South American Tour: Panama Canal, Canal Zone to Buenaventura, Columbia to Long Beach

Wednesday, March 17, 1965 Enroute to Canal

St. Patrick's Day! The Nelsons, Bradfords and Dorothy Willison hosted a party in honor of the Finnertys and the other passengers. It was Planter's Punch and hors d'oeuvres for cocktail hour, red and white wine for dinner and cordial following games were played in the lounge. 

We had arrived in Limon Bay inside the brian water at 1 PM. There were a dozen other ships anchored nearby. We received the "news" shortly as an official boat came by and said we were scheduled for 8 PM tomorrow night, Thursday -- a 31 hour layover. Life hasn't changed a bit -- its still "mañana" -- Par for the course. The party helped to pass the time. Last year we went from the Pacific to the Atlantic. One can't say from west to east as the eastern end (Atlantic) is 27 miles west of the Pacific entrance.

 

Thursday, March 18, 1965 Panama Canal

This was the most uneventful day of the trip. We walked the decks and looked at the ships thru our glasses and tried to figure what was causing the delay. We didn't. Today there were 17 Northbound (Pacific to Atlantic) and 23 Southbound ships put thru the Canal, according to the official report. The Canal Pilot arrived by boat at exactly 8 PM. Our Captain came to lounge a few minutes later and said the passengers might use the flying bridge to observe progress thru the Canal. The anchor was hauled up and we were on our way. The moon was full as it had been on February 26, 1964, the last time we went thru. The ship traveled slowly. 

Gatun Locks

We are disappointed that we are going thru a second time at night. However, there is a possibility we may still see part during daylight. The Captain has been informed that the ship is to stop, anchor and wait for orders to proceed, as soon as we leave the Gatun Locks and enter Gatun Lake. If we stay there all night it will be a daylight trip for the rest of the way. It's midnight and all the passengers are going to bed. Starting of the Disel's will wake some and they will arouse the heavy sleepers. The ship has covered only 8 miles of the 50 to get to the Pacific. We decided to sleep thru the trip thru Gatun Lake and be called as it entered Gaillard Cut. It seems we only stop for two hours. That's the way the cards fell and we were on deck at 3 AM. It was slightly cool and very humid, with a full moon shining. The Canal is very narrow but well lighted all of the way. At the 40th mile we were into Pedro Miguel Locks and at 41 the two at Miraflores which lowered the ship back to sea level. Then we passed Balboa and saw the lights of Panama City and out into the Pacific where the ship headed south for our second stop at Buenaventura Columbia. We weren't impressed on our first visit January 4 and 5, 1965 so we will try to go over to Cali and then hope we can fly to Bogota the Capital.

Friday March 19, 1965 Enroute to Buenaventura

 Today's cool and humid we are 7°-8° North of the equator. The passengers spent all or part of the day catching up on lost sleep. I went to bed at 5:15 AM while Millie and Bea made toast and tea in the kitchen. Tomorrow, Buenaventura. There is a Question of whether we will be able to dock or must anchor and wait.

Saturday, March 20, 1965 Buenaventura, Columbia

The ship anchored a short distance from shore at 6 AM. At 7:30 AM it moved into dock. We were told then that we would sail out Sunday Night. This short stay eliminated the train trip to Cali and then a flight to Bogatá. Millie was sick during the night and was not interested in going anywhere. The Finnertys and Nelsons hired a taxi to go to Cali, about a four hour drive, stay all night and to return tomorrow. In mid-morning Millie and I took a walk around the town. We liked it better than when we were here in January. It was quiet and humid in the sun. Millie went to bed in PM and I walked over to town to get a haircut. The barber spoke no English and understood less. It was the cheapest I’ve ever had. Next one will be in the States. That last one cost me 4 pesos, about $.28 U.S. and that’s what it was worth.

Sunday, March 21, 1965 Buenaventura, Columbia

Victor Bradford has arranged for a small motor boat for the morning. Six went along. The little boat had a capacity of 12 and was powered by a new Johnson Twin outboard motor. It was an unusual trip. We went far into the jungle, the Rio Agua Clara rapidly narrows and we went in until there was scarcely any room to turn around.

Monday, March 22, 1965 Buenaventura Columbia

Buenaventura Columbia

Sailing time has been changed several times. This morning it is set at 4 PM depending on coffee. We are to take on 5000 in 4 pound bags. In the AM we visited the Grase Line ship Santa Mercedes. It carries 120 passengers and cargo. This Afternoon some of the passengers visited us. Word came at 3:30 PM that sailing would be at 4 PM and so it was. 

It was alos raining very hard at that time, the first time on the trip that the ship has traveled in the rain. Next stop Los Angeles, understand English is largerly spoken there!

Tuesday, March 23, 1965 – Wednesday, March 30, 1965 Enroute to Long Beach

This will be the longest non-stop run for the ship. It is 3046 nautical miles to Long Beach from Buenaventura. We move from 7°26’ to 36°25’ N. Latitude and from 79°00’ to 122°03’ N Longitude. The first three days the sea was quite rough and then it became delightfully smooth.

It was not quite a non-stop run. On Monday, March 29^th, the motors stopped while we were eating dinner a few minutes later the Captain was called from the table. He came back later and said that one of the pistons had gone bad and there would be a 4 to 5 hour repair of it. The crippled diesel was staled and the ship was moved about five miles out of the ship lanes and then stopped for the overhaul. It was too deep to drop anchor so we just floated around. The air temperature stayed around 86° to 81°  the first 4 days, dropped to 77° the fifth day, to 63°  the next- the day we had motor trouble. As we neared Long Beach the air temperature dropped to 62° with wind and rain and then to 54° at San Francisco.

The ship was supposed to dock at Pier 41 in San Francisco which is adjacent to Fisherman’s Wharf. This would have been most convenient for us as our motel was only ten minutes away. We had also made reservations for the Bradfords who had joined the ship in Buena Aires.

However, there were so many bags of coffee in the hold that had to be unloaded before getting to the other cargo, it was necessary to dock at the Alameda Encinal Terminal across the Bay. The U.S. Custom Officers permitted us and the other passengers to leave the ship that night with overnight bags and leave the rest of our accessories (32 bags and boxes) on board until Monday when the ship would be at Pier 41. We were fortunate in having a ship supplier salesmen who came aboard offer to take the four of us over the Bay Bridge to San Francisco as he lived in the neighborhood, he dropped us at the Alpha Motor Inn. It was just midnight and our South American Tour was over.

Note from B-Dog: This is the end of the South American Tour by Ernest and Millie Saegart. I found the journals very interest especially as a time stamp from two people living in Southwest United States in 1960's. Just a note on Ernest. He was born in Connecticut in April 28, 1898 to Arthur Saegart and Cora (Sackett) Saegart and Died December 9, 1966 so about a two years after this trip was taken. 

A note about Mildred "Millie" (Elwell) Saegart she was born June 17, 1905 in New York to Raymond S. Elwell and Grace (Hutchinson) Elwell. She lived until February 24, 1994. Which means I have vague memories of her, which mostly involve dressing up her dogs in doll clothes, and trying to avoid getting lipstick on my teeth. 

South American Tour: Balboa, Panama (1964-1965)

Monday, December 28, 1964 Enroute to Balboa

We were on our way to Balboa Canal Zone at 5:30 am, so I am told. Millie and I slept until 10. Lazy day, smooth sea. Saw lots of fish, porpoise, sail fish, tarpon. I swam in ship's pool this PM. The water from the sea was a delightful 75 degrees. We are in sight of land most of the time.

Tuesday, December 29, 1964 Enroute to Balboa

Slept late. Awoek with headache and upset stomach. Millie not feeling too good. Later we felt we had picked up a bug in the salad we ate for lunch at the Hilton in Acapulco. We have and will continue to refraing from drinking water or milk when off ship. Also to leave fresh vegetables and fruits alone. I thought perhaps the Hilton could control their products but apparently not. I slept most of the afternoon and ate little dinner.

Wednesday, December 30, 1964 Enroute to Balboa

Decided to get up for breakfast instead of sleeping. On our previous trip we had access to pantry and we could prepare toast and coffee. On this ship the pantry is locked. So we will probably get up in the future. We both feel ill and to make matters worse we had run into a gale making the sea rough. However, it did not pitch or rock as much as the Flying fish. We went back to bed after breakfast. Got up for a big lunch and went back to bed. Got up and dressed for cocktail and enjoyed a good dinner. The wind went down with the sun and the sea became smooth again. Everyone went on deck it was most delightful. Due in Balboa, Canal Zone Friday noon. Played Bingo in the lounge until ten, then had a gab-fest for the late go-to-bedders.

Thursday, December 31, 1964 Enroute to Balboa

Weather balmy, sea smooth, saw land on port side. Every once in a while. Captain gave cocktail party at 5 PM in lounge. Dinner at six. After dinner had more drinks in lounge Bea Finnerty was doing a solo dance in stocking feet on slippery tile floor when she slipped and fell on shoulder and a gash over right eye. Frantz, the Chief Steward patched her up. Then we slipped away to the officers mess to celebrate New Years Eve.

Friday, January 1, 1965 Balboa, Panama

Miraflores Locks

We opened the new day and the new year with parking the ship at 6 am out in the Bay of Panama - expecting to be there all day. However, a pilot came out and the ship was docked. We took taxi with Finnerty's, five other passengers another taxi. All of us were going to visit some noted park. On the way we saw a sign inviting visitors to see the Miraflores Locks on the Pacific side of Canal so we left the other five. On the side of the locks there is an observatory which overlooks the locks which is glass enclosed and covered, with a bilingual guide to talk about the operation and answer questions. We watched ships going in each direction thru the two locks at that point. We returned to Balboa Railroad station to take the train for the 48 mile ride across the continental seaside (271 Elv) and Isthmus to Cólon and Cristóbal. We walked about 12 blocks thru Cólon to Sea. Washington Hotel for lunch and discovered we were too late and too early for dinner. Took Taci back to yacht Club in Cristóbal where we had an excellent broiled lobster meal - $200 panama is the only country which does not have any paper money of its own. If they did it would be called Balboa, but they use Us paper money instead. Pretty smart as then no fluctuation. We took a taxi ride around the two towns and then back to RR station for return to Balboa at 6:30 (from coast to coast and return in an afternoon)

Train to Colon

Saturday, January 2, 1965 Balboa, Panama

Balboa

Posted time for sailing was 12 noon, so we hustled away by taxi for Panama City in Republic of Panama which is about 3 miles from Balboa. There are many excellent shops, drug stores/farmacias, and a number of camera stores. We made the rounds and taxied back to ship. It was still unloading. We had lunch and sailing time postponed to 2:30 PM. I walked about 1/2 mile to Balboa Post Office to mail film for processing. Al-tho the canal zone was in U.S. territory, U.S. Stamps are no good for postage, it must be Canal Zone Stamps - probably printed in Wash DC. When I returned found sailing time had been set back again. Millie and Finnerty's had gone into Panama City looking for me on the way but I had wandered off the beaten track to take some pictures. In late afternoon, we visited the United Fruit boat tethered on other side of our dock. The passengers were quite unhappy. They had inspected our ship in the morning and had seen passenger accommodations. They had no air conditioning, cabins were cramped, windows were port holes, and they were told while we were there that they would have to leave the ship to go to hotel and wait for another ship which would take them to Baltimore and pay their own expense from there. Originally they expected to return to New Orleans. We sailed at 6:15 pm. It was a beautiful balmy evening.