Any boat up to 38.1 m (125 ft) length overall transits the Panama Canal as a "handline": no locomotives, your own crew holds the boat in the locks. You register the boat online with the Autoridad del Canal de Panamá (ACP), get a digital inspection approved, arrive in Canal waters, pay the toll and a refundable buffer, then call the scheduler for a date. On the day an ACP advisor or pilot boards, and you need a skipper plus four line handlers, four 125-ft lines and enough fenders.
Who transits as a handline (and who doesn't)
The ACP's procedure for small craft (form 4352, version 08-2026) covers vessels up to 38.1 m (125 ft) LOA. They normally go through the locks as handlines, held by four lines tended by their own crew, and do not use the electric locomotives. Sailboats, motor yachts, catamarans and small commercial boats all fall under it.
- Under 19.8 m (65 ft): the ACP assigns a transit advisor.
- 65 ft and over: the ACP assigns a pilot. Either way, they talk to the locks and traffic control for you.
- Over 125 ft: you are no longer a small craft. You pay ship-style tolls and charges, use locomotives and ACP line handlers, and work through a shipping agent and the booking system. This guide does not cover that.
You cannot transit under sail. Every boat goes through under engine, and the ACP sets a minimum sustained speed of 5 knots (8 knots for a standard-time transit). Slower boats can be towed, at their own cost.
The process in order
The ACP splits the work into before arrival, on arrival and after arrival. Boats with a shipping agent go through the Maritime Single Window (VUMPA); boats without an agent use the ACP's small-craft portal, ASEM (asem.pancanal.com).
- Create the boat and a visit. Your ETA, arrival side (Pacific or Atlantic) and the movements you want. A new boat gets a Panama Canal SIN (ship identification number).
- General declaration. Crew, passengers, health questions, last ports, next port, draft, fuel and cruising speed.
- Inspection and transit request. Done digitally: you declare the boat's condition and compliance, upload a current photo, declare anything that sticks out beyond the hull, choose the lockage types you accept and sign the release and indemnity. The ACP answers by email, normally within 24 hours. A physical visit happens only if they need to check something. See admeasurement and inspection.
- Arrive. Call Cristóbal Signal (Caribbean) or Flamenco Signal (Pacific) on VHF 12, 13 or 16 for anchoring instructions, then confirm the arrival in ASEM. Without a confirmed physical arrival you will not be scheduled.
- Pay. ASEM generates form 4614 with the amount: toll, inspection, security charge, scheduling fee and buffer. Pay by wire, local ACH or cash at the ACP's bank, then upload the receipt. See the full cost breakdown.
- Get a date. Once payment is verified, call the Marine Traffic scheduler on (+507) 272-4202 after 18:00. See scheduling and wait times.
If you do not arrive within 7 days of your last ETA, the system cancels the visit and you start again. Clear into Panama with the other authorities as normal; the canal paperwork is separate. Start with arriving in Panama by boat.
What the boat must have
The ACP's checklist, in plain terms:
- Working navigation lights.
- Four mooring lines, each at least 125 ft (38.1 m), 7/8 in to 1½ in diameter, with a 3-ft loop at one end and no knots or splices.
- Chocks and bitts, or strong cleats, at all four corners, well fastened and clear of gear.
- At least four fenders. The ACP says plainly that more is your call and your risk.
- An anchor ready to let go.
- A fixed or portable horn (no mouth-blown horns).
- A Western-type toilet with holding capacity, an awning over the cockpit, a hot meal for the advisor and at least 3 litres of sealed bottled water per day for them.
- A pilot ladder if your freeboard is over 1.5 m.
- VHF monitoring channels 12, 13 and 16.
Every boat must be equipped for a centre-chamber lockage, which means five people (skipper plus four line handlers over 16) and four lines, even if you end up alongside a wall or another boat. Details in line handlers, lines and fenders and catamarans, rafting and centre chamber.
The route: up, across, down
The canal runs about 80 km (roughly 43 nautical miles) between the oceans. Gatún Lake sits 26 m above sea level, so you lock up on one side and down on the other.
- Southbound (Caribbean to Pacific): the advisor boards at the Flats anchorage inside the Cristóbal breakwater. You lock up through the three chambers at Gatún, cross the lake, run the Culebra (Gaillard) Cut, lock down one step at Pedro Miguel, cross Miraflores Lake and lock down two steps at Miraflores. The Bridge of the Americas is just beyond.
- Northbound: the advisor boards at the Balboa anchorage near buoys 2 and 6, and you do the same in reverse.
Southbound small craft are normally scheduled to start in the evening and finish over two days; the second part is usually in daylight. Northbound boats start in the morning and may finish in one day if their speed and the lockages allow. Sailboats and other slow boats normally take two days and spend the night at the Gatún or Gamboa anchorage. Nobody goes ashore there except ACP staff, and dinghies are not allowed. Hour by hour, see what transit day looks like.
Agent or do it yourself
The ACP runs two parallel tracks: agents file through VUMPA and can pay with a bank guarantee; owners without an agent file through ASEM and pay the toll plus buffer themselves. An agent is optional. The trade-off is time and logistics against a fee. See agent vs DIY.
Whichever you choose, you cannot move north of the Bridge of the Americas, or south past buoys 3 and 6 in Limón Bay, without a Canal pilot or advisor aboard. Stage at Shelter Bay Marina on the Caribbean side, or at Flamenco Marina or La Playita on the Pacific side.
Your practical starting checklist
- Clear into Panama, then create your ASEM account (or hire an agent) and register the boat and visit.
- Complete the general declaration and the digital inspection; wait for the approval email.
- Arrive in Canal waters, call the signal station on VHF 12 and confirm your arrival in ASEM.
- Pay the amount on form 4614 and upload the receipt during the 08:00–14:00 verification window.
- Call the scheduler on 272-4202 after 18:00 for your date and boarding time.
- Line up four line handlers, four 125-ft lines and fenders, food for the advisor and crew.
- Be at the boarding point on time with fenders out and the engine warmed up.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sail through the Panama Canal?
No. The ACP does not allow small craft to transit under sail. You go through under engine and must hold at least 5 knots; 8 knots is the speed the ACP uses to plan a standard transit.
Do I need an agent?
No. Owners can arrange everything through the ACP's ASEM portal. An agent is optional; agents file through VUMPA and can pay by bank guarantee, which avoids the cash buffer.
How long does a small-boat transit take?
Southbound transits are normally scheduled over two days, starting in the evening. Northbound transits start in the morning and can finish the same day for faster boats. Slow boats spend a night at the Gatún or Gamboa anchorage.
Who counts as a small craft?
Any vessel up to 38.1 m (125 ft) length overall. Under 65 ft you get a transit advisor; from 65 ft you get a pilot.
¿Cómo se cruza el Canal de Panamá en velero?
Se registra la embarcación en el portal ASEM de la ACP, se completa la inspección digital, se confirma la llegada a aguas del Canal, se paga el peaje y el depósito, y se llama al programador para la fecha. Hacen falta capitán, cuatro pasacabos, cuatro cabos de 125 pies y defensas.
En español: cruzar el Canal de Panamá en un yate
Las embarcaciones de hasta 38,1 m (125 pies) de eslora cruzan el Canal como handlines, sin locomotoras. El trámite se hace en línea con la Autoridad del Canal de Panamá (ACP) por el portal ASEM, o por la Ventanilla Única Marítima (VUMPA) si usa un agente. Después de llegar a aguas del Canal y pagar, se llama al programador de tránsitos al 272-4202 después de las 18:00. El día del tránsito sube un asesor o práctico de la ACP, y a bordo deben ir el capitán y cuatro pasacabos mayores de 16 años.
The next question to answer
Toll, inspection, security, scheduling fee and buffer. Read Panama Canal transit cost for yachts.
What an agent does and when DIY works. Read Canal agent vs doing it yourself.
The online inspection, SIN and what gets checked. Read Admeasurement and inspection.
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.
- ACP: Procedures for securing a handline transit, form 4352-I, V.08-2026 (requirements, ASEM/VUMPA steps, charges table, transit hours, lockage types) ↗
- ACP: Maritime Services Tariffs, February 2026 (small-vessel tolls 1010.0910–0940 effective 1 Jan 2025; TVI 1080.RIN1; security 1081.RSE1; scheduling 1050.IPB1; delay 1060.IPD2; launch 1800.ILA1) ↗
- ACP: The Panama Canal (length ~80 km, Gatún Lake 26 m above sea level, Culebra Cut 13.7 km) ↗
- Noonsite: Panama Canal transit guide for small craft, updated Aug 2025 (secondary) ↗