Esclusas de Gatún (cámaras superiores)

Harbour info

Lock

Locking about 80 min

VHF 12

Location: 09° 16,16' N 079° 55,39' W

Locking times

Through the year: around the clock

All times in local time (America/Panama).

Times: Panama Canal Authority: Maritime Tariffs, Item 1010 Tolls, Small vessels under 125 ft (1. Januar 2025); Panama Canal Authority: Small vessels, Transit procedures; Noonsite: Panama, Transiting the Panama Canal, as of 2026-10-20

Fees

• Fee: Canal toll for yachts under 125 ft per transit by length overall: up to 19.8 m (65 ft) USD 2,130, up to 24.4 m (80 ft) USD 3,200, up to 30.5 m (100 ft) USD 4,660, above that USD 6,000 (ACP tariff since 1 January 2025); plus admeasurement and inspection, a security deposit, lines, fenders, line handlers and usually an agent

Notes

• Lock according to OpenStreetMap.
• Transit only after registering with the canal authority ACP: admeasurement at the Flats off Colón or in Balboa, then a date for the transit; an ACP adviser is on board, plus four line handlers and four lines of at least 38 m (125 ft). Most yachts use an agent.
• Small craft lock rafted up, alongside the wall or centre-chambered with four lines, often together with a commercial ship in the chamber. The yacht must make at least 5 kn under engine; the transit often takes two days with a night on a buoy in Gatún Lake.
• The locks operate around the clock; the ACP sets the time of the transit. VHF 12 (Cristóbal Signal Station on the Caribbean side, Flamenco Signal Station on the Pacific side).
• The two upper chambers of Gatún up to Gatún Lake.

Harbours nearby

• Club Náutico Caribe 11 km N
• Shelter Bay Marina 11.5 km N

Frequently asked questions