ALERT: For the 2023/2024 season, delays are expected for small craft transits, and for larger yachts that have not pre-booked their transit. See this news item for more details.

Small craft vessels up to 38.1 meters (125 feet) in length overall normally transit the Canal as handlines (they do not use locomotives in the locks). Handlines under 20 meters (65 feet) will normally transit the Canal with a transit advisor; while handlines of 20 meters (65 feet) or more will normally require a pilot. See the official Procedures For Securing a Handline Transit document for more detail.

GENERAL PROCEDURES (details below)

1) Clear into the country of Panama (see Formalities).

2) Obtain an agent or make your own arrangements. See agent information at the bottom of these guidelines and a list of Clearance Agents in Panama Formalities.

3) Access the Panama Canal online registration system ASEM (Small Craft Service Management). This is compulsory and the only way to request a virtual inspection and pay. Submit your information at least 96 hours in advance of arrival in Canal waters. Pre-approval will be sent back by e-mail.

4) Call Cristobal Signal on VHF Channel 12 on arrival in Canal waters to record arrival time.

5) Contact scheduling department to see if papers generated (may take 24 hrs) and obtain transit schedule.

6) Arrange line handlers (need 4 + Captain).

7) Check or rent your equipment.

8) Collect your Transit Adviser.

9) Transit.

10) Collection of equipment.

Advance Notification and Admeasure Procedure:

The Panama Canal Authority requires 96 hours advance notification of arrival for vessels wishing to transit.

This is done by visiting the new ASEM Small Craft Management portal [https://asem.pancanal.com/] which allows skippers to create a profile for their vessel and then provide all the required information for a transit in a virtual environment, doing away for the need for the previous physical measurement and inspection. Use of the online portal is mandatory.

You (or your agent) will need to upload various photos of the boat to demonstrate main measurements and projecting deck equipment, and dimensions will also need to be included. The normal questionnaire asking for arrival date, characteristics, last ten ports, crew details, etc. is also on the portal. Fees are payable through ASEM, by Credit Card or Bank Transfer, the system will give you the two options.

A pre-approval email will be sent to the customer once compiled. If you don’t get a reply of pre-approval from ASEM within 24 hrs, call the admeasurement office.

Southbound – Cristobal: [email protected] (507) 443-2298

Northbound – Balboa: [email protected]   (507) 272-4571

On Arrival Pre-Transit:

Contact Cristobal Signal on VHF Channel 12 to get an arrival time on the canal system.

Inspection papers will be generated and will be received at the Canal Port Captain office for a final approval prior sending to the scheduling department.

Check the following day by calling the scheduling office to see if the papers are with the scheduler and request a transit date available on the queue. This may take up to 24 hours after your arrival.

When the inspection is complete you will receive your Panama Canal Ship Identification Number (SIN) which is good for the life of the vessel and an Admeasurement Clearance and Handline Inspection form, which is good for up to six months.

Fees:

Fees are payable online through ASEM, by Credit Card or Bank Transfer, the system will give you the two options.

Payment will incur a 12.87 % charge by the canal authorities to users.

On July 12th, 2022, following the recommendation from the Panama Canal Authority (ACP), the Cabinet Council of the Republic of Panama officially approved modifications to the Canal Tolls structure. Since 1 January 2023 there will be an increase in tolls for each of the next three years for yachts transiting the canal.  See details below:

TVI inspection charge:

All vessels       $75 (this increased from $54 in April 2021)

Security charge:

All vessels       $165 (this increased from $130 in April 2021)

Buffer/Security Deposit:

All vessels       $1,060 (this increased from $891 in April 2023)

Additional costs:

• Approx $100 for the rental of lines and fenders/tyres.
• Adviser’s meal including delivery by launch – meal box $75 and launch service $182 per hour.
• Food and drink costs for the transit crew.
• Transport costs for volunteer line handlers.
• Launch service (for example to bring out a late line handler): $182 per hour.
• Agent (optional) $400-$500 for an agent (plus $100 each for “professional” line handlers). Note no buffer deposit is required.

Additional costs for larger yachts: 

• Vessels over 20 meter (65 feet) in LOA must have an AIS, otherwise, the Panama Canal Authority will provide a portable unit and a rental fee of $161 will be assessed.
• Vessels over 125 feet LOA will be subject to a Freshwater Surcharge which will include the following components: a fixed fee of $10,000 per transit and a variable fee ranging from a minimum of one percent to a maximum of 10 percent of the vessel’s toll will be applied depending on Gatun Lake levels at the time of transit (i.e. if the lake has a higher level, the percentage will be lower and vice versa). Also there are Disruption Charges, Suitable Conditions Charges and Green Vessel Classification Charges.

Extra charges or fines:
These can sometimes be incurred during transit, especially if you find yourselves with problems such as engine failure etc. Some examples include:

• US$440 Delay of Transit for not maintaining your nominated boat speed, such as during a breakdown, or for requesting a stop-over in the lake.
• You can pay US$2800 to request a next-day transit
• Note: In the event of having a transit delay or breakdown and requiring shore assistance in canal waters, a registered agent must be contacted to assist with solving the problem and re-scheduling to continue the transit.

The ACP will return your buffer into the appointed bank account. This can happen in a week but might take longer.

Schedule Procedure:

Southbound transits (Cristobal – Balboa): Normally start late afternoon, anchoring in Gatun Lake for the night and finishing the following mid-afternoon.

Yachts with higher speed may transit up to Gamboa mooring. Then wait for the following day to complete the transit. Or may transit all the way through in one day as they can keep up a high speed to meet lockage times to tandem with a merchant vessel.

Northbound Transits (Balboa – Cristobal): Normally start around sunrise and finish the same day, late afternoon.

Yachts normally pass through the locks with small commercial ships.

Waiting Times:

During the months of February/March there is heavy small craft traffic due to the transiting of World ARC and Carnival Holidays (which means limited canal adviser availability). Yachts can expect a 5-10 day wait after the inspection before transiting.

Line Handler Procedure:

The ACP requires that you have four line handlers in addition to the Captain.

Note: It is highly recommended that you join someone else for transit before taking your own yacht through. See Mad About Panama for more details on how to find line handlers.

Equipment Procedure:

Most boats have to rent large fenders (normally tires wrapped in plastic) and long lines for their transit. If using an agent, this can all be arranged through them and they will collect all items after transit.

However, if using an unofficial agent, or no agent, the person you contract to rent equipment will most-likely only pick up the lines after transit. This has resulted in cruisers throwing away the used tires. Old tires are a mosquito breeding area; so cruisers are asked to make sure any tires and lines are picked up after transit by the person they came from, or to make arrangements to dispose of them properly.

Yachts transiting the Panama Canal should be aware that lines used in transit may well become oily, greasy and/or stained from rusty moorings and dirt from the locomotive railways. Agent Erick Galvez has brought this to the attention of the Panama Canal Authority urging a solution be sought, but yachts transiting should be aware that lines coming back from the wall, or moorings in Gatun, may bring unwanted dirt back to the boat, and appropriate precautions should be taken. All lines provided by the agent may look dirty, but should be clean and are simply stained.

Canal Advisers:

The Adviser appointed by the Panama Canal Authority will be on board throughout your transit. It’s important to remember that the adviser is not a Pilot in command, but as the name suggests, an adviser. You may not necessarily choose to take all the advice you are given, but do note most advisers know what can go wrong and how to avoid it. The adviser needs to be given proper meals while on board and bottled water with unbroken seals. If your transit is overnight, he will not stay on board and may not eat an evening meal prior to departure, however be sure to confirm this in advance as if hot food is not provided he will order a meal box which can cost several hundred dollars for the meal and delivery (see notes above under Fees). You may get a different adviser on your second day of transit.

Restrictions:

The optimum minimum speed to transit the Canal is 8 knots. The Canal Authority may deny transit if a handline vessel cannot maintain a minimum speed of 5 knots. However, a vessel may be towed through the Canal by another handline vessel if it can tow her at 5 or more knots, or the vessel owner can make arrangements to be towed, at their own expense, by a Panama Canal Authority launch.

The vessel must be equipped with a working whistle or horn. The vessel must have a toilet and holding the tank onboard (though the holding tank is not always checked). The vessel must provide the Pilot or Transit Adviser with a hot meal and bottled water, or there could be an additional charge to provide these items for them. An awning must be installed over the cockpit to provide the Transit Adviser and crew with shelter from the sun and rain. The vessel must maintain its schedule, regardless of weather conditions.

For further details see the official ACP Procedures For Securing a Handline Transit document.

Types of Lockages:

There are four types of lockages available to yachts: center chamber; nested; sidewall; or alongside an ACP Tug.

All vessels will be required to be capable of making a center chamber lockage. The other three options will be at the discretion of the Canal Port Captain.

Sloops may request center chamber or nested and say no to sidewall or alongside a tug.

Catamarans and Motorboats may select center, nested or sidewall and say no to tugs.

Center Chamber: The vessel is held in the center of the chamber by two bow and two stern lines. This type of lockage requires four 125‐foot lines not less than 7/8” in diameter, nor larger than 1 ½” in diameter.

Nested Center: This is where two or more vessels (yachts or a ferry boat) perform the entire lockage tied up or “nested” alongside each other.

Sidewall Lockage: This type of lockage uses two of the required 125‐foot lines to hold the vessel alongside the sidewall in the chamber. The walls of the locks are rough unfinished concrete, which can cause considerable damage to vessels not properly protected by fenders. Damage to masts or rigging on sailboats may also occur if the turbulence causes the vessels to roll and strike the sidewall.

Alongside an ACP Tug: Availability of this type of blockage depends on the ship traffic for the day, and as such cannot be scheduled.

VHF Channels:

Cristobal Signal Station and Flamenco Signal Station Balboa (Panama Canal Authority) listen on Channels 12 & 16 and use these channels for Port and Canal movements.

In the lake VHF is not usable, only mobile phone.

Links:

The website Mad About Panama has excellent information as well as a regularly updated Ebook covering all aspects of a yacht transit.

The official Panama Canal website has forms and reference documents, such as “Procedures for Securing a Handline Transit” and “Request for Transit Booking”.

Agents:

Agents are optional and arranging your own transit is a straightforward process. However, the service of agents is available if you don’t want to do the paperwork for the transit yourself or if you have special timing requirements. The extent of the service depends on the captain’s requirements and negotiations with the agent.

Note that there are official agents, registered with the Canal Authorities, and unofficial “agents”, who in the main are taxi drivers. Non-registered agents are no longer a good option, as they will be held responsible if they register in the ASEM platform.

A few things to consider if using an agent:

• If Transit Fees and Buffer (Guarantee Deposit) is paid via the agent and not directly, it should be made clear beforehand how and when the Buffer is refunded or accounted for.
• Daily rate for line handlers – don’t forget to take into account the number of days your transit is expected to take.
• Experience of line handlers and possible language barrier.

In the event of having a transit delay or breakdown and requiring shore assistance in canal waters, a registered agent must be contacted to assist with solving the problem and re-scheduling to continue the transit. Do your research and have an agent in mind should you need to contact them mid-transit for breakdown reasons. Note: when in the lake VHF is not reachable only mobile phone can be used for communications.

Back to Panama Formalities

Related content

• New Panama Canal Portal for Small Craft Inspection (July 2023)
• Panama Canal Prepares for Impact of Climate Events (July 2023)
• Panama Canal:  Tips for Transit
• Panama Canal: A Shortcut Between the Seas (transit Dec. 2021)
• Panama Canal Transit: Covid-19 Field Report (transit April 2020)
• A Transit in High Season Without Using an Agent (transit Feb. 2020)
• Cristobal (Colon)
• Balboa

Last updated:  July 2023