Panama Canal

Panama Canal

Well we got through, no worries:) Here's some info for other yachties wanting to transit or other folk who might be interested, Layla it's probably very boring for you. 

A lot of boats get an agent for the Canal, maybe it used to be harder I'm not sure but really it couldn't be easier and there is no advantage at all we found in spending 3-400$ on an agent. First you go on the pancanal website and fill out the form for small craft and email it back to them, this gives them all your boat details ect. Then call them up (they speak perfect English) and organise a date to get "measured". They can measure you in the "Flats" anchorage in Colon or in the marina not far called Shelter Bay. The flats anchorage isn't very nice, nowhere close to land the dinghy which makes it hard so most people chose Shelter Bay Marina, hence they take the piss with there pricing. For us at 43ft it was nearly $60US a day for a short stay but it is a very nice marina with a good bar so you get to meet a lot of people heading the same way. 

Once the guy from the canal has come to measure you he gives you some more forms which you take to the CitiBank in Colon and pay $1875 into their account, wait a couple of hours then call back up the canal and they have received the money and will now give you a date to transit. Firstly they said our date was 3 weeks away but we kept calling and seeing if there were no sooner dates and we ended up just waiting 12 days, this is the busiest time of the year for the yachts transiting. Yachts are chicken feed for the canal, one yacht $1000, an average container ship $300000. One of the worlds biggest cruise liners just tipped the record of $1.2m!! So they transit yachts when it's busy 3 at a time, behind a ship. One group leaves at 430am and goes through all in one day getting to Balboa late afternoon. The other group leaves around 1500, goes though the first 3 sets of locks and is in Gatun Lake by 1700 and then you go on a mooring for the night and the next day at 8am you continue the 30nm up the Lake to the last 3 locks near Balboa, this is what we did.  First though before transiting a Pilot boat drops of an "Advisor" to each yacht and he coaches you through everything. This time we did it was a lot easier than when we did it the week before on our friends boat. This time it was 3 mono hulls, us being the largest one which meant we were in the middle and did all the steering. So before the locks we pulled up, then the other 2 boats one by one rafted up and tied up to us. Once all sorted and the ship we were sharing the lock with was in we motored in and then the wharfies on the wall through down heaving lines to the boats on our sides and we carry on motoring to the end of the lock, once there, pass the long ropes up and all secure then they fill the lock with 8m of water. Once full the doors open into the next lock and we motor in again, still all tied together and repeat the process 2 more times and then you're in the Lake, easy. There is a fair bit of turbulence though going up, a lot more smooth going down the other end. 

So we left Saturday afternoon in the Atlantic and arrived Sunday afternoon in the Pacific. Was a real good buzz for sure getting through that last lock, beers were cracked and champagne ready, happy days!!

Once you have transited without incident the canal gives you back $891 of the $1875 you paid, so total costs-

Up to 50ft- total deposit-$1875, minus buffer $891, total cost-$984

Over 50ft-total deposit-$2375, minus buffer $891, total cost-$1484

Hire Lines and Fenders-$100

Return Uber for our French line handlers back to Shelter Bay Marina $80 (taxi around $100)

Mooring for the night at Balboa Yacht Club $34

Shelter Bay Marina-$60pd (43ft) we stayed 7 days total but really could have only stayed 4. 

Then the fees for Panama for the boat, Cruising Permit-$190. 

Visas are now free, when we arrived we had to pay $105pp

So all in all it was a little cheaper than we expected