The crew of Rio Teta Photo by Francis Zera Click on pic for race photogallery

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Cayuco: A dugout canoe, carved by hand from the trunk of a single espave tree by native Central American craftsmen.

Panama Canal: A 50-mile deep-water man-made passage through the isthmus of Panama connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The construction of the canal remains an epic feat of engineering (see FactFile for a list of resources for further exploration).

Fatigue: n. Weariness from bodily or mental exertion (from Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary).

Determination: n. The quality of being resolute; firmness of purpose (from Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary).

Now that we understand all of that, also know that a cayuco is tippier than a full-on racing canoe, and that it's not unusual for frequent users of such craft to be able to balance in them while standing. As they're carved from a single piece of wood, a process that takes several months, no two boats are the same. Boats are precious commodities, therefore rights to race a particular boat are fiercely protected by crews, who are allowed to race the same boat year after year.

Now, picture this: more than 70 cayucos, paddled by four-to eight-person crews, racing 50 miles in the blistering tropical sun. Then add the complicating factor of racing from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean via one of the most heavily-used commercial waterways going: the Panama Canal.

Tippy boats, big water, giant ships, and brutal sun. Wanna race?

April 11-13, 2003 marked the 50th running of the simply named Ocean-to-Ocean Cayuco Race and the 100th year of the founding of the Republic of Panama. Originally started as an exercise in planning and endurance by the then-Panama Canal Zone troop of the Boy Scouts of America (remember that, until 2000, a broad strip of land along the canal was American sovereign territory) that has taken on a life of its own. Today, the race is organized and run by the Balboa Paddle Club, aka CREBA (Club de Remo de Balboa). What began as a life lesson for a handful of Boy Scouts has evolved into a longstanding contest between international competitors for the honor of being the fastest crew through this vaunted waterway.

"What began as a life lesson for a handful of Boy Scouts has evolved into a longstanding contest between international competitors..."

The race also offers the rare opportunity for paddlers to traverse the canal under their own power, something normally not allowed by the powers-that-be at the Panamanian canal commission, the Autoridad del Canal de Panam‡. These days the race normally portages the canal's three sets of locks at Gatun, Pedro Miguel and Miraflores, but, because of the concurrent anniversaries, the ACP allowed racers to experience the complicated dance that is the traversal of the locks for all but Gatun, as the first day's racing ended at those locks and it was easier to portage them to Gatun Lake than start that long leg with a complicated lockage in the morning.

Tommy Morris works for the ACP and is vice-president of CREBA. "Basically, before 2000, there was no interest in promoting this event outside the Canal Zone. The race is now being promoted among schools in Panama City as for teenage development, local companies for team building and sponsorships, and internationally," Morris said. In the 2000 race, there were 45 boats. This year there were 73.

The race is divided into two classes: trophy and open. The trophy class requirements include the use of traditionally-carved wood boats and paddles, which typically weigh from 250-400 lbs. and carry four-person crews. Most trophy-class boats are crewed by local teens, and both training and competition are fierce.

That's not to say that the open-class racers are slackers. Quite the contrary. Although the open class allows the use of newly-designed fiberglass boats, traditional paddles are still required. Some open-class boats, such as the wooden English-flagged Slave Galley, can accommodate up to 12, while others, such as the fiberglass Coiba, are lightweight versions of trophy-class boats crewed by highly-trained outrigger crews from southern California. The Coiba's crew actually purchased a traditional cayuco from COIBA and had it shipped to their California-based club so they could train in advance. Many international crews train at home in other craft and only practice in cayucos during the week or so prior to the race.

The wooden boats are approximately 30 feet long, 14 inches deep and 20 inches wide. Race rules allow for the addition of a native plywood bow and stern and the gunwales can be stripped or raised. Amas are not permitted. This year saw the first use of fiberglass cayucos. There were three, all made from the same mold. They weighed in at a relatively light 280 pounds, and placed 2nd, 4th and 6th in this year's race.

Further, there are serious restrictions as to paddles. Race regulations require them to be locally-made from native wood (cedro amargo) and the blade cannot be scooped, although bent shafts are allowed.