MSC Fabiola

MSC Fabiola is a container ship chartered by the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and operated by the Peter Döhle Schiffahrtsgesellschaft Gmbh und co.KG in Hamburg Germany, the largest such vessel ever to dock in North America. In March 2012 the ship shifted from its initial Asia-to-Europe service to begin trans-Pacific service. On March 16, 2012, Fabiola docked at the Port of Long Beach, breaking earlier records for the largest container ship at a U.S. port, and at any North American port.

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• Ship grounds in suez canal msc fabiola vessel grounded
• Msc fabiola as seen from the alameda oakland ferry
• References

MSC Fabiola is the first of a series of identical sister ships. The other three are MSC Faustina, MSC Fillippa, and MSC Filomena.

At the first U.S. stop in Long Beach, California, the ship was too tall to fit under the Gerald Desmond Bridge and dock at MSC's own terminal, so the Hanjin terminal was used instead. Two days later, Fabiola passed under the Golden Gate Bridge to become the largest ship to enter the San Francisco Bay. The ship docked at the Port of Oakland. MSC Fabiola takes about 18 days to cross the Pacific Ocean from California to China.

The presence of the MSC Fabiola at the Port of Oakland is the result of a 12-year harbor-deepening project that was largely completed in September 2009. Prior to the arrival of the Fabiola, the Port of Oakland prepared by checking channel depth and dredging as needed. San Francisco Bay pilots trained for the visit on a simulator at the California Maritime Academy for over a year. The ship arrived drawing less than its full draft of 50 feet 10 inches (15.5 m) because it held only three-quarters of a load after its stop in Long Beach.