best place to stop in Panama

[belizesailor]

Geez...it can be done, but the other way round is much easier.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Guy

Not sure that can happen in 2 days. You might not want to check in at all. Arrive Isla on a weekend and it probably would not be a problem. But otherwise it takes most of a day to check in and 1/2 day to check out. This plan sounds like a waste of time also it's not free.
...

Some places will clear you in and out at the same time, but then you only typically have ~ 24 hours to get out of the country.

OP: whats the rush?

[jwrsailing]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Shake down & hassle?

Ive cleared in/out at Providencia, San Andreas, Cartegena, and Santa Marta, never been shook down or hassled...always an easy experience.

Yea not worried about shook down and hassled there, but more like it when you get back stateside.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by jwrsailing

Yea not worried about shook down and hassled there, but more like it when you get back stateside.

Not likely I think, esp if not coming directly from Colombia. Colombia is not the same place it was back in Escobar's days.

[Sea Life]

I went Cartagena straight to Ponce, Puerto Rico. They didn't even board the boat. It sounds like you will not even be going to US directly. You have enough other things to worry about, don't let this be one of them.

[belizesailor]

Come to think of it... Helped friends (South Americans), move their boat last year from Grenada-Curaço-Santa Marta-Cartegena-Panamá. I traveled to the USA aftter that and no hassle.

They sailed Panamá-Providencia-Cuba-USA. They did get significantly hassled but were told it had nothing to do with countries visited.

[model 10]

Originally Posted by BandB

rs. I never took us a half day to check in anywhere or to check out. Make sure they know you're coming and when you anticipate arriving.

Not sure where you have been, but in some places it's impossible to do it faster. If you are talking MX, we have been in and out 6 times in the past 10 years. Most recent was earlier this year at Isla, both in and out. Checking in, we tied up at 8, the dockmaster started the check in about 9:30. Everybody comes to the marina to do the paperwork, they even take your temperature. Imagration was the last guy and he signed our passports about 2 pm. Check out we did ourselves and thanks to the, so busy port captain, we were done about 11:30

[BandB]

Originally Posted by Guy

Not sure where you have been, but in some places it's impossible to do it faster. If you are talking MX, we have been in and out 6 times in the past 10 years. Most recent was earlier this year at Isla, both in and out. Checking in, we tied up at 8, the dockmaster started the check in about 9:30. Everybody comes to the marina to do the paperwork, they even take your temperature. Imagration was the last guy and he signed our passports about 2 pm. Check out we did ourselves and thanks to the, so busy port captain, we were done about 11:30

Assuming your check into Mexico that took so long was perhaps Ensenada. We used an agent there and took between three and four hours. I do stick by my statement as to our experiences and we've checked into multiple locations in Mexico, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Panama, Belize, Cayman, Jamaica, the Bahamas, USVI, BVI, Puerto Rico, St. Barts, St. Kitts and Nevis, Turks and Caicos, Antigua, Guadaloupe, Martinique, St. Lucia, St. Martin, Sint Maarten, Canada and the US, a total of perhaps 25 or so countries, 150 or so checks in and out, in the last five years. We always have all required documents and copies ready. Now, I know some have encountered delays that we haven't.

Anything that can be done in advance, do it. If you can pay in advance that always helps too as we saw times in Mexico that the hold up wasn't the paperwork but the payment process.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by Guy

Not sure where you have been, but in some places it's impossible to do it faster. If you are talking MX, we have been in and out 6 times in the past 10 years. Most recent was earlier this year at Isla, both in and out. Checking in, we tied up at 8, the dockmaster started the check in about 9:30. Everybody comes to the marina to do the paperwork, they even take your temperature. Imagration was the last guy and he signed our passports about 2 pm. Check out we did ourselves and thanks to the, so busy port captain, we were done about 11:30

In some places the officials have a sixth sense that detects if you really need to get this done quickly. If so, a normal 2 hour job can drag on to 3 days. We just checked into Fiji. We started the process midday Sunday and finished up with our Cruising Permit on Wed. afternoon.