Capesize


Capesize ships are the largest dry cargo ships. They are too large to transit the Suez Canal or Panama Canal, and so have to pass either the Cape of Good Hope 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 changed categories.

Overview

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, although larger ships have been built, up to. The large dimensions and deep drafts of such vessels mean that only the largest deep-water terminals can accommodate them.
Subcategories of capesize vessels include very large ore carriers and very large bulk carriers of above 200,000 DWT. These vessels are mainly designed to carry iron ore.