Hamburg Süd Christens First Ship in the U.S.

For the first time in the shipping company’s history, Hamburg Süd has celebrated the christening of a ship in the U.S. The ceremony to name the 3,800 TEU container ship Cap Corrientes was held on August 23 in the Port of San Francisco. The ship’s sponsor is Ofelia Gallo, the wife of Joseph E. Gallo, President and CEO of the E.&J. Gallo Winery in Modesto, California. The ceremony was also attended by Dr. Heino Schmidt, Member of the Executive Board of Hamburg Süd, and Alexander Oetker representing the Oetker family.

The container ship was built by Taizhou Catic Shipbuilding Heavy Industry Ltd. in China for the account of Vilmaris Management GmbH of Hamburg/Germany and is on a long-term charter with Hamburg Süd. The ship is deployed by Hamburg Süd in the liner trade between the Pacific Coast and Australia/New Zealand. Very important for Hamburg Süd is the ship’s capacity of 500 reefer plugs, which are used to carry refrigerated goods such as meat, fruit and vegetables from Australia to the U.S., or citrus fruits from Southern California on the return voyage.

The ship naming ceremony at Pier 35 coincides with the 150th anniversary of the Port of San Francisco. Hamburg Süd started offering regular liner services to and from California in 1957, connecting the Pacific Coast with Australia and New Zealand. In the early 1970s it was Hamburg Süd that introduced container ships with a large reefer capacity into the trade between the U.S. East and West Coasts and Oceania. 

Hamburg Süd offers 14 weekly departures from all major North American ports to Latin America, Australia and New Zealand as well as to Northern Europe and the Mediterranean. With offices in 10 major U.S. cities, including an office in downtown San Francisco, a full service network is available to serve customer requirements.

The Cap Corrientes is the third ship in the Hamburg Süd fleet to carry this name with the first Cap Corrientes named after the province of Corrientes in Argentina, dating back to 1958.

hamburgsud.com