Boat incident report (Panama)

A fill-in record for any accident or near miss on a boat in Panamanian waters: a collision, grounding, injury, fire, flooding, person overboard or spill. Start it once everyone is safe, while the facts are fresh. Have the GPS position, the passenger manifest, the boat's AMP papers and your insurance policy to hand.

Fill in the fields below, then print the worksheet or download your entries as a text file. Entries stay on this page until you leave unless you download them. Don’t enter passport, card or medical details; keep copies of those separately.

Your working copy

Date, local time (Panama is UTC−5 all year) and who is filling this in: captain, owner or operatorVessel: name, AMP registration or patente/licencia de navegación, or foreign flag and cruising permit; length; operating company and its ATP or AMP charter licence if it was a paid tripCaptain at the helm: name, AMP licence grade (for example patrón de nave de placer 2da) and expiry date; keep a copy of the licence separatelyPosition: latitude and longitude from the GPS, plus a bearing and distance from a named place ("1.5 nm NE of Taboga"); inside canal waters (ACP) yes or noConditions: wind, sea, visibility, rain or lightning; tide height and rising or falling from the ACP Amador table on the Pacific sideType of incident: collision, grounding, swimmer or diver struck, person overboard, injury aboard, fire, flooding, spill, otherWhat happened, in time order: facts only, one line per event, with times (no opinions, no blame)People aboard: total count against the AMP-certified capacity and the SENAN passenger manifest; names on a separate sheetInjuries: how many, first aid given, 911 ambulance called (time), dock and hospital the person went to; no medical details on this formOther boat or property involved: name, registration, captain's name and phone, insurer if given; photo of their registration and licenceCalls made, with times: mayday or pan-pan on VHF 16; 911; Flamenco or Cristóbal Signal on VHF 12 if in canal waters; SENAN boat or officer who respondedAMP notified: accidents line (Segumar) or Capitán de Puerto, time, officer's name, any reference number; written report delivered (date, office)Policía Nacional or Ministerio Público involved (injury, death, theft, assault): officer, station and report (denuncia) numberSpill or debris: AMP spill line called (time), what you did to contain it, marina toldInsurer and broker: time notified, claim reference, surveyor appointed; tow or salvage price agreed in writing (with whom)Evidence kept: photos and video with timestamps, chartplotter track saved, DSC log, logbook pages, fuel log, manifest copy, CCTV request to the marinaWitnesses: names and phone numbers, and whether each gave a statement to the AMP or SENANFollow-up: who does what by when (repairs, AMP requests, ATP notice for charter operators, guest contact), and your signed and dated statement

How to fill it in

Safety first, paper second. Make the calls, deal with the injured and secure the boat, then start this sheet. Write facts in time order. Leave conclusions about fault to the investigators and the insurer.

Who you are reporting to

VHF 16 and 911 come first whenever anyone is in danger. SENAN handles search and rescue at sea; 911 sends ambulances, police and firefighters. Panama has no single coast guard, so start there and let them pass the call on. See who to call in a boating emergency.
Canal waters. From the Balboa or Colón sea buoys inland, call Flamenco or Cristóbal Signal on VHF 12 as well. The ACP records channels 12, 13 and 16.
The AMP. Its Dirección General de Marina Mercante investigates marine accidents, following the IMO casualty investigation code. The AMP lists 24-hour accident and detention lines (Segumar: +507 501-5350, 501-5348, 501-5349) and the Capitán de Puerto (+507 232-7734) on its emergency-lines page. Check them there before you print. We found no published deadline for a written report, so report the same day and ask the officer what they need.
Expect questions in Spanish. Inspectors will ask for the boat's registration, certified capacity, the manifest and the captain's licence. A short Spanish version of your timeline helps: choque (collision), encallamiento (grounding), hombre al agua, herido, derrame.

Records that matter later

Tide. On the Pacific side, a 4 to 6 m range explains many groundings and dock injuries. Write the tide height, not just the time.
Manifest. A head count that does not match the SENAN manifest or exceeds the certified capacity is the first thing an investigator checks.
Personal data. Guest names, ID numbers and medical information fall under Ley 81 of 2019. Keep them on a separate, restricted sheet, not in a group chat.
Insurer. Most policies require prompt notice. Do not agree a private tow or salvage without a written price. Save the chartplotter track before it overwrites.

For a charter, add the evidence steps in documenting a charter incident, and file this sheet with the trip log.

Read the companion guide

Before using this resource, read Reporting a boating accident in Panama: AMP and SENAN.

Fernando Yemail is the owner of Feeling Yachty and is not a lawyer. Yachty Guide provides general educational information and practical recommendations, not legal, tax, insurance or individualized professional advice. Panamanian rules depend on the vessel, flag, activity and location and can change. Confirm current requirements with the relevant authority (AMP, ACP, SENAN, ATP, ARAP, MiAmbiente, Migración or Aduanas) and consult a qualified professional in Panama about your situation. Full disclaimer.

Use it alongside these guides

Safety & wildlife

Boat incident report (Panama)

Your working copy

How to fill it in

Who you are reporting to

Records that matter later

Read the companion guide

Use it alongside these guides

Reporting a boating accident in Panama: AMP and SENAN

Boating emergencies in Panama: who to call

Documenting a charter incident in Panama

Filing a boat insurance claim in Panama

Reporting an oil or fuel spill in Panama: AMP and MiAmbiente