History
Cap San Diego at St. Pauli Landungsbrücken, Hamburg (2011)
Germany
Name	Cap San Diego
Owner	Hamburg Süd
Route	Germany-South America
Builder	Deutsche Werft
Launched	December 15, 1961
Maiden voyage	March 29, 1962
Homeport	Hamburg
Identification	IMO number: 5060794
Nickname(s)	White Swan of the South Atlantic
Spain
Name	Sangria
Owner	Ybarra
Acquired	1981
Identification	IMO number: 5060794
Notes	Sold for scrap; city of Hamburg stepped in and purchased her for preservation.
Germany
Name	Cap San Diego
Owner	Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg
Acquired	1986
Identification	IMO number: 5060794
Fate	Turned over to Hamburger Admiralität foundation for preservation.
Germany
Owner	Hamburger Admiralität
Operator	Cap San Diego Betriebsgesellschaft mbH
Acquired	1987
Identification	IMO number: 5060794 MMSI number: 211855000 Callsign: DNAI
Status	Museum Ship
General characteristics
Type	Freighter
Tonnage	9,998 GRT, 5,728 NRT
Displacement	17,470 tons fully loaded
Length	159.40 m (523.0 ft)
Beam	21.47 m (70.4 ft)
Installed power	11,600 hp (8,700 kW)
Propulsion	MAN two-stroke 9 cylinder diesel engine
Speed	20.3 knots (37.6 km/h; 23.4 mph)
Capacity	10,000 dwt

Cap San Diego
Location of the Cap San Diego Show map of Hamburg Cap San Diego (Germany) Show map of Germany
Coordinates	53°32′35″N 9°58′35″E / 53.5431°N 9.9763°E / 53.5431; 9.9763

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.

History

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

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]