If your boat catches fire or starts flooding in Panama, put everyone in lifejackets, call mayday on VHF 16 and dial 911, and fight the problem only while it is small. Heat, corroded wiring and fuel cause most fires. Rainy-season downpours, tired hoses and through-hulls cause most flooding. Both are easier to prevent than to fight.
Fire: the first two minutes
- Shut off fuel and power. Stop the engines, close the fuel valve if you can reach it safely, and switch off the battery isolators.
- Get people forward or upwind. Lifejackets on. Smoke from fibreglass and wiring is toxic.
- Call. Mayday on VHF 16 with your position and the word incendio. Dial 911. At a dock, also shout for the marina staff.
- Fight it only if it is small. Aim the extinguisher at the base of the flames. Do not open an engine hatch on a fire. Air feeds it. Use a fire port or the fixed system if you have one.
- Leave early. If the fire grows after one extinguisher, get everyone off: into the dinghy, onto the dock, or into the water upwind with lifejackets.
A real example shows who responds. In November 2024 a yacht caught fire at a dock in the Amador area. The AMP reported that the fire brigade (Benemérito Cuerpo de Bomberos) and SENAN brought it under control. The AMP's maritime investigation department then opened an inquiry, and its ports directorate watched for fuel spills.
Fire prevention in the tropics
- Extinguishers. The AMP expects small vessels to carry a portable ABC extinguisher. Carry more than one: at the helm, in the galley and near the engine space. Check the gauge and service date. Heat and salt shorten their life.
- Wiring. Humid salt air corrodes terminals. Loose, hot connections start fires. Look for discoloured terminals and melted insulation every month.
- Shore power. Burnt plugs and undersized cords are a common dock fire. Check the plug at the pedestal for heat after the first hour.
- Fuel. Ventilate before starting petrol engines. Check fuel hoses and clamps. After fuelling, sniff the bilge.
- Engine rooms. High air temperatures mean hot engines. Keep blowers and vents clear and the bilge free of oil.
- Galley. Gas lockers should drain overboard. Close the gas at the bottle after cooking.
Flooding: find the water, then stop it
- Taste it. Salt water means a hull, through-hull or hose leak. Fresh water means rain, a tank or a water system.
- Start every pump, including manual pumps and, on some engines, the raw-water intake switched to the bilge.
- Find the source. Check through-hulls, hoses, the shaft seal, the rudder post, cockpit drains and the engine cooling system.
- Plug it. Use soft wooden plugs tied next to each through-hull, underwater epoxy, or a cushion and line held over a hull hole.
- Call for help early. Use pan-pan on VHF 16 while you are winning. Use mayday if the water is still rising. Steer toward shallow water or a beach if sinking is possible.
The rainy-season flooding risk
From May to November, Panama's afternoon storms dump a lot of rain in a short time. Boats sink at the dock or on a mooring when:
- cockpit drains clog with leaves and debris
- bilge pump float switches stick, or batteries run flat during a long storm
- open hatches and covers let water fill the cabin
- a boat on a fixed pier hangs on its lines at low tide and takes water through the exhaust or scuppers
Clear drains, test float switches and keep the batteries charged. Leave the lines long enough for the full Pacific tide range, which is up to about 5.7 m. The rainy-season prep guide and its checklist cover the boat left alone.
When to leave the boat, and what to take
Most people leave too late. Decide on the trigger before you need it: a fire still growing after the first extinguisher, or water rising faster than the pumps can clear it with the source not found. Then go, while you can still choose how.
Keep a grab bag by the companionway with:
- a handheld VHF and a PLB or the boat's EPIRB
- a phone in a waterproof pouch, with the emergency numbers saved
- a torch, a whistle and drinking water
- copies of the boat's papers and crew list (keep originals separately)
Step up into a liferaft or the dinghy. Do not swim to it if you can avoid it. Stay near the boat unless the fire forces you away. A boat, even a sinking one, is easier for SENAN to find than a person. Activate the beacon once you are clear.
After the fire or flood
- Report it. The AMP investigates fires, sinkings and accidents. Its accident line and 24-hour numbers are in reporting a boating accident.
- Spills. A sunk or burnt boat leaks fuel. The AMP lists 24-hour spill lines for ports in Panamá, Colón and Chiriquí. Tell the marina at once.
- Insurance. Call your insurer before agreeing to a salvage or haul-out. Photograph everything. See boat insurance claims in Panama.
- Towing and haul-out. A damaged boat needs a tow and a yard. See towing and salvage and haul-out yards.
Your practical starting checklist
- Mount an ABC extinguisher at the helm, galley and engine space, and check the dates.
- Tie a soft wooden plug next to every through-hull.
- Test every bilge pump and float switch before the rainy season.
- Check shore-power plugs and battery terminals for heat and corrosion each month.
- Assign fire, radio and guest jobs before departure.
- Report any fire, sinking or spill to the AMP.
Frequently asked questions
What fire extinguisher does a boat need in Panama?
The AMP expects small vessels to carry at least a portable ABC extinguisher. Carry more than one, sized for your boat, and confirm the current requirement with the AMP.
Who responds to a boat fire at a marina in Panama?
The fire brigade (Bomberos), often with SENAN boats. Call 911 and VHF 16. The AMP investigates afterwards.
Why do boats sink at the dock in Panama?
Usually rain: clogged cockpit drains, stuck float switches or flat batteries during a long storm. On the Pacific, lines set too short can hang a boat at low tide.
¿Qué hago si mi embarcación se incendia?
Apague motores y combustible, ponga chalecos a todos, llame por el canal 16 de VHF y al 911, y combata el fuego solo si es pequeño. Si crece, abandone la embarcación a tiempo.
The next question to answer
Every number in one place. Read Boating emergencies in Panama: who to call.
What to carry aboard. Read Boat safety equipment in Panama.
Drains, covers and pumps. Read Rainy-season prep.
Same topic in Florida: coming from the US? Compare Preparing for Fire or Flooding.
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: AMP investiga incendio en el yate Condor I (10 Nov 2024) ↗
- AMP: Líneas de emergencia (spill lines, accidents) ↗
- SINAPROC: COEN press note, Feb 2024 (AMP equipment: ABC extinguisher) ↗
- ACP: Amador tide tables 2026 ↗