Bareboat charter is legal in Panama, but only inside the AMP's yacht chartering service. The yacht is managed by a company with an AMP operating licence and a charter navigation permit, and the renter needs a one-month temporary permit letter from AMP Gente de Mar, valid for daytime use within the company's licensed area. That is why most Panama City operators sell captained trips instead.
What the rules say
AMP Board Resolution J.D. 089-2020 created the yacht chartering auxiliary maritime service and names two modalities: crewed and bareboat (casco desnudo, without crew). Both run through a Panamanian operating company with an AMP operating licence, and each yacht needs a charter-type navigation permit. The resolution adds conditions specific to bareboat:
- Night navigation is prohibited for yachts on bareboat charter.
- The person sailing the yacht must hold certification from their country of residence to operate a similar vessel.
- AMP Gente de Mar issues a temporary permit letter for the operator, valid for one month, for daytime only and within the area in the company's operating licence.
The marine tourist transport route registered with the ATP is a different regime: a commercial passenger boat with a licensed captain. It does not have a bareboat version. See which boats can charter in Panama.
The licence and permit the renter needs
The AMP's Gente de Mar page lists the requirements for the carta de permiso temporal para operar yates a casco desnudo bajo arrendamiento:
- The operating company applies on the renter's behalf through the AMP's E-Seafarers platform.
- Passport or identity document.
- Proof of experience operating this type of vessel.
- A certificate of training on the yacht, issued by the operating company.
- A patrón de nave de placer or capitán de yate licence matching the yacht's tonnage.
- The company's DGPIMA operating licence and the yacht's charter navigation permit.
- The AMP fee for the letter; confirm the current amount with the AMP.
Plan for the paperwork. A renter arriving on Friday for a weekend is unlikely to have the letter in hand unless the company starts the file well ahead. Ask Gente de Mar whether the renter's foreign licence can stand for the patrón or capitán de yate requirement, or whether a Panamanian title is needed.
Is it insurable?
Resolution J.D. 089-2020 requires every yacht in the charter service to carry a policy covering 13 risks, including hull, material damage, third-party liability, wreck removal, pollution and marine ecological damage, guests, medical expenses, hospitalisation and air ambulance. The operating company must also keep accident, removal, fire and third-party cover for the life of its licence.
Finding that cover for bareboat use is the hard part. Many yacht underwriters will write a crewed charter policy more readily than a bareboat one, and the ones that do write bareboat tend to ask about renter vetting, the operating area and the company's track record. Get written quotes for bareboat use before you sign a contract or take a deposit. The broader picture is in charter insurance and liability in Panama and recreational vs charter insurance.
Why most Panama City operators only run captained trips
- The water. A 4 to 6 m Pacific tide range, strong tidal streams, ships at anchor off Balboa and the canal approach make Panama Bay unforgiving for a stranger. See Pacific tides and currents.
- Daytime only. No night navigation on bareboat rules out sunset returns and early starts for Las Perlas.
- The paperwork per renter. A permit letter for each operator, with training and experience evidence, is a lot of administration for a day booking.
- The product. Most guests want to swim, eat and be looked after, not navigate. A captained boat sells that.
- Insurance. Crewed charter is easier to insure and cheaper to claim against.
Bareboat makes most sense for multi-day cruising by experienced sailors, which is where Panama's sailing charter fleets sit, rather than for a Taboga day.
The "bareboat with the owner's captain" trap
In a true bareboat, the renter takes control of the yacht and its navigation. If the owner or operator also supplies the captain, the renter is not in control, and the arrangement is a crewed charter in substance. Calling it bareboat does not change what it is. In Panama it means the yacht must meet the crewed charter rules, including a captain licensed for the position. Insurers who find an owner-supplied captain on a bareboat policy may decline a claim.
If a renter wants a captain, sell a crewed charter. If they want to sail themselves and hire a local skipper for the first day, put that in writing as a separate, renter-chosen service, and ask your lawyer whether it holds up. The Florida side of the same problem is in owner involvement in bareboat charters.
Your practical starting checklist
- Decide whether bareboat fits your boat and area, or whether captained trips serve guests better.
- Work through a company that holds the AMP yacht chartering operating licence and a charter navigation permit.
- Get written insurance quotes for bareboat use covering the J.D. 089-2020 risk list.
- Write a renter vetting process: licence, experience, a training session and a check ride.
- Start each renter's Gente de Mar permit letter well before the charter date.
- Limit the charter to daytime and to the area in the operating licence, and write that into the contract.
Frequently asked questions
Is bareboat charter legal in Panama?
Yes, through a company with an AMP operating licence for yacht chartering, with a charter navigation permit for the yacht and a temporary permit letter for the renter.
Can I rent a boat without a captain in Panama City?
Only from an operator set up under the AMP's yacht chartering service, and only if you qualify for the one-month daytime permit letter. Most Panama City operators only offer captained trips.
Can I sail a bareboat charter at night in Panama?
No. Resolution J.D. 089-2020 prohibits night navigation for yachts under bareboat charter, and the renter's permit letter is for daytime only.
Does my home licence count?
The resolution requires certification from your country of residence for a similar vessel, and the AMP's checklist asks for a patrón de nave de placer or capitán de yate licence matching the tonnage. Ask the operator and Gente de Mar whether your licence is enough.
¿Es legal alquilar un yate sin capitán en Panamá?
Sí, a casco desnudo, a través de una empresa con licencia de operación de la AMP. Quien opera el yate necesita una carta de permiso temporal de Gente de Mar, válida un mes, solo de día y dentro del área autorizada.
En español: alquiler a casco desnudo
La Resolución J.D. 089-2020 de la AMP permite el alquiler de yates a casco desnudo mediante una empresa con licencia de operación. Quien opera el yate necesita una carta de permiso temporal de la Dirección General de Gente de Mar, válida por un mes, solo de día y dentro del área de la licencia. La navegación nocturna está prohibida.
The next question to answer
AMP licence grades for paid trips. Read Captain and crew requirements.
The two legal routes for a paying trip. Read Which boats can charter in Panama.
Day charter, tours, bareboat and management compared. Read Charter operating models in Panama.
Same topic in Florida: coming from the US? Compare One moment, please....
Official resources
Use the relevant Panamanian authority for current requirements and fees. These resources are the next place to check; a practical recommendation is not an agency determination.
- AMP: Resolución J.D. 089-2020, yacht chartering auxiliary maritime service ↗
- AMP: Dirección General de Gente de Mar (carta de permiso temporal, casco desnudo) ↗
- Kraemer & Kraemer: Panama yacht charter regulations (secondary) ↗