MV Berge Athene, a capesize bulk carrier of 225,200 DWT, built in 1979
Capesize ships are the largest dry cargo ships with ball mark dimension:[i] about 170,000DWT (deadweight tonnage) capacity, 290m (950ft) long, 45m (148ft) beam (wide), 18m (59ft) draught (under water depth).[1] They are too large to transit the Suez Canal (Suezmax limits) or Panama Canal (Neopanamax limits),[2] and so have to pass either Cape Agulhas or Cape Horn to traverse between oceans.
When the Suez Canal was deepened in 2009, it became possible for some capesize ships to transit the canal and so change categories.
Routes
Major capesize bulk trade routes include: Brazil to China, Australia to China, South Africa to China and South Africa to Europe.[3]
Classification
After deepening of the Suez Canal, a formerly capesize bulk carrier approaches the Suez Canal Bridge.Capesize bulk carrierCape Elise of 174,124 DWT at Inchgreen quay, Greenock, Scotland, for repairs in March 2014 after being struck by a massive wave. At 289 metres long, it was the largest ship to dock at Greenock in 20 years.[4]
Ships in this class are bulk carriers, usually transporting coal, ore and other commodity raw materials. The term capesize is not applied to tankers. The average size of a capesize bulker is around 156,000DWT, although larger ships (normally dedicated to ore transportation) have been built, up to 400,000DWT.[5] The large dimensions and deep draughts of such vessels mean that only the largest deep-water terminals can accommodate them.[6]
