Same topic in Florida: coming from the US? Compare Own & Maintain.
Make ownership feel better.
Your boat in Panama.
Documented, insured, kept right.
Owning a boat in Panama means an Autoridad Marítima de Panamá (AMP) registration, yearly costs in US dollars, maintenance against heat, humidity and lightning, and a choice between Pacific and Caribbean marinas. This hub covers each in plain English, with the official office named for every rule.
THE OWNER'S NOTEBOOK PANAMA CITY + TWO OCEANS
THE OWNER'S NOTEBOOK 01—04
01Keep it documented02Know the numbers03Beat the climate04Where to keep it01
THE OWNER'S NOTEBOOK
Registration & the AMP
Panama runs the world's largest ship registry, and the same AMP registers your 24-ft centre console. Pleasure versus commercial registration, holding a boat through an S.A. or foundation, transfers, renewals and radio licences.
02
THE OWNER'S NOTEBOOK
Costs, taxes & insurance
Import duty and ITBMS, AMP fees, marina rates, and an insurance market where navigation limits (Pacific, Caribbean, canal, offshore) and charter use decide what you pay. Real yearly numbers for Panama City.
03
THE OWNER'S NOTEBOOK
Maintenance in the tropics
Heat, humidity, UV, fast bottom growth, rainy-season flooding and lightning. Where to haul out (Shelter Bay, Vista Mar, Bocas, Panama City options), how to find mechanics, and the records that protect resale.
Panama City
Panama City marinas and boat storage compared
Flamenco, La Playita, Ocean Reef, Club de Yates y Pesca and Vista Mar compared: slips, fuel, lifts, who each suits, plus dry storage and trailer options.
Marina
Shelter Bay Marina (Colón): canal staging, yard, costs
Shelter Bay Marina at Fort Sherman is the Caribbean-side base for a Panama Canal transit: about 200 slips, a 100-ton Travelift, dry storage and a shuttle to Colón.
Marina
Vista Mar Marina, San Carlos: slips, dry storage, yard
Vista Mar Marina in San Carlos, an hour west of Panama City: floating docks, superyacht quay, trailer haul-out to 40 ft beam, fuel, VHF 71. Who it suits.
Marina
Club de Yates y Pesca de Panamá: membership, docks, fuel
Club de Yates y Pesca de Panamá: the private members' fishing club on Avenida Balboa, founded 1956. How it works, who can use it and what to confirm.
04
THE OWNER'S NOTEBOOK
Marinas, docking & anchoring
Pacific or Caribbean, city marina or cruiser base, wet slip or dry stack, and how 4–6 m tides change docking, ramps and timing. Slip agreements, moorings, living aboard and anchoring rules.
Panama City
Panama City marinas and boat storage compared
Flamenco, La Playita, Ocean Reef, Club de Yates y Pesca and Vista Mar compared: slips, fuel, lifts, who each suits, plus dry storage and trailer options.
Marina
Flamenco Marina, Amador: slips, fuel, yard, how it works
Flamenco Marina on the Amador Causeway is Panama City's main full-service marina: 260+ slips to 200 ft, fuel dock, 100-ton Travelift, VHF 10. How it works.
Marina
La Playita de Amador: anchorage, dinghy dock, small marina
La Playita de Amador: the cruiser anchorage and small marina inside the Amador Causeway. Dinghy dock, water, fuel by reservation, VHF 9, who uses it.
Marina
Ocean Reef Marina, Punta Pacífica: what it is, who it's for
Ocean Reef Marina, between two private islands off Punta Pacífica, Panama City: 150+ slips to 60 m, fuel dock, yacht club. Who can use it and how to ask.
Marina
Club de Yates y Pesca de Panamá: membership, docks, fuel
Club de Yates y Pesca de Panamá: the private members' fishing club on Avenida Balboa, founded 1956. How it works, who can use it and what to confirm.
Panama City
Amador Causeway boating guide: marinas, fuel, pickups
The Calzada de Amador for boaters: Flamenco Marina, La Playita, fuel, parking, charter pickups, Taboga ferries, canal traffic and tides at the ramps.
Panama City
Boat ramps and fuel docks in Panama City
Fuel docks at Flamenco and La Playita (reserve ahead), the Club de Yates y Pesca ramp for members, SNE price caps, and how the 4–6 m tide sets your window.