Cap San Diego

Summary

MS Cap San Diego is a general cargo ship, situated as a museum ship in Hamburg, Germany. Notable for her elegant silhouette, she was the last of a series of six ships known as the White Swans of the South Atlantic, and marked the apex of German-built general cargo ships before the advent of the container ship and the decline of Germany's heavy industry.

Cap San Diego at St. Pauli Landungsbrücken, Hamburg (2011)
History
Germany
NameCap San Diego
OwnerHamburg Süd
RouteGermany-South America
BuilderDeutsche Werft
LaunchedDecember 15, 1961
Maiden voyageMarch 29, 1962
HomeportHamburg
IdentificationIMO number: 5060794
Nickname(s)White Swan of the South Atlantic
Spain
NameSangria
OwnerYbarra
Acquired1981
IdentificationIMO number: 5060794
NotesSold for scrap; city of Hamburg stepped in and purchased her for preservation.
Germany
NameCap San Diego
OwnerFree and Hanseatic City of Hamburg
Acquired1986
IdentificationIMO number: 5060794
FateTurned over to Hamburger Admiralität foundation for preservation.
Germany
OwnerHamburger Admiralität
OperatorCap San Diego Betriebsgesellschaft mbH
Acquired1987
Identification
StatusMuseum Ship
General characteristics
TypeFreighter
Tonnage9,998 GRT, 5,728 NRT
Displacement17,470 tons fully loaded
Length159.40 m (523.0 ft)
Beam21.47 m (70.4 ft)
Installed power11,600 hp (8,700 kW)
PropulsionMAN two-stroke 9 cylinder diesel engine
Speed20.3 knots (37.6 km/h; 23.4 mph)
Capacity10,000 dwt
Cap San Diego
Cap San Diego is located in Hamburg
Cap San Diego
Location of the Cap San Diego
Cap San Diego is located in Germany
Cap San Diego
Cap San Diego (Germany)
Coordinates53°32′35″N 9°58′35″E / 53.5431°N 9.9763°E / 53.5431; 9.9763

History edit

The Cap San Diego was built and launched by Deutsche Werft in 1961 for Hamburg Süd as the last of a series of six ships. The 159 m, 10000 dwt ship ran a regular schedule between Germany and South America, completing 120 round trips until 1981. After being sold and running under different names and under Spanish flag and also flags of convenience as a tramp trader, the run-down ship was scheduled for scrapping in 1986 when she was bought by the city of Hamburg.

Museum ship edit

The ship was restored mainly by the labour of enthusiasts and laid-off dock workers, and is kept operational to date. Most of the time, the Cap San Diego is moored at the port of Hamburg where visitors can access virtually all areas of the ship from the bridge to the engine. One of the cargo holds hosts temporary exhibitions. Passenger cabins can be booked for overnight stays. Several times a year, the ship leaves the harbour on her own power for trips mostly on the river Elbe or to Cuxhaven. In 2001, the ship was awarded the Maritime Heritage Award by the World Ship Trust, and in 2003 she was declared a protected item of cultural heritage under Hamburg law.

The ship participates in Hamburg's Long Night of Museums.[1]

Sister ships edit

The Cap San Diego had five sisterships:

  • Cap San Nicolas
  • Cap San Marco
  • Cap San Lorenzo
  • Cap San Augustin
  • Cap San Antonio

Gallery edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Cap San Diego" (in German). Lange Nacht der Museen Hamburg. Archived from the original on 2010-02-05. Retrieved 2010-02-24.

External links edit

  • Official website (in German)
  • Picture of the Cap San Diego