Panama : Profile

Facts

The country is dominated by the Panama Canal and the surrounding Panama Canal Area, which were incorporated fully into Panama on 31 December 1999.
Balboa on the Pacific and Cristobal in the Caribbean are the two main ports and gateways to the canal. The port of Cristobal incorporates the town of Colon.
Dress – Especially in Panama City and any government office, please respect the local custom of wearing long pants, shirts with sleeves, and shoes (not sandals).
In Colon and Cristobal, muggings are a real threat, even in daylight. One should avoid walking anywhere outside of the port and all shopping should be done by taxi.
The main cruising attractions in Panama are the 365 San Blas islands off the Caribbean coast, a popular destination for yachts. A cruising permit is required to visit these islands, but the local Panamanian officials usually treat yachts arriving from the east on their way to the mainland with a certain degree of tolerance.
On the Pacific side, the Las Perlas islands are another unspoilt cruising ground popular with boats en route to the Galapagos and South Pacific islands. Like in other isolated parts of the world, sailors are advised to only stop in a remote anchorage in the company of another boat.
The Panama Canal Commission gave notice to all three yacht clubs located on Commission land that their current leases will not be renewed and they must therefore relocate. Balboa Yacht Club received its new concession in 2006 and its new clubhouse was completed in 2008. In March 2009 the buildings of the Panama Yacht Club at Colon were demolished.
For details on the Canal transit see Noonsite/Panama/Clearance page
From the 1st February 2010 all persons or companies offering maritime services to ships or yachts must be in possesion of an Operation Licence. See Noonsite Report
Cruisiers are advised to check that anyone offering them such services has a valid licence.

GENERAL INFORMATION
There are two Yahoo e-mail groups on the Internet specifically designed for cruisers to share information.
For the Caribbean side it’s "Cruisers_Network_Online".
For the Pacific side it’s mainly the the "Southbound_Group".
Also, note that both groups have cruisers world wide.
The Southbound Group’s website is http://groups.yahoo.com/group/southbound_group/
To subscribe to The Southbound Group, email Southbound_group-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Cruisers Network Online’s website is http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Cruisers_Network_Online/
To subscribe to Cruisers Network Online, email Cruisers_Network_Online-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Weather

The climate is hot and very humid, although cooled by the prevailing easterly winds. The dry season is January to April, and rain can be heavy in October and November. Panama is not affected by hurricanes.

WEATHER Caribbean Weather Center, operated by Chris Parker, S/V Bellamy, www.caribwx.com. Chris can be subscribed to by contacting him at Chris@mwxc.com, or by writing to Caribbean Weather Center, 5130 Medulla Road, Lakeland, FL 33811, Phone: 863-248-2702, Cell Number: 941-915-7608, or Fax 863-248-4666. Chris offers different rates for daily emails, SSB contact for sponsoring vessels and special trip forecasts. SSB users can listen to his daily forecasts on SSB at numerous times and frequencies. For example: SSB 8104 at approximately 7:30 AM.