This photo was shot in 1960 summer. She was loading ore at Dársena de La Benedicta, at Portugalete. She was the last ship loading there.
There were two sister ships built by Astilleros Corcho, at Santander, in 1952/53. They were the Cartes and Mercadal. The Mercadal was scrapped in 1978 and the Cartes in 1979.
The Mercadal grounded on 23/December/1967 on the Suances beach, at the inlet to Requejada (Cantabria). She was refloated during a spring tide, helped by a tugbooat, after 22 days.
By her bow was the Campanilla, that was based there for supplying fuel to ships. On the background to the left were two of the four barges built by Astilleros del Cadagua for Flota Mercante del Estado de Paraguay. They were the Tatayiba and Pykysiry, being the other two Curupayty and Tuyuti. Their dead weigth was 480 MT; the gross register 518 GRT; the lenght 49.5 meters; the beam 10.4 meters and the depth 3.3 meters. They had auxiliary engines to generate the electricity for the rudder, deck and cargo machinery, lighting and accomodation. The same shipyard built an smaller refrigerated barge named Lomas Valentinas.
In the same years the same shipping company ordered several ships to Tomás Ruiz de Velasco.