A delivery captain moves your boat for you, typically Florida to Panama, through the canal, or Panama to the Galápagos and beyond. Hire one whose licence fits the boat and the route (a US Coast Guard Master or an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore or Ocean), whom your insurer has approved in writing, and sign a contract that sets the fee basis, crew, expenses and who decides when to sail. Get those three things right and most problems never happen.
When a delivery captain makes sense
Most deliveries involving Panama fall into a few patterns:
- Florida to Panama. About 1,200 nm by the shortest practical route, five to eight days at sea on the long leg. Owners who want to cruise Panama but not make the passage fly in once the boat is there. See sailing from Florida to Panama.
- Canal transit. Moving a boat from Colón to Balboa or the other way, with the line handlers, lines and fenders the canal requires.
- Panama to the Galápagos or the South Pacific. About 850 to 900 nm to San Cristóbal, then around 3,000 nm to the Marquesas. See leaving Panama westbound.
- Panama back to Florida or the US. Against the trade winds, which is harder on boat and crew than the trip south.
It also makes sense when you are buying a boat in Panama to keep elsewhere, or when the insurer will only cover an offshore leg with a professional skipper aboard.
Qualifications to look for
Match the licence to the boat and the route.
- US Coast Guard Master. A Master licence (25, 50 or 100 gross tons, or higher) with the right route endorsement for near-coastal or ocean work. An OUPV (six-pack) licence covers uninspected vessels carrying up to six paying passengers; for an offshore delivery, insurers usually look for a Master licence with a near-coastal or ocean endorsement. Check the credential online: Coast Guard credentials issued since September 2024 carry a QR code that opens the verification page, and older ones can be checked by document number. See how to verify a captain's credentials.
- RYA Yachtmaster. The RYA says Yachtmaster Offshore covers passages up to 150 miles from a harbour. For an open-ocean leg such as Panama to the Marquesas, look for Yachtmaster Ocean. A commercial endorsement matters if the captain will be paid.
- Experience on the route and the boat type. Ask for passage logs or references for the Western Caribbean, the canal or the Eastern Pacific, and for boats of similar size and type (a 60-foot catamaran is not a 40-foot monohull).
- Medical and safety training. First aid and sea survival certificates are normal for professionals.
Insurer approval comes first
Most yacht policies name the operators who may run the boat, or require the insurer to approve any hired skipper. Many also have navigation limits and hurricane-season clauses that a Florida to Panama delivery crosses. Before you hire:
- Send the insurer the captain's résumé and licence and get written approval for that person, that route and those dates.
- Confirm a navigation extension covers every leg, including the canal and the Pacific if you are going on.
- Ask whether the policy requires a minimum crew number for offshore legs.
- Ask whether the captain carries their own professional liability cover, and get a copy.
See boat insurance exclusions for the clauses that most often catch owners out.
Fees and the delivery contract
Delivery captains usually quote in one of two ways. Ask for both if you are unsure which suits your trip.
| Structure | How it works | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Day rate | A daily fee for the captain (and each crew member) from travel day to hand-over | Weather days and repair delays add cost; agree how they are charged |
| Fixed fee | One price for the delivery, sometimes per mile | What happens if the boat breaks down or the canal date slips |
On top of either, the owner normally pays fuel, food, flights, marina and clearance fees, and canal costs. Put the following in writing:
- Start and finish ports, and the expected window.
- Fee basis, deposit, what counts as an expense and how receipts are handled.
- Crew names, who pays them, and who is responsible for their travel home.
- The captain's authority to delay, divert or refuse to sail on safety grounds.
- A pre-departure survey or condition report, and the list of known defects.
- Who arranges clearances, the canal transit and any agent.
- What happens if the delivery stops partway.
Canal transits and Panamanian rules
A delivery crew can take a boat through the canal like any other crew: the boat needs the four line handlers plus helmsman, the 125-foot lines and the fenders the Autoridad del Canal de Panamá (ACP) requires, and an ACP advisor will be aboard. See how to transit the canal and line handlers, lines and fenders. Many delivery captains use a canal agent to keep the schedule predictable.
Hiring crew inside Panama is a different matter. Paid work aboard a boat in Panamanian waters falls under Panamanian labour law and Autoridad Marítima de Panamá (AMP) licensing, and the rules for foreign workers are strict. A foreign delivery crew arriving and leaving on the boat is usually treated as crew in transit, but if you take on local line handlers or crew, see hiring yacht crew in Panama City and visas for boat crew, and check with Migración and the AMP before anyone starts work.
Red flags
- A licence they will not let you verify, or one that does not match the boat or route.
- No references from owners of similar boats.
- Reluctance to put weather authority, expenses or crew in writing.
- A promise of a fixed arrival date regardless of weather.
- Pressure to skip the insurer's approval or to sail without a navigation extension.
- Crew who will be paid in cash with no contract, or who plan to work in Panama without the right status.
Your practical starting checklist
- Call your insurer: ask what they need to approve a delivery captain for your route and dates.
- Shortlist captains with a USCG Master or RYA Yachtmaster Offshore/Ocean and experience on the route and boat type.
- Verify the licence online and call two or three previous owners.
- Get written insurer approval for the chosen captain, with a navigation extension for every leg.
- Agree day rate or fixed fee, expenses, crew and the captain's authority over weather, in a signed contract.
- Hand over the boat with a condition report and defect list; agree how you will receive position updates.
- Confirm who books the canal transit and clearances, and check any local crew against Panamanian rules.
Frequently asked questions
What licence should a delivery captain to Panama have?
Usually a US Coast Guard Master licence with the right route endorsement, or an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore or Ocean. Your insurer's requirements decide which is acceptable for your boat.
How much does a boat delivery from Florida to Panama cost?
It depends on the boat, the crew size and the fee basis. Captains quote either a day rate or a fixed fee, and the owner normally pays fuel, food, flights, clearances and canal costs on top. Get at least two written quotes.
Can a delivery captain take my boat through the Panama Canal?
Yes. The boat still needs four line handlers, a helmsman, the required lines and fenders, and an ACP advisor aboard. Many delivery captains use an agent to arrange the transit.
Can I hire Panamanian crew for a delivery?
Yes, but paid work in Panama is covered by Panamanian labour law and AMP licensing. Check the contract, social security and licence requirements before anyone starts.
¿Cómo contrato un capitán para trasladar mi barco a Panamá?
Elija un capitán con licencia de la Guardia Costera de EE. UU. (Master) o RYA Yachtmaster, aprobado por escrito por su aseguradora, y firme un contrato con tarifa, gastos, tripulación y autoridad sobre el clima.
The next question to answer
Routes, seasons and distances for the passage south. Read Sailing from Florida to Panama.
Labour law, AMP licences and the rules for foreign crew. Read Hiring yacht crew in Panama City.
Checking a USCG licence before you hand over the boat. Read How to verify a captain's credentials.
Same topic in Florida: coming from the US? Compare How to Verify Captain Credentials.
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.
- RYA: Yachtmaster Offshore certificate of competence (150 miles from harbour; commercial endorsement) ↗
- US Coast Guard NMC: Merchant Mariner Credential QR code and online verification (Sept 2024) ↗
- World Cruising Club: World ARC 2026–27 itinerary (Panama–Galápagos–Marquesas distances) ↗