The Cap San Diego was launched on december 15th, 1961, at the shipyard of the "Deutsche Werft AG" in Hamburg. It was the last in a series of six brand-new bulk cargo ships, commissioned by the shipping company "Reederei Hamburg-Süd". The ships of the "Cap San" class mark the beginning of an era of fast cargo vessels which were equipped with capacious cold storage rooms and facilities for 12 overseas passengers. With their sleek hulls and massive sterns, they resembled elegant yachts rather than freighters with a loading capacity of 10,300 tons