’re embedding that video below so you can check out the latest from them, and see us here on the boat, too.
In the video, Jason provides an update on his computer situation (they experienced some major tech woes), and introduces the motley crew for the canal transit: the two of us, and Jason’s Mom (we’re the motley ones, not her).
If we’re not too busy handling lines in the locks, we’ll probably shoot a video of our own about the canal transit. Either way, be sure to subscribe to the Wynn’s YouTube channel and their blog to see video they’ll be shooting of the canal transit, and their upcoming seagoing adventures.
We flew into Panama City on Friday, and today we sailed from Puerto Lindo to Portobelo, stopping to get some up-close-and-personal time with friendly monkeys hanging in the trees along the waterfront. We’re currently in a lovely protected anchorage, listening to the howler monkeys making a racket out in the jungle. Tomorrow we’ll be sailing to Colón to get ready for Tuesday’s entrance into the canal.
We’re scheduled to begin our transit through the first set of locks (Gatun) on Tuesday afternoon/evening (Eastern Time) 11/28, and pass through the second set of locks (Miraflores) mid-day or early afternoon on Wednesday, 11/29.
We’ll actually be visible on the live Panama Canal web cams as we pass through each lock. You can go to www.pancanal.com and just choose from the “Multimedia” menu option… (or use this link http://www.pancanal.com/eng/multimedia/index.html) and maybe you’ll be able to see us!
Times are VERY approximate, and not under our control, but we’ll try to Instagram a photo when we’re approaching each lock, in case you follow us on Instagram and want to know when to look for us on the cameras. Also, Nikki & Jason (who are far more social media-savvy than we are!) will be making announcements on their Facebook page as we’re about to enter the locks, too.
Stay up to date on all of the Wynns travels, including our visit with them, at GoneWithTheWynns.com and Facebook.com/gonewiththewynns
Thanks so much to Nikki & Jason for inviting us along. We’re having a blast already, and we haven’t even gotten into the canal yet.
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37 comments
What a great adventure! Looking forward to many more. Mary
Hi Mary! It sure was. What a wonderful time we had meeting and sharing it all with you. We know we’ll get to do it again in some other wonderful location. Hope you had a good trip home, and are acclimating to being back in the “real world” (the week went by so fast, it seems almost like a dream). Miss you, Peter & John
WOW! How exciting! We were in Panama and passed through the New Locks (Agua Clara Locks)on Saturday, on the Carribbean Princess and the Old locks (Pedro Miguel and Miraflores Locks) to the Pacific on a smaller excursion boat. It is quite a process! Fun to watch, but I bet a lot more fun to participate in. Have fun and document what you can. I will be waiting to see your videos as well as Jason and Nikki”s video of the transition through the Panama Canal! An exciting trip for certain! Wish I could join you.
Thanks,
George
Wow! That’s so cool that you were just here, George! Can’t wait to experience it ourselves tomorrow. Thanks so much. ?
Awesome, 2 of my 3 most favorite traveling bloggers all together on one giant adventure!! Thank you for letting us know in “real-time” – I for one did not want to miss this!! Imagine, from the Caribbean to the Pacific!! It is an engineering marvel!!
We are SOOOOOOO excited, Deborah! We hope Nikki & Jason don’t have to keelhaul us for abandoning our posts while going through the locks… because marveling at the engineering feat is going to be a hard temptation to resist! ;) Hope you get to catch our big moment on the cameras! LOL!
Excited for you all!! What a great team…AND…glad you are not giving up the RV travels!!
Thanks Brett & Paul! We’re excited, too! We’re geeking out being aboard… and are SOOO looking forward to transiting the locks! We’re so grateful to Nikki & Jason for allowing us to come along for this momentous ride. We love ’em to death! And fear not… seeing how much work boat life is, we’re VERY happy being landlubbers! LOL!
How nice! Did you make their crew walk the plank? Have a safe journey.. We’ll watch the webcam at the locks!
Thanks to you and the wynns for sll the adventures.
While we may be prone to a couple of “Aaaarrghhh, mateys!” every now and then, we’re not actually pirates. LOL! Dale & Justin are safe and sound… but their stint on Curiosity was already over, so Nikki & Jason had the room to invite as aboard.
That is so cool, my heart flipped for a minute when I thought you were going to change to boating! Whew.. it would still be cool though! It reminded me of Tecnomadia’s April Fools joke about putting on the bus on some weird barge looking thing and boating that way. While I dont normally take the bait as it were it got me hook line and stinker. Enjoy Panama!
LOL! Sorry for the “heart flip”, Bill! We couldn’t help but pull people’s leg on that one… since we often get questions about whether or not WE’RE going to follow in the Wynn’s footsteps and move to boating! ;) Fear not… we’re landlubbers at heart… although we DO love to fly, so maybe a Zeppelin?!?! Hmmmm…
How exciting. What an adventure. And a butifull boat ( I think you call it a boat) a catamaran. Have a great time And be safe
Thanks so much, Gary! And we’ll let the Wynns know you think their boat is beautiful (it’s VERY nice in person, too!)! LOL!
My first response was, “No way! We just bought our coach in July 2017 and now we have to sell it and get a boat?” Glad to see that my favorite RV’ers aren’t jumping ship.
LOL No worries, Jerry! Your coach is safe! ?
How amazing, enjoy your adventure!
Thanks Michelle! ?
We have done that both ways on a 40 foot Cat. Great fun. There is a video link on top of the main building. Our son watched us go through from Alaska and sent a photo shot to us. So we saw a picture of us on my phone while we went thought. Even the Pilot did not know that was possible. Enjoy
Awesome! We’ve got folks watching to send us a shot of ourselves, too. ?
What a fun surprise. Should be an exciting endeavor. Look forward to seeing photos and video and interested to hear what happened to the other crew members.
Thanks Ingrid! Nikki & Jason’s blog & videos generally run a bit behind real time, so we’re sure they’ll get to a crew update after the canal transit.
Congratulations!! I’m sure it will be exciting and fun!!
Thanks so much! We’re stoked!?
What a shock to see you two on board…..lol…we are in Tucson and it was 92 today
Surprise! ??
You had me when you said you were also going to move from RV to boat, I went “Oh no – who’s left?”
I’m sure you’ll have a blast! Will be watching.
No worries. We’re not giving up the road yet!
How fun is that
Thanks Rick!!
So excited and happy for you!
I was thinking of what ‘special crew’ that they would invite for such an important (and exciting) week of sailing, and gave you two a fleeing ‘I wonder if it might be John & Peter’. . . . .
The one thing I hope that they have scheduled for the new crew is a good bow to stern boat cleaning. You know, so we can learn how to do it right. ;)
Seriously, congrats on being chosen and I hope all five of you have a really great time. (Heck of a Christmas present.)
Thanks John! This boat is already immaculate, so our services aren”t much needed. ;-)
sounds like a wonderful trip hope you all have a great time
Thanks Victoria! We’re pretty excited. :)
Have fun guys! So excited, happy really really jealous!
We’ll be thinking of you, Joe. Sorry you’re not here with us. We’ll keep you on the photo list with our families.
I consider you RV family. We all love your photos!
Hint hint.