Sailing Big Lostvideo
Before the Panama Canal: The Start of Our Pacific Preparation
January 6, 2026 · 6 min · 2K views · Shelter Bay Marina
What this video covers
Anchored at Shelter Bay Marina on the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal, the crew of Big Lost is staging a Pacific departure with a February 24th canal transit date confirmed.1:29 Two parallel paperwork tracks are running simultaneously: children's passport renewals at the U.S. Embassy in Panama City and a long-stay French Polynesia visa application at the French Embassy, chosen over the standard 90-day visa because the process takes four to eight weeks and requires multiple embassy visits.1:07 Shelter Bay's facilities — over 6,000 feet of concrete floating docks, 120/240-volt shore power, potable water, a travel lift, boatyard, certified electricians, and diesel mechanics — make it a practical base for the wait.2:28 A mid-February haulout is planned to refresh the bottom paint before departure.2:53 After transiting, the plan is to move to La Playita Marina on the Pacific side to provision, collect visas, and wait for a weather window to the Galapagos Islands, where they intend to spend 20–30 days before continuing west.5:07 The crew has covered roughly 7,000 nautical miles and 14 countries since late 2023.5:57 Pre-canal preparation involves small repairs, deep cleaning, and stripping unnecessary gear from the boat.1:50
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