Quick post . . . more on the 1934 Panama-built  B/E Atlas III.  My guess about the B/E is that it’s Spanish for “barco d’educación” since it’s a training vessel.  Actually, check this site for dozens of “canal zone” era fotos and newer ones.

Let me focus on the Z-Tech tugs a bit.  Click here for more info on them.  Kamari . . . have seen it in New York’s sixth boro…  here assisted Atlantic-bound by Calovedora   on the stern as Dolega heads back south for the next job.  I’ve never seen a paint job like the one on the lighthouse.

Sub-sea construction oilfield services vessel Intrepid here geta assisted by Cacique on on bow and

Pecora on stern.

Vergaquas 1 assists Overseas Rosemar (I’ve seen her in New York’s sixth boro) on stern

and Dolega on bow.  Pilotboat heads back south.

Besides all the construction you see in the background, the foreground shows the Panama Canal Railway.  Originally I’d planned to take the passenger service up to Colon, but I decided to stay here and watch a day go by from relatively the same perspective, like hanging at my “offices” on the KVK.   Note in the background the vessel above the Miraflores lock waiting for traffic to flow Pacific-bound.

My hunch is that most of the day’s traffic on the railroad is containers on stacktrains like this, transferring containers from the Atlantic port of Manzanillo (MIT) to the Pacific port of Balboa.

Passenger service runs north early in the morning and south late in the afternoon.  Victims of SS Central America, their pockets and bags stuffed with California gold passes from the Pacific to the Atlantic on this railroad. One of my favorite books in Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea.

All fotos by Will Van Dorp, who will soon head back out.