A ‘Panamax’ event

When Jim & I traveled to Panamá to cover the inauguration of the expanded Canal Locks, we were also able, as registered members of the Press, to attend a Press only briefing and tour the day before the big event.

miraflores group photo
Group Photo of attending members of the Press.

We were able to visit the Miraflores Centennial Locks & Visitor Center… a place I had visited nearly 20 years ago.  It was both familiar and new all at once.  We were also able to video the passage of a ‘Panamax’ class container ship as it came through.  I had seen this once, so many years before, but it was still impressive to see it up-close and personal.

After our press briefing and Q & A with ACP Officials, we were shuttled to the nearby 25:1 scale training facilities used to train Canal Pilots & Tug-boat captains.  It is a scaled down replica of the ‘Culebra Cut’, both Port entrances including lock gates and there is a small flotilla of exact scaled replicas of actual ships & tugs for live training to help the Pilots & Captains test new maneuvering techniques and train for unexpected conditions.

It was quite a day and we left anticipating the coming day, to witness a full-sized ‘Neo-Panamax’ class vessel come through the CocolĂ­ Locks.

–Buddy Tetreault, Director of Art & Technology

Buddy Tetreault

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