# Only tanker sunk in Panama Canal



## kaman (Apr 5, 2010)

Hi all,
My father-in-law was in the merchant marines on a tanker in WW II. He has told me a story several times about how in 1945 he was on a tanker ship as an engineer. He has told me that his ship was the only ship ever sunk in the Panama
Canal. It apparently sunk due to someone forgetting to attach some bolts in the depth gauge in the engine room while in dry dock. The story then goes that after the dock was refilled that the engine room then filled with water, thus sinking the ship. 
Does anyone know anything about this? I am sure my father-in-law would love to hear more facts about this. He admits his memory isnt so sharp.

Kevin


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## bert thompson (Nov 28, 2005)

Welcome Kevin to this great site.Hope you soon have a reply to your query.
Remember a ship sunk there about 1977. Guess it was raised as on future voyages there was no sign of it
Best wishes
Bert.


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## kaman (Apr 5, 2010)

Hi Bert

Thanks for the note...I think it would be awesome if I could find out some information about that ship for my father-in -law. He is 92 and has often talked about that ship.
Kevin


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## Jocko (Oct 31, 2011)

Back in the 1960s a Shipping Co. would be charged about £1000 a day if a ship broke down and stopped the traffic. That was an awful lot of lolly in those days. I remember one of our compressors bust a piston and valve and we weren`t allowed to move until we repaired it. We had a good bunch of engineers and we made a new piston and valve. I made the valve housing. Some bigwig from the Canal came on board and checked it out. He told the Captain and Chief Engineer that they had a good band of engineers. We were chuffed and also got a bottle of whisky for out effort.


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## kewl dude (Jun 1, 2008)

August 1972 I was on the 25,000 ton T2 TransErie, up on the blocks on Terminal Island in San Pedro. Bethlehem Shipyard forgot to re-install the fathometer, located in the lower engine room between two cargo pump electric motors. 

When we were put back into the water I as 1 A/E was in the lower engine room and spotted the sudden fountain. So the dock was drained and we spent another night on the blocks while the yard finished the job.

Picture attached TransErie up on the blocks with my five foot four first wife Jan standing at the bow for scale.

Greg Hayden


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## Scottsafe (Jan 14, 2018)

*Update on this ship*

I just heard today that my father also was on this ship. I expect to hear updates next Saturday on this ship...and will post it here. Do you recall the name of this ship? I can be reached at Scottsafe at gmail.com


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## Cisco (Jan 29, 2007)

kewl dude said:


> August 1972 I was on the 25,000 ton T2 TransErie, up on the blocks on Terminal Island in San Pedro. Bethlehem Shipyard forgot to re-install the fathometer, located in the lower engine room between two cargo pump electric motors.
> 
> When we were put back into the water I as 1 A/E was in the lower engine room and spotted the sudden fountain. So the dock was drained and we spent another night on the blocks while the yard finished the job.
> 
> ...


Greg, you have probably already seen this pic .. http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/167879/title/transerie-and-margo/cat/510


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## A.D.FROST (Sep 1, 2008)

What company would help?


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## ernhelenbarrett (Sep 7, 2006)

Dont know about the Panama Canal vessel but I can remember the BI passenger
ship that sank in Hong Kong drydock when I was on the Indian Coast with Marconi, somebody forgot to close a valve or something so the blokes on board had a few extra days there before going back on the Karachi=Chittagong run.
Ern Barrett


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## spongebob (Dec 11, 2007)

I was aboard "Rangitane" heading west after passing through Panama locks into the internal seaway when a blinding rainstorm cut visabilty to nil and we collided with a Liberty or Victory design ship called the Hawaiian Trader that was carrying pineapples from Hawaii to the American East coast. 
The ships' bows struck a glancing blow and our port anchor , hanging just above the waterline, hooked into the Trader's bow plates opening up the ships waterline plating as easy as a can opener. The Trader then veered into shallow water and sunk until just the superstructure was above water. Rangitane had severe bow plate damage and this was repaired in Balboa by replacing and filling some of the stem with concrete to get the ship to NZ and back to the UK where a new bow section had been prepared .
I had all the news cuttings etc for years but now long gone.
I have previously searched the net for any reference to this event but nothing found . 
That trip we had also been in the Bay of Biscay when the square rigger Pamir sent out her MayDay and sunk near the Azores. An eventful voyage .

Bob


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## Thunder Down Under (Feb 29, 2016)

*Panama*

Coming through the Panama Canal in 1971, there was a ship sunk down to her superstructure, that I believe had been involved in a collision.

It was loaded with rice. A bit sticky. (Sad)

TDU


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## roddy (Mar 5, 2006)

Certainly been more than one ship sunk within Panama Canal.

Did wreck removal there in Sept 79, cannot remember name of ship but it was loaded with iron ore, and sunk very rapidly following collision.

When we were able to bring the wreck up to the surface we found the safe in the masters cabin open and empty! Perhaps not really a surprise but certainly a challenging operation for someone.

Roddy


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