ALICE OLDENDORFF (IMO 9942720) Table Bay, Cape Town

ALICE OLDENDORFF IMO 9942720 | Capesize Bulk Carrier

ALICE OLDENDORFF IMO 9942720 is a 182,000 DWT Capesize bulk carrier photographed on the Cape sea route near Table Bay, Cape Town.

Photographer's Note: ALICE OLDENDORFF (IMO 9942720) was photographed by Vernon Chalmers in Table Bay, Cape Town. The image forms part of the Vernon Chalmers Photography Maritime Studies Project and is also published in the Shipspotting.com database.

ALICE OLDENDORFF (IMO 9942720)

ALICE OLDENDORFF (IMO 9942720) is a modern Capesize bulk carrier and a substantial example of the large dry-bulk vessels encountered on the international shipping routes passing the Cape Peninsula. Built in Japan in 2022, she represents the contemporary generation of high-capacity bulk carriers designed for the long-distance movement of commodities such as iron ore, coal and other dry bulk cargoes.

The vessel has an overall length of approximately 291.9 metres, a beam of 45 metres, gross tonnage of 93,718, and a deadweight capacity of approximately 181,963 tonnes. She is registered in Madeira, Portugal, and her call sign is CQTK. (VesselFinder)

Vernon Chalmers Maritime Studies

A substantial Capesize vessel

ALICE OLDENDORFF belongs to the Capesize class, the largest category of conventional bulk carrier normally associated with ports and waterways that can accommodate vessels of this scale. Her approximately 182,000-tonne deadweight capacity places her firmly within the major ocean-going bulk-carrier sector.

Her construction was completed by Namura Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. in Japan, with delivery recorded in November 2022. Contemporary shipbuilding records identify the vessel as a Namura 182BC design, with a length of 291.9 metres, breadth of 45 metres and a design deadweight of approximately 182,000 tonnes. (New Vessels)

The vessel is classified by Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK). The classification record also identifies modern environmental and machinery-related notations, including systems addressing nitrogen-oxide and sulphur-oxide emissions. (ClassNK)

ShipSpotting.com for Maritime Photographers

Oldendorff Carriers

The vessel's name places her within the fleet of Oldendorff Carriers, the German dry-bulk shipping group headquartered in Lübeck. The company has a long-established international presence in the transportation of bulk commodities and maintains a Cape Town office, reflecting the importance of South Africa within global dry-bulk logistics. (FlipHTML5)

This geographical connection is particularly relevant to maritime observation around Cape Town. The Cape sea route sits between major Atlantic and Indian Ocean trading systems, while South Africa itself is an important source and transit region for mineral commodities. A Capesize vessel such as ALICE OLDENDORFF therefore belongs to a class of ship whose movements can be understood within the much larger global network of commodity transportation.

Table Bay Maritime Environment Through Photography

A vessel observed from the Cape

For the maritime photographer, ALICE OLDENDORFF is more than a set of technical specifications. At almost 292 metres long, a Capesize bulk carrier presents a distinctive visual scale when viewed from the Cape Peninsula: the vessel's enormous hull, high freeboard and extensive cargo-hold arrangement make it immediately distinguishable from container ships, tankers and smaller bulk carriers.

AIS observation adds another dimension to the photographic record. The IMO number 9942720 provides a permanent identity for the vessel, allowing an individual photographic encounter to be connected with the ship's wider operational history. This is one of the strengths of combining shipspotting, photography and AIS-based maritime observation: the photograph becomes an identifiable record rather than simply an image of an anonymous ship.

ALICE OLDENDORFF is consequently a useful subject within the developing maritime photographic record of Table Bay and the Cape sea route. Her presence illustrates the extraordinary scale of the commercial shipping system that passes the Cape Peninsula, often largely unnoticed from land.

Ship Spotting as Photography Hobby

Photographic significance

From a photographic perspective, large bulk carriers are especially interesting because their form changes substantially with distance, atmospheric conditions and viewing angle. At long range, the vessel can appear almost deceptively small against the horizon; as she approaches the Cape, the relationship between hull, superstructure and sea becomes increasingly apparent.

For a photographer working from land, the vessel also provides an opportunity to combine long-lens compression, atmospheric perspective and environmental context. The resulting image can document not only the vessel itself but also its relationship with Table Bay, the Cape Peninsula and the wider maritime landscape.

ALICE OLDENDORFF therefore fits naturally into a Maritime Studies approach to photography: identify the vessel, establish its technical and operational context, photograph its passage, and preserve the encounter as part of a continuing visual record of Cape maritime activity.

Photographic Equipment

Camera: Canon EOS 6D Mark II

Lens: Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM Lens

Photographic Genre: Maritime Photography / Ship Spotting

Location: Table Bay, Cape Town, South Africa

References

ClassNK. (2026). ALICE OLDENDORFF (IMO 9942720): Register of ships. Nippon Kaiji Kyokai.

Oldendorff Carriers. (n.d.). Company and fleet information. 

Port of Hamburg. (2026). Alice Oldendorff: Vessel information. Hafen Hamburg Marketing.

VesselFinder. (2026). ALICE OLDENDORFF (IMO 9942720): Vessel details.