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SV Rare Mettle & SV Amazing Grace

Here are the pictures of the two sailboats on their transit through the Miraflores Locks
from Balboa to the pedro Miguel Boat Club. The line handlers are usually cruisers who exchange their help with each other.

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	*It is 6:30 AM and SV Rare Mettle* is entering the Miraflores Locks to tie up to the tug behind the grey B.O.S.S (Big Old Steel Ship).**
	SV Rare Mettle tied to the tug Gilberto Guardia which is has the cycloidal Voigt-Schneider propulsion sysytem. It can actually move sideways while pushing or pulling a ship. The tug is tied to the lock wall and is responsible for hauling in the lines as the water level in the lock rises.
	Tied to the other side of SV Rare Mettle in Miraflores Locks is a sailboat with a delivery crew. The building in the background is the control tower for the locks.
	The severe upwelling in the first chamber of the Miraflores Locks as it is being flooded. This chamber has significant upwelling because it starts with the water level very close to the inlet ports on the bottom of the locks. It is also where the fresh water from the Canal meets the salt water in the locks from the Pacific Ocean entry. Not only is the turbulence high because of the close inlet but also because of difference in water density.
	Guy Pontifex, Captain, on the bowsprit of his SV Rare Mettle at Pedro Miguel Boat Club after the transit of Miraflores Lock. Guy probably holds the record for the Spring 2001 season as line handler for other boats. He helped at least six other boats transit Panam Canal locks.
	SV Amazing Grace looking small compared to the Ro-Ro (Roll On-Roll Off) car carrier ship that was in front of, and with her in the Miraflores Locks. The Ro-Ro is the BIG ship in the background not the tanker with the tug alongside.
	*Sonja (SV Shilo)* demonstrating her line throwing skills as Captain Bob brings SV Amazing Grace to the dock at Pedro Miguel Boat Club.**
	The happy crew of SV Amazing Grace after transiting the Miraflores Locks. Left to right: Captain Bob (SV Amazing Grace), Harry (SV Shilo), Sonja (SV Shilo), Judy (Admiral, SV Amazing Grace), and Ward (SV Desiderata)
	These are the Pedro Miguel Locks with the Pedro Miguel Boat Club just to their right in this picture. Each of the locks has two side-by-side chambers allowing two vessels to transit at the same time. Due to single file lanes through the Gaillard Cut, the traffic pattern is generally for batches of ships to transit the locks in the same direction in both chambers.

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