BH SHIJIAZHUANG (1059022) Table Bay, Cape Town

BH SHIJIAZHUANG IMO 1059022 | Cape Town Ship Spotting

BH SHIJIAZHUANG (IMO 1059022), a 2026-built Ultramax bulk carrier, photographed and documented in the Port of Cape Town.

Photographer's Note: BH SHIJIAZHUANG (1059022) 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. 

BH SHIJIAZHUANG (IMO 1059022) is a newly built 2026 Ultramax bulk carrier whose appearance in Cape Town provides an opportunity to document a new generation of international dry-bulk shipping.

A New Ultramax Bulk Carrier Arrives in Cape Town

BH SHIJIAZHUANG IMO: 1059022

The BH SHIJIAZHUANG is a particularly interesting vessel for Cape Town ship-spotters: she is not simply another bulk carrier visiting the port, but a brand-new 2026-built Ultramax dry-bulk vessel, only recently entering commercial service.

According to the China Classification Society (CCS), BH SHIJIAZHUANG entered class on 17 April 2026. CCS records her as a Liberian-flagged bulk carrier, with a gross tonnage of 36,217, while other maritime databases identify her deadweight capacity as approximately 64,000 tonnes. (CCS)

At 199 metres in length and 32 metres in beam, BH SHIJIAZHUANG has the characteristic proportions of an Ultramax-class bulk carrier. Her dimensions make her substantial enough to dominate the harbour skyline while remaining considerably smaller than the very large Capesize bulk carriers frequently encountered on major mineral routes. (VesselFinder)

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A Ship With Very Little History — Yet

One of the appealing aspects of photographing a new vessel such as BH SHIJIAZHUANG is that her operational history is only beginning to develop.

The vessel was built in 2026, and maritime records show her operating internationally during her first months. Her recorded movements have included ports and anchorages associated with China, Southeast Asia, West Africa and Brazil, demonstrating the global trading pattern typical of modern dry-bulk shipping. (MagicPort)

Her voyage history is therefore already beginning to tell an interesting story. Rather than belonging to a vessel tied permanently to one particular regional trade, BH SHIJIAZHUANG appears to be entering the international bulk-carrier market where cargoes, charterers and destinations can change from voyage to voyage.

That flexibility is one of the defining characteristics of the Ultramax segment.

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64,000 Tonnes of Carrying Capacity

The 64,000-tonne deadweight figure is particularly useful for understanding the vessel's role.

Deadweight tonnage is not simply the weight of cargo. It represents the vessel's total carrying capacity for cargo, fuel, stores, fresh water, ballast and other variable loads. Nevertheless, a vessel in the 64,000-DWT range has substantial capacity for transporting dry bulk commodities across ocean distances.

This makes the Ultramax design an important part of the international commodity transportation system.

Bulk carriers of this size can transport commodities such as iron ore, coal, grain and other dry bulk cargoes, depending upon their commercial employment and cargo-handling arrangements.

For the photographer, these characteristics also have visual consequences. The long, relatively uncluttered hull, multiple cargo holds and prominent deck machinery create a very different photographic subject from a container ship, tanker or car carrier.

Table Bay Maritime Environment Through Photography

A Distinctive Ship to Photograph

At 199 metres, BH SHIJIAZHUANG presents an excellent subject for observational harbour photography.

The vessel's 32-metre beam gives her a substantial vertical and horizontal presence, while her long cargo deck provides strong leading lines when photographed from an oblique angle.

The cargo-handling equipment is particularly important visually. The series of deck cranes and associated structures breaks up the otherwise extensive length of the vessel and provides repeated patterns that can be exploited compositionally.

For a ship-spotter, this makes several approaches worthwhile:

• Broad harbour view — emphasise the relationship between vessel, water and Cape Town's port environment.

• Three-quarter bow view — use the hull's length as a strong compositional line.

• Side-on view — record the vessel's proportions and overall configuration.

• Superstructure detail — isolate the accommodation block, funnel and bridge.

• Cargo-deck details — concentrate on cranes, hatch covers and deck machinery.

• Bow and stern identification shots — useful for building a systematic photographic record.

The ship's relatively new condition also makes documenting her appearance now worthwhile. Paintwork, markings and general condition will inevitably change as the vessel accumulates years of service.

Cape Town Connection

BH SHIJIAZHUANG's appearance in Cape Town is especially relevant from a local maritime-photography perspective.

Recent AIS-based information lists Cape Town as a destination, while a current port listing records BH SHIJIAZHUANG among vessels observed in the Port of Cape Town. (VesselFinder)

For the local photographer, this creates an interesting opportunity: a vessel that has only recently begun her working life can be documented during one of her early international voyages.

Cape Town's geography is particularly favourable for this kind of photography. Depending upon the vessel's berth, anchorage, weather and prevailing light, the photographer may be able to place the ship against distinctive elements of the port and surrounding landscape rather than producing merely an isolated ship portrait.

That environmental context is valuable.

A photograph of BH SHIJIAZHUANG alongside a quay records the vessel. A photograph showing her within the wider Cape Town harbour environment records the vessel's relationship with the port.

Why IMO 1059022 Matters

For systematic ship photography, the IMO number is more important than the vessel's name alone.

Names can change. IMO numbers are intended to provide a permanent identity for the vessel.

Consequently, IMO 1059022 provides a reliable reference for cataloguing photographs of BH SHIJIAZHUANG. The vessel is also associated with MMSI 636025544, while maritime sources identify her current flag as Liberia. (VesselFinder)

This is particularly useful when developing a personal maritime photographic archive.

A practical captioning system could therefore begin:

BH SHIJIAZHUANG — IMO 1059022 — Ultramax Bulk Carrier — Liberia — Built 2026

The photographic record can then be expanded with date, location, direction of travel, berth or anchorage and, where available, the vessel's AIS destination.

A New Generation Bulk Carrier

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of BH SHIJIAZHUANG is simply her age.

She represents the current generation of internationally trading dry-bulk vessels, rather than a ship whose design belongs to an earlier era of merchant shipping. Built in 2026 and already operating on international routes, she provides a contemporary reference point against which older bulk carriers can eventually be compared.

For a ship-spotter, that makes her more than just another arrival.

She is the beginning of a photographic history.

Over the years, photographs of BH SHIJIAZHUANG will potentially document changes in paintwork, markings, equipment, operating patterns and even the vessel's commercial identity. Today's photograph can therefore become a small piece of maritime history.

BH SHIJIAZHUANG — IMO 1059022 is, in that sense, an excellent example of what makes ship-spotting photography so rewarding: a single vessel provides an entry point into naval architecture, international commerce, port operations, geography and the constantly changing visual landscape of the working harbour.

Current vessel particulars and movements should be treated as time-sensitive AIS-derived information; the IMO identity and core vessel particulars are considerably more stable. (CCS)

Photographic Equipment

Camera: Canon EOS R6 Mark III

Lens: Canon RF 800mm f/11 IS STM Lens

Photographic Genre: Maritime Photography / Ship Spotting

Post Processing: Adobe Lightroom Classic Version 15

Location: Table Bay, Cape Town, South Africa