VAMAR Panama City

The Vamar was built in 1919 by Smiths Dock Co. in Middleboro, England. She was originally built as a gunboat for the British Admiralty and named Kilmarnock. She was 170 feet long, had a 30 foot beam and displaced 598 gross tons. In 1928 she was sold and renamed Chelsea, and in the 1920's, she spent about two years as the Eleanor Boling. As the Eleanor Boling, she served as a base ship for the Byrd Antarctic Expedition. In 1933 she was renamed Vamar when purchased by Vamar Shipping Company. In 1941 she was transferred and sailed under a Panamanian flag. 

The Vamar foundered and capsized in heavy seas on March 21, 1942, and now lies scattered in 25 feet of water in the mouth of St. Joseph Bay. The Vamar is also known locally as the Lumberboat or Lumbership Wreck.

Photo: The Varmar was 170 feet long and had a 30 foot beam. Photo courtesy The Mariners Museum, Newport News, Virginia.

Basic shipwreck information and images for this section of this site was taken with permission from the book Florida Shipwrecks by Daniel Berg. You are invited to submit your shipwreck related articles, images and information. As long as the text, photographs, sketches etc are of professional quality we will showcase them. Full credit will be provided and a same page link to your web site can be arranged.