A Sail Tale

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Canals and short cuts

Panama Canal

Six locks lift you 26 metres over the Americas, through Gatun Lake and the Culebra Cut, between the Caribbean and the Pacific.

11 episodes on the chart

Length
82 km (51 mi)
Locks
6 chambers on the original route (3 Gatun, 1 Pedro Miguel, 2 Miraflores), lifting vessels about 26 m (85 ft) to Gatun Lake
Opened
15 August 1914
Transit time
1-2 days for yachts (night on Gatun Lake buoy if split); about 8-12 hours of moving time
Small craft rules
Up to 125 ft (38.1 m) LOA counts as small craft; transit advisor, 4 line handlers and 4 lines of at least 125 ft required
Operator
Panama Canal Authority (ACP)

The Panama Canal links the Caribbean and Pacific across about 82 km of isthmus. The French failed to build it in the 1880s, and the Americans finished it in 1914. Panama has run it through the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) since 31 December 1999.

Small yachts, defined by the ACP as up to 125 ft (38.1 m), go through with a Canal transit advisor on board, four compulsory line handlers besides the skipper, and four heavy canal-spec lines (about 125 ft each) plus large fenders or tyres. Boats are admeasured first, then tolls and a refundable buffer are paid and a date is booked. Many cruisers use an agent. Waits for a slot vary with season and traffic, from a few days to a few weeks.

Most yachts take one or two days, often rafted up in the locks, with a night on a mooring buoy in Gatun Lake if split. You pass the jungle shores of Gatun Lake and the Culebra Cut, ending under the Bridge of the Americas. For many sailors it is the big round-the-world milestone.

Highlights

  • Locks lift you about 26 m to Gatun Lake
  • Drifting across a jungle lake beside ocean ships
  • Culebra Cut and the Bridge of the Americas
  • Atlantic to Pacific in a day or two

Watch out for

  • Tolls are set by length and change, so check the current ACP tariff: roughly US$2,100 (under 65 ft) to US$3,200 (65-80 ft) plus a US$500 scheduling fee (2025), and a refundable buffer
  • Booking and waiting times vary with season and ship traffic
  • Line handlers, fenders and lines need arranging in advance
  • Lock turbulence and big ships alongside need careful line control

Episodes on this route 11

Crews on this route

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A summary for learning and dreaming, not for navigation. Rules, fees, seasons and security advice change: check current official sources before you go.

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