Allow me to introduce: Cap San Diego
Our ship was commissioned in 1962 after around eleven months of construction. It was the last of a total of six identical general cargo ships that operated in liner service between Europe and South America. Southbound, machinery, technical products, and chemical products were transported, among other things. From South America, mainly raw coffee, cocoa, beef, and fruit in refrigerated compartments as well as cooking oils in heated tanks arrived. By the way, the "Cap San Diego" has never transported bananas.
The contractor of the freighter was the shipping company Hamburg Süd, which at that time belonged to the Dr. Oetker Group. All ships of this class, called "Class," were named after a geographical "Cap San ..." (or "Capo San ...") – our ship after the western tip of Tierra del Fuego, Cape San Diego.
The "Cap San Diego" was built at the Deutsche Werft in Hamburg-Finkenwerder (where the Airbus factory is located today). She and her CAP-SAN sister ships were highly modern at the time: Before the introduction of containers, goods were loaded loose in boxes, bags, or barrels. For this purpose, the ship has large cargo holds and masts with loading booms and two swing cranes. All technical facilities could be operated comfortably. The CAP-SAN ships were particularly popular among the crews and dockworkers as workplaces for this reason.
The freighter could carry up to 10,000 tons of cargo – an amount that was loaded in around seven days in general cargo operation. The same amount is now moved in containers in a maximum of eight hours. Therefore, it is hardly surprising that the "Cap San Diego" became unprofitable only a few years after its commissioning due to the beginning of container shipping. After the sale of the ship in the early 1980s, it even faced the threat of scrapping in Asia in 1986. Literally at the last moment, the "Cap San Diego" was saved through the engagement of the city of Hamburg and now lies as a true "Hamburger" at the Überseebrücke in front of the Elbphilharmonie.
Several times a year, the ship sets sail. Come on board and experience when the "Cap San Diego" comes to life. All areas of the ship are open to you, from the bridge to the engine room. The crew is happy to show and explain to you all functions of the largest seaworthy museum freighter in the world.
Only open until 4 PM
Hallo, ich bin Maya.
