Transiting the Panama Canal

The Panama Canal is 50 miles long from deep water in the Pacific to deep water in the Atlantic. It runs northwest to southeast with the Atlantic entrance 33.5 miles north and 27 miles west of the Pacific entrance. The average ship requires about 8 to 10 hours to complete a transit; a cruising yacht takes a bit longer.

A vessel is raised or lowered 85 feet to or from Gatun Lake in a series of three “steps” or locks. Entering on the Pacific side, Miraflores Locks cover the first 54 feet in two steps and open up to Miraflores Lake. At the other end of the small lake, Pedro Miguel Locks raises a vessel the last 31 feet and open onto the Gaillard Cut, a 9-mile channel that leads to Gatun Lake. Twenty-three and a half miles later, Gatun Locks step down in a continuous series of three locks to the Caribbean Sea.

Transit Logistics
Transiting the Panama Canal can be one of the most exciting experiences in one’s cruising. Whether it’s “good” exciting or “bad” exciting depends in large part on the thoroughness of you preparation—both physical and mental. By far the best way to prepare yourself for your transit is to be a line handler at least once on someone else’s boat. I did this a few times, and felt very well prepared to take my own boat through. Finding a boat to line handle aboard is easy, even if you don’t know anyone; skippers are always looking for line handlers.

You will surely seek, and receive, lots of input about your transit. I include a few nuggets here.

Small vessels always lock through with a large vessel such as a cruise liner, cargo ship, or barge. Aside from the vessel, there may be any number of small boats, including canal tugs. When locking up, the ship enters first, followed by the accompanying vessel(s). When locking down, the smaller vessels enter first, and the ship takes up the rear. (This can be quite an experience: When we were locking Ciao down, we shared the lock with a large cargo ship. Standing on the stern and looking aft, all my reflexes were flashing red lights. The bow of the ship was no more than 15 feet away, and my brain shrieked “Danger! Danger!”)

There is a lot of talk about the turbulence of the waters in the locks, especially when locking up. Though it should not be downplayed, if all members of the team are alert, there should not be problems. When locking down, be aware of possible turbulence in the last two locks, where sea water and fresh water are mixing.

Locking behind a tugboat can also be a stressful experience. Unless the tug operator is aware of the effects his helming may have on a yacht behind him, the wash he creates as he throttles up to move out of the lock can be a challenge for the yacht to overcome. When I went through, I found that most tug operators did take our presence into account, and throttled up slowly to avoid adverse impact on our maneuverability.

Transit Preparations
No matter what locking configuration you choose (see “Arranging a Transit,”below), you will need four lines of at least 125 feet in length (or two of at least 25 feet each) and at least 5/8-inch diameter, though 3/4-inch or higher is preferable. Good stout fenders are a must; some people use old tires tied to the bulwarks.

In addition to the helmsperson, you will need to have four line handlers aboard. “Professional” Panamanian line handlers are available at the yacht clubs; when I transited in 1993, $40 to $50 per person per day including meals was the fee range for this service. “Amateur” line handlers are available from various sources, the most common being other members of the cruising fleet.

Hiring professional line handlers does not necessarily increase the safety of your transit. The real key to success is having a team that will work together and take orders easily. Some of the Panamanians can be difficult to manage; I have heard complaints that some of the younger men especially had surly attitudes. This is not universally the case, and if you feel more comfortable hiring line handlers by all means do so. Do keep in mind, however, that not all line handlers are equal, and a short preliminary interview might be a good idea.

Amateur line handlers, especially members of the cruising fleet, can be excellent additions to your crew. First timers tend to be nervous, and therefore will take instruction with alacrity, and will be alert at their posts.

You will take on a canal transit advisor prior to departure who will stay with you during the entire experience. One thing to keep in mind: Unlike the pilots of the big ships, your advisor will be just that—an advisor. He or she knows the canal backward and forward, but you know your boat. If your advisor directs a particular action that you know will be difficult or dangerous, speak up.

When I transited, many members of the advisor squad were part of the pilot training program, and placement aboard a small boat was sort of a second class assignment in their minds. They preferred apprenticing aboard a ship rather than guiding a yacht. If this situation still exists, this attitude should not affect the execution of their job, but it could affect your interactions with them.

Arranging a Transit
Assuming that you will not hire an agent to take care of your paperwork, you will need to arrange for your transit yourself. Official procedures have changed since I went through the canal prior to the U.S. turnover of the Canal Zone to Panama. There are several web sites that summarize procedures (including admeasurement) and current transit fees and regulations (try this one ). Also, there is an official document providing an overview of procedures. The Autoridad de Canal de Panama (ACP), the governing entity of the canal, will always have the most up to date information, though it may be hard to locate. Because the situation could change at any time, I suggest you seek current updates from recently-transited cruisers you meet on the way to the canal.

As of July 2003, transit fees for boat up to 50 feet in overall length are a fixed transit fee of $550 and a buffer of $900 to cover additional costs incurred during the canal crossing. If no additional fees are incurred, the buffer will be refunded.

When I transited the canal, the minimum speed required of a yacht was four knots. That requirement has now been raised to five knots. Also, any yacht that cannot complete its transit in one day will be charged a second day for the services of the transit advisor ($440); this will be taken out of the buffer paid per above. Note that there are other requirements besides minimum speed pertaining to yachts in the canal, e.g., the latest time that a yacht will be allowed to down-lock and  types of ships that yachts are not allowed to down-lock with (ships with hazardous cargoes go through alone). Therefore, other circumstances besides the time in which you can get across the lake may keep you from completing your transit in one day.

When arranging your transit, you will be asked what lock tie-up method you are willing to use. Choices are either center chamber, a variety of side-ties (alongside a tug, along the side wall, alongside another vessel), or in a raft-up. I recommend that you select the center-chamber-only choice a the time of your interview. This configuration is the most work for helmperson and line handlers, with the boat kept centered in the lock by lines tied to the four “corners” of the vessel and secured on bollards on the lock wall. It is also the configuration that gives you the most control of your vessel. The side-tie choices are a lot less hassle, but you give up a fair amount of control.

Why choose center chamber? Do not underestimate the possibility of damage to your boat during a canal transit. I have known people who have made the transit with no mishaps, and who subsequently tell newcomers that it’s a “piece of cake.” In my opinion, they are spreading serious misinformation. There are so many things that can go wrong, most of which you have no control over, that a problem-free transit should be considered a piece of good fortune.

With the possibility of damage to your vessel a very real concern, specifying the center-chamber-only option during transit arrangements gives you the most choice and flexibility. You can still opt for any of the other configurations that are available at the time of your transit. For example, if you advisor tells you that a tugboat is locking up with you and you can go through side tied to it, you have the option to agree or disagree to do so. This happened when we took Ciao Bella through; because the tug crew was just ending a shift that had included significant overtime, I declined the side tie. I didn’t want to risk damage resulting from fatigue-induced neglect on the part of the tug crew, on whom I would have to depend to secure Ciao to their boat. If, however, I had agreed to a tug side tie at the time I scheduled the transit, I would not have had the option of turning down that configuration.

The scheduler may attempt to talk you out of the center chamber option. I suspect that the canal staff is not crazy about this option, probably because inept skippers have caused problems in the past, and perhaps because it means more work for the guys who have to secure lines to the wall bollards. They would probably prefer to have all yachts safely side-tied out of their way.

Though I have said that a canal transit is not be taken lightly, the probability of a safe passage can be enhanced by alert preparation and participation by captain and crew both before and during transit. With this in mind, I wish you an interesting and “uneventful” canal transit!

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