Panama’s ascension on the yachting scene

Norton Lilly International (Panama)’s CEO Joe Walden is optimistic about Panama’s, and the Central America region as a whole’s, future as a yachting destination. With new charter laws in 2021, vast improvements to its maritime infrastructure that specifically cater to superyachts and the launch of Panama Yachting Agent by Norton Lilly, Panama’s ascension to major player on the yachting scene is all but assured. Here, Joe talks about Norton Lilly’s new venture, his hopes for Panama and why he believes it’s a fantastic destination for yachts.

Tell us about Panama Yachting Agent…

Photo for illustrative purposes, Property of the Panama Canal Authority

Norton Lilly has a long and prestigious history in Panama, we’ve been here since 1925, and are best known for our traditional business in commercial shipping and cruise ships, however superyachts are a niche market that we’ve always participated in as they often use the canal as a means to reposition from the Pacific and Atlantic and vice versa. We recognise that the wants and needs of yachts are unique, so we dedicated time and energy to building a specialised team of people who have expertise in this area and, by creating Panama Yachting Agent, are allowing them to focus strictly on the yachting industry. Panama Yachting Agent is a subsidiary of Norton Lilly, so our clients can expect the same excellence, passion and integrity, but now with a much more focussed knowledge of yachting.

Why have you launched Panama Yachting Agent now?
Pre-2021 charter laws in Central America as a whole were restrictive and the infrastructure just didn’t exist – that has now changed. In January 2021, the Panamanian government modified the laws that dictate the operation of yacht charters in Panama – basically, this has allowed foreign flag yachts to conduct chartering activities in Panama’s waters. There has also been huge progress in terms of infrastructure in both Panama and Costa Rica, with new marinas that have berths that can accommodate superyachts. So, we expect super- and mega- yacht activity to increase, not just in Panama but across the region, which is why we’ve also partnered with like-minded and equally experienced people in Costa Rica and the Galapagos to form Experience Yacht Services (EYS) Latin America. As a founding member of EYS, we strongly believe that this region is a very attractive destination for the yachting industry.

Guna Yala Tribe experience. Yachting at the San Blas Archipielago

What are the advantages of using Panama Yachting Agent?
There are two major advantages to choosing us as a yacht agent. Firstly, as one of the oldest shipping agents in Panama, we recognise how important the canal is for Panama and we have a huge amount of knowledge around it, so we are extremely well-prepared to coordinate transits, and have long been working with superyachts repositioning between the Caribbean and the Pacific. Our dedicated team, who themselves are highly experienced in coordinating canal transits, are able to make sure the captain, crew and the yacht itself are fully prepared and understand what is required in conducting a transit, particularly if they are new to the region and this is the maiden transit, as there are some extra requirements to prepare for. We can make sure that everything is compliant with the regulations and that everyone is well informed in advance so as to avoid any surprises on arrival in Panama. This way the yacht can commence transit without any undue delays or unexpected problems.

The second big advantage is that we’ve created Panama Yachting Agent a niche division of Norton Lilly dedicated to superyachts with contacts throughout the country who have an incredible knowledge of Panama as a destination and all the things that you can see and do here. There’s cruising and world class diving and fishing from a number of incredible anchorages as well as paradise islands, mountains, coffee plantations, rainforest, and highlands – there is so much more than just the canal. Through our partners we can offer both destination recommendations on what yacht guests might like to see and do, as well as design customized itineraries across the country.

What have the new charter laws done to open up Panama to superyachts?
The new laws were written in in January 2021, but there hasn’t been much progress since then as there are still some unanswered questions. It’s still a new development so there are small issues that are in the process of being ironed out, for example we, at Norton Lilly, have been working closely with the Panama Association of Nautical Tourism and the Panama Maritime authority to clarify some of these regulatory and fiscal guidelines. The most important thing currently is that you can bring any yacht here and remain in Panamanian waters while conducting chartering activities with no problems whatsoever.

Why do you think Panama is such a great destination for yachts?
People are looking for a new destination to explore and Panama is an untapped market. It’s been largely overlooked by the yachting world for years and seen as only the canal when, in fact, it’s a gateway between oceans and an incredible one at that. Here at Norton Lilly, we have long been welcoming all transiting yachts to stay in Panamanian waters to enjoy everything else that is on offer, and they are starting to listen.
We are similar to Costa Rica in the fact that there is immense natural beauty and a huge array of wildlife, plus there are some incredible experiences that will really get you deep into our diverse and pristine landscapes. On both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts there are hundreds of beautiful, and mostly deserted, tropical islands to explore and world-class diving, fishing and surfing. On land, there’s amazing hiking and rafting in the highlands, indigenous culture to discover and plenty of extraordinary ways to see the rain- and cloud- forest and the animals that call them home. In fact, with the amount of adventure and activities available across the Panama, Costa Rica, Galapagos ‘triangle’ there is no better place for experiential yachting to enrich your time on the yacht and enhance your experiences of these destinations.

As well as being a means to reposition, the canal is a unique and interesting attraction in its own right. We have long recommended to transiting yachts that if there are guests that have the opportunity to stay onboard during transit that they should, as it’s a one-of-a-kind experience and the best way to get an up close look at what is considered one of the world’s engineering marvels. Plus Gatun Lake is an unmissable feature of any trip to Panama – the rainforest surrounding the water is magical.

At the same time as the introduction of the charter laws, there has also been a new cruise terminal developed on the Pacific coast and there are now several marinas on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts that can accommodate superyachts. In this respect, we also hope that the yachting industry will recognise Panama as a destination not only for touristic activities but also as a very good location for technical requirements with a developed maritime infrastructure. We can offer bunkering, provisioning, surveys, maintenance, and so on in and around Panama City which also has an international airport with direct flights to Europe, USA and the Caribbean, so ideal for crew changes and guest arrivals and for receiving parts and shipments. It’s a strategic location, a hub, where all of a yachts technical needs can be met.

Contact Information

Panama Yachting Agent

Panama Pacific and Atlantic Coasts

Canal Transits |Shore Support |Port Agency |Provisioning & Concierge

panama@experienceyachtservices.com

mailto:panamayachting@nortonlilly.com.pa

+507 6614-0295