Date: December 17-24, 2025
Route: Colon-Panama Canal-Panama City
Miles/Hours: 49 NM/15 Hrs
Panama Canal – Formalities
First, we must decide whether we want to use the services of an agent. If so, we select the appropriate agent, pay them, set a date, and that’s it. The difference is around $500-$1000 depending on the agent. The upside is that you don’t have to fill out any paperwork and pay no deposit. The downside is the agent fee and the fee for renting ropes and fenders (which are about $50-$100 higher than the market rate, so people hired through an agent can be more expensive).
The rule is: you need at least 5 crew members (4 rope handlers and a helmsman), 4 ropes of 40 meters each, and at least 4 large “bulb” fenders.
Option 2 – we handle everything ourselves – it’s cheaper, you have more control over everything, and it’s cheaper.
First, you need to fill out the form on the website https://asem.pancanal.com/ – you need to enter the yacht’s details, including dimensions and photos. There are extensive instructions on the website for this. After filling out the yacht details, you can plan your visit. First, select the date you want to cross the canal – this date can be changed later as long as the visit is not scheduled. The ETA is approved, and after confirming your visit, if you want to change the date, you must delete the previous one and enter a new one. The ETA is important because if you don’t confirm your arrival within 6 days of the entered date (ETA), the visit is automatically canceled.
It’s worth purchasing a local SIM card to have a local phone number. The Canal Authority will contact you using this phone number.
After confirming that you are already in the Canal zone, you can pay. It’s best to transfer money – the account number can be found on document 4352. It’s important to set up all bank fees (this amounts to about $40). The bank in Colon, where you could pay cash, has been permanently closed. After paying, you call the number provided in the email and schedule a date.
Canal crossing fees increase every year.
Panama Canal Transit – Day One
We’re sailing with friends, and as the fifth person, we choose Tito – a local man from whom we also rent mooring lines and fenders. Standard rental rate Mooring lines and fenders are $100 (but some ask for $200), and a linehandler is also $100 (you can pay more). As part of the canal fee, we get an Advisor, a person who determines which vessel we will enter the locks with, when, how we will moor, etc. Tito brings the lines the previous day. With the canal authority, we arrange to pick up Advisor for 3 p.m. the next day. We are to cross in a raft with a much smaller yacht (37 feet) – he needs three additional linehandlers – also from Tito. Around 1 p.m., the linehandlers arrive for both yachts – Tito had to stay in Panama City, so his son comes instead. After settling the accounts with the marina, we set off for the anchorage. We report on VHF channel 12 that we are ready, and in response, we hear that Advisor will arrive in about an hour. We wait politely. Around 4 p.m., Advisor arrives and we set off. He shows us which vessel we will enter the lock with. It turns out that a vessel in The lock has engine problems, so the tugboats have to pull it out, and this takes time. We enter the Gatun locks in the dark. Meanwhile, John (Tito’s son) prepares the mooring lines, ties the loops, and sets the fenders. The entire locking process – three locks – takes about two hours. These are three connected lock levels – they share a common gate. We are connected to a raft with another yacht, so each yacht only has two mooring lines to operate. We get the lines on board, tie them to Tito’s ropes, and the canal staff collects them. Between the locks, we collect the lines, but the lines remain tied. We motor through, and in the next lock, the process repeats. Before 8 p.m., we leave the locks. After passing the last lock, we untie the raft and sail to the buoys for the night (about 45 minutes). These are large buoys for ships. We moor to it longside, tied to it with three mooring lines, and the Advisor returns home.
Panama Canal – Day Two
The previous evening, I receive We received word that the Advisoe would arrive at 6:30 AM, not 8:00 AM as previously scheduled. The Advisor arrived at 7:00 AM, we untied ourselves from the buoy, and set off. We then lined up longside with a large motorboat. The motorboat is moored directly to the lock wall. We don’t have to do anything – the motorboat crew loosens the mooring lines, but unlike before, we disconnect between the locks. There are also three locks in total, but in a different configuration – first one – Pedro Miguel, and then two connected by Miraflores. After passing through the Pedro Miguel lock, we disconnect the entire raft, and in the Miraflores lock, we only disconnect from the motorboat, and we and the other yacht form a twin-engine catamaran. Our Advisor quickly positions us.
By 2:00 PM, we were already in the Pacific Ocean. We returned the Advisor, collected the line handlers, ropes, and fenders from the other boat, and set sail for the marina.
La Playita Marina
A small marina in “island” of Naos. A causeway leads to the island, along which city bus 850 runs.
The marina is mainly occupied by motorboats, although there are also a few sailing yachts. The marina is expensive, costing $2 per foot of yacht. The price includes Water and electricity are charged separately ($0.25/kWh). A card is required to access the jetty (we receive two per yacht). The same card is used to access the restrooms and showers – there are two restrooms and one shower (in the men’s and women’s rooms), but they are comfortable and quite clean. There is no hot water (there are no choices, and it runs at different temperatures at different times of the day). The service is very friendly. There are numerous pubs on the causeway, some sparsely stocked nautical shops, and a small grocery store.
Transportation
A prepaid card is required for public transport. You can buy and top it up at Albrok station and metro stations. The ride costs $0.25 per person. Bus 850 runs from the marina to Albrook station. The journey takes about 20 minutes, but sometimes there’s a 30-minute wait. Taxis are also available ($10-20 from Albrok to the marina), and Uber is slightly cheaper.
Panama City
A city full of contrasts, modern skyscrapers meet the poverty of the narrow streets of the old town.
Panama City is thoroughly American. Modern office and apartment buildings tower everywhere, testifying to the city’s wealth. This wealth and development are ensured by the Panama Canal.
The city and capital of Panama is a fascinating place where modernity blends with the old baroque buildings of the colonial era. The old part of the city, known as Casco Viejo, was founded in 1673 and transports us to a bygone era when small, narrow cobblestone streets dotted with restaurants and shops dominated the architecture. The main attractions of Casco Viejo include Las Bovedas (a promenade along the Pacific Ocean), the National Institute of Culture, Plaza de la Catedral and its cathedral, the National Theater, the Museo del Canal Interoceánico (the Panama Canal’s intra-oceanic museum), the Palacio de las Garzas (the presidential palace), and the numerous restaurants and shops mentioned earlier.
Balboa Avenue and the Punta Paitilla district are symbols of Panama’s modernity and prosperity. This region is home to tall, shiny skyscrapers, home to major international corporations, and a vibrant nightlife scene, including discos, pubs, restaurants, and modern shopping malls.
Parque Natural Metropolitano
A large park and reserve in the center of Panama City. Open from 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is $5 per person. There are several interconnected paths. The walk is approximately 3-4 km long. It features a beautiful forest, numerous coatis, and even a sloth. There are also many birds. At the top, at the highest point of the trail, there’s a viewpoint overlooking the skyscrapers of Panama City. A sloth also lives there, but you have to look closely to see it.
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Near the marina entrance is the Smithsonian Institute. It’s open to the public weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $10 per person.
The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (SMIT) was founded to expand and share knowledge about the past, present, and future of tropical ecosystems and their importance to human well-being. This work began in Panama in 1910, when the Smithsonian conducted one of the world’s first major environmental impact studies, examining and cataloging the flora and fauna of lowland tropical forests that were slated for flooding due to the construction of the Panama Canal.
The tour includes viewing various species of tropical animals and plants. There are aquariums, a butterfly garden, fish tanks (even sharks), and, of course, a sloth. The institute’s staff is happy to answer questions.
Albrook Mall
A huge shopping mall with many stores familiar from our shopping malls, but also local tech stores (including Carbone, Novey, Do It Center, Panafoto) and several Chinese shops. Bus 850 runs from the marina. It’s also the main bus hub, from which buses depart to other destinations in Panama. Touts shout out town names loudly. The buses vary in standard – from old American school buses to elegant double-deckers with air conditioning.
Check-out
The best time to check-in is at Flamenco Marina – the ferry terminal building is on the first floor. First, go to Customs and receive a departure clearance document, known as a ZARPE. This can be done up to two days before departure. It costs $105. Then, go to Immigration. Here, if you’re staying in Panama for more than three months, you’ll need proof of an overstaying fine—around $50 per person per month. The fee is paid at Immigration Albrook—enter through the Albrook Office on the third floor. The officials are very friendly, you fill out a form (all people must be present), and even two of them speak English.
