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For two days I have been at sea aboard the Crown Opal, a 152 meter cargo vessel from Colon, Panama to Guayaquil, Ecuador. I am now south of the equator and have taken my first steps on South American soil.

Back in Panama, my bike and pannier bags were perched on the back of an open harbour boat for the ten minute dash out to where the Crown Opal was anchored in the bay. As we approached we were dwarfed by her immense hull. Once broadside, a rope ladder was lowered and a rope thrown down. It was a vertical ascent to safety and we bobbed about for a few minutes as first the bike, then bags were winched aboard. I was left with my film camera in one hand as the harbour boat captain gestured for me to start climbing. Quickly disassembling the camera and stuffing it into my pockets, I hoped it wouldn't fall out.

As soon as my feet were on, the harbour boat shot off, and I dangled over open water. Clambering up I was met by a mainly Russian crew, who seemed as unsure of my sudden appearance as I was of my new surrounds. There were no introductions as I was led between the mountains of containers and up lots of ladders to my cabin, next to the bridge (control room).

My crew have turned out to be very friendly after my initial concerns, but it is undoubtedly a tough life aboard these vessels. The twenty-one men who run the Crown Opal are on board for six months at a time away from friends and family. Seeing this reality has put my insecurities of such things into perspective. In the last few days we have been through an emergency drill, checked the whole ship is ready for a cargo of four thousand tonnes of bananas destined for Europe and made it safely through the .

is one of the most impressive spectacles I have ever witnessed. The lakes in the middle of Panama are above sea level, meaning locks are needed to raise the water level and then lower it again. Imagine a set of stairs up one side from the Atlantic and down again to the Pacific. We made these first three steps in daylight and I was juggling two film cameras, a stills camera and my phone (for twitter) all the time to capture an amazing story.

The last steps, back down to sea level were in the dark and this was even more impressive as massive locomotives tethered our ship at each corner to allow us to inch our way through the narrow canal without damage. In one of these locks we passed a ship that holds 5000 cars going the other way. It was all of the 32 meters wide and most of the 250 meters long that the locks would allow. An utterly staggering scale.

Since then we have been on the open ocean, about 80 miles off the coast of Columbia heading south. The main hazard out here is tiny fishing boats that are too small to show up on the radar. Earlier today we also passed some whales, but I wasn't quick enough to get the shot!

I feel great for the brief rest before the challenges of South America. To be honest I am raring to go and feeling quite couped up on board without any exercise! Apart from getting me where I need to go, this voyage has been an amazing adventure and an insight into a tough life at sea.

Thanks to all the crew aboard the Crown Opal and those who have made this part of the journey possible.

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