Mar Caribe

At San Feliú de Guixols, not being possible to find out if she was the Mar Blanco or the Mar Caribe. On the right was the Danish Olga.       The Mar Caribe was built in 1920 at Sestao by the Sociedad Española de Construcción Naval. As it was normal in those years their boilers consumed coal, being modified later to consume fuel oil, as it was usual in the most of cases because the engine department personnel was reduced significantly, the maintenance and operation of the boilers were cheaper and in addition the vessel extended her autonomy.
      At the beginning of the Civil War she was under the control of the Republican Government. On the return of one of the trips made to the USSR, sailing along with Aldecoa y Antonio de Satrustegui, was intercepted by the national cruiser Baleares, developping the battle of Cape Cherchel against several Republican cruisers sent to protect these merchants. These, fleeing, anchored in the port of Cherchel (Algeria) and were interned by the French until the end of the war, when they were returned to their owners. The Mar Caribe continued with the shipping company until she was scrapped in 1964.
      The Aldecoa ran aground during the arrival although she was later refloated.
      On other hand the Mar Blanco was built the same year by the same shipyard, also being under Republican control at the start of the Civil War. Her fate was very different since on one of her trips to the USSR she was seized by the Soviets and renamed Orel.

Shipyard / Year	S.E.C.N.- Sestao / 1920
Dead weight	5,500	MT
Gross register	5,152	GRT
Length	113.3	mtr
Breadth	14.6	mtr
Depth	10.3	mtr
Propulsion	Reciprocating triple expansion
Power	2,320	H.P.

Mar Caribe
Scrapped	Bilbao - 1964

Mar Blanco
Seized	1939 - By USSR

Spanish version