Panama

[John A]

Mis-conceptions debunked!

After 3 transits as a line handler for free, living for 4 months within the canal at Pedro Migal Yacht Club, and transiting a Cobo Rico 38 as a rather cheap singlehandler this is what I found.

1- There is a 4 lane freeway from Colon to Panama City I'd return in a modren AC bus with onboard movies.

2. Cruisiers volunteer as line-handlers. All they ask is bus fare back to their boar, $20 for four. Our go to the local hostel, backpackers from all over the world will jump at the chance of a transit.

3. Tires used as fenders can be bought from those who have made the transit $10 for 8. each wraped in a garbage bags. Sell them after your transit.

4. Marinas have lines aviable for transit, sometimes free if you gurantee there return (have the cruisier/linehandler return them).

5. Numerious taxi drivers will act as your agent for about $200 total. These guys are waiting to join their realitives as employees of the canal, so they don't want to tarnish their reps and they know all the shortcuts to the process.

6. An advisior willbe furnished (free) by the canal auth. for your transit (mandatory)

7. My cost in 2001 was $1400 with $1100 debited to my credit card two weeks after the transit.

8. Visiting Panama and visiting anchorages on both sides of the canal was one of the highlights of my 10 year cruise.

9. Ignore all post that begin with the phrase "I have heard".

[Jim Cate]

G'Day all,

There have been some reports of long delays in transiting, plus the escalating costs that plague these ventures. Also some reports of damage to transiting yachts, difficulties with personnel and in general being jerked around by the whole experience.

I wonder if it would be a reasonable thing for someone to set up a transit system utilizing a float-on/float-off barge large enough to accommodate a number of yachts at a time. This would be a sort of junior-grade Dockwise thing, but could be much simpler. No cradles, because boats could be left floating and tied up to the structure, little labour involved, crews could stay aboard their own vessels. Have wondered about the potential costs of such an operation... any ideas?

Cheers,

Jim

[tropicalescape]

WAY COOL..300.00 US total cost? DVC

[zeehag]

the float on float off ship transits ar e much big money. is all good if you have bottomless pit for funding. the pricing i was quoted was 15000 usd. i would rather chance the pricing of the canal under my own keel

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by tropicalescape

WAY COOL..300.00 US total cost? DVC

I read it the other way round. Fee $1400, less $300 for being nice, so $1100 debited as the final cost?


Pete

[tropicalescape]

Originally Posted by Pete7

I read it the other way round. Fee $1400, less $300 for being nice, so $1100 debited as the final cost?


Pete

Thank you kindly MR.Moderator Man I think this makes the second time you have saved me from myself.DVC

[donradcliffe]

I went through in April, and total cost for 45 ft boat was about $2k. The breakdown of my out-of-pocket:

Agent (Eric is very good) $900 --includes transit, lines and fenders, no deposit necessary

Marina $700--2 weeks at Shelter Bay-- not needed for West to East transit

Panama checkin/checkout and annual cruising permit $300--

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

I went through in April, and total cost for 45 ft boat was about $2k. The breakdown of my out-of-pocket:

Agent (Eric is very good) $900 --includes transit, lines and fenders, no deposit necessary

Marina $700--2 weeks at Shelter Bay-- not needed for West to East transit

Panama checkin/checkout and annual cruising permit $300--

now that is almost tolerable......

[John A]

The bulk of the cost is a security deposit and is refunded.
Prior to the econonic downturn, there were delays for non-commericial transits. I don't know what the current construction project is having on transits.
Due to the differentsnce in revenue for a transit, whtch class of boat would they cater to; you at $500 a pop or a Pan-Max at $180,000 a transit?

Yes, they looked at barges but didn't want the insurance reasponsiblity to haul a bunch of small boats.

I believe the accident in question was two sailboats rafted to a tug and the tug bow linehandler released his line to soon. The canal paid all insurance claims.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by zeehag

now that is almost tolerable......

My thoughts too, after I did a double take on the $5000 figure. Hopefully MarkJ will be along shortly to say how much Suez was as a comparison. The other great canal is the Corinthian Canal which ain't cheap either. Swagman did it in 2006 at E200 ($300) but that was 5 years ago.

Pete

[zeehag]

i want to have 5kusd in hand anyway just in case......

[Paul L]

There is a trucking company that does a boat transit across Guatemala.

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by Paul L

There is a trucking company that does a boat transit across Guatemala.

how much do they charge-- might be a decent alternative for smaller boats---

[donradcliffe]

Originally Posted by zeehag

i want to have 5kusd in hand anyway just in case......

You won't need it--beer is pretty cheap in Panama.

Suez canal was $300 (after I 'helped' the measurer miss the keel when he was trying to determine draft)

Corinth canal was also $300, but you sure don't get much for your money.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by zeehag

how much do they charge-- might be a decent alternative for smaller boats---

I don't have the details on the Guatemalan transport. You'll have to ask the Google. In May I was in Huatulco, Mex and there was an Aussie boat tied up that had just come up from Guatemala. They did the land transport from Guatemalan Caribbean coast to the Pacific side. He said it was cheaper than doing the passage to Panama down and then back up to get to Mexico. He was on what looked like a steel hull 40 footer.