She is an important piece of Hamburg's history, and is now celebrating her anniversary twice: The "Cap San Diego" was laid down 65 years ago and has been lying as a museum ship in the port of Hamburg for 40 years. The double anniversary will be celebrated in a big way on Saturday.
The “Cap San Diego” then opens its decks to all Hamburg residents and guests of the city. At the big Open Ship, visitors can expect a varied anniversary program with music, exhibitions, hands-on activities and other offers from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., as the operating company announced.
The focus of the celebrations is also a look back at the history of the “Cap San Diego”. Because while the ship now spends most of its time in the port of Hamburg and is visited by around 120,000 people every year for the museum, the high ropes course or the escape room, the “Cap San Diego” has an extraordinary past:
Unusual Cargoes - From Cars to Polar Bears
The “Cap San Diego”, which was launched in 1961, was initially a general cargo ship for a long time. For around 20 years she brought a wide variety of goods, mainly from Europe to South America and back again. The freighter supplied Europe with green coffee, tea, tobacco, beef, fish, glue, fruit, vegetables and sweet oils. On its first voyage in 1962, the “Cap San Diego” transported, among other things, 457 Volkswagen cars across the Atlantic.
Their most unusual cargo, however, was a polar bear from Hagenbeck Zoo, which was brought to Montevideo in Uruguay in 1963. It was destined for the local zoo.
But private individuals could also take part. There was space for up to twelve passengers per trip. According to the operating company, the eight-week crossing was not for the poor. In the 1970s it is said to have cost about as much as a car - around 4,800 German marks. For comparison: a VW Beetle cost at least 5,045 German marks.
“Cap San Diego” briefly becomes “Sangria”
However, the era of general cargo ships eventually came to an end. Already in the late 1960s, more and more container ships became popular, which is why the Hamburg Süd shipping company finally sold the “Cap San Diego” to a Spanish shipping company in 1981. The ship was renamed “Sangria”.
For the 800th anniversary of the port, the city of Hamburg was looking for a flagship and found the “Sangria”. Just in time. She was due to be scrapped in Hong Kong at that time. The ship returned to the port of Hamburg in 1986 and was given its original name again. The “Cap San Diego” was converted into a museum ship and made seaworthy again by 2006. Since then, according to the operating company, it has been the largest seaworthy museum cargo ship in the world.
Mystery of missing ship's bell unsolved for years
There are also quite strange stories surrounding the ship: the ship's bell of the "Cap San Diego", which weighs around 40 kilograms, was missing for 28 years. It was stolen in 1986 and only resurfaced in 2014.
The ship's bell was initially in the basement of a house in Hamburg that a family bought in 2001 for twelve years. In May 2013, the bell was auctioned off via a classifieds portal to a man in Bremerhaven for 250 euros.
He then offered it to the ship's owner, the Hamburg Admiralty, for 1,600 euros. The police were finally able to confiscate the bell in 2014 from another man in Cologne who had received it as a gift. Since then, the ship's bell has been back on board the "Cap San Diego".
“Cap San Diego” is also a secret film star on the big screen
Film shoots regularly take place on board the “Cap San Diego”. “We are in favor of this and are happy to support it - every cent of the motif rent is invested back into the maintenance of the ship,” said the spokeswoman for the operating company. “Cap San Diego” has already played a role in several films.
A chase scene for “The Peppercorns and the Curse of the Black King” (2017), the film based on the Hamburg cult series, was filmed on the ship. Photo shoots also often take place on board the “Cap San Diego”.
Four-legged member of the crew
A very special part of the crew is the on-board dog Edda. She is a four year old toy poodle. However, Edda doesn't come with us on the trips; it's not suitable for dogs, the spokeswoman said.
A few of the “Cap San Diego” employees also regularly take their own dogs with them to work. You are also very welcome in the hotel and museum.
Nothing works without volunteers
Around 120 volunteers work to ensure that “Cap San Diego” is preserved. According to the managing director, they work in all areas: on the bridge, in the engine room, on deck, in the shop, in the archive, in IT. Anyone who takes part is helping to keep the museum ship alive. Without the volunteer crew, the ship would not be able to travel.
Although the “Cap San Diego” is now an integral part of the harbor panorama, it travels around 20 days a year with 11,650 hp.
