Ybarra Line was founded in Seville in 1881 to operate cargo services and in 1927 started to operate passenger services from Spain to South America. The South American service ceased in 1976. The company continued as ship owners until 1981 when their last ship was taken over by Compania Transmediterranea. Ybarra Line continued as agents until 2006 when finally taken over by Hamburg Sud.

Design and Construction (1956 – 1959):

The Capo San Vicente was built by the Societe Navacao Navali, Bilbao in Spain for the Ybarra Line and their South American service. She was launched on the 6th October 1956 and was delivered in April 1959. Her older sister ship the Capo San Roque was launched on the 23rd April 1955 and delivered in August 1957. Both ships were the largest ocean liners built in Spain and their interior decoration was led by the renowned Italian architect Gustavo Pulitzer who was famous for the interior design of many Italian ocean liners.

Ybarra Line service (1959 - 1976):

The Capo San Vicente entered service after her sister and both ships served on the South American service from Genoa via Barcelona and Tenerife to Rio de Janiero and Buenos Aires. The line was frequented by emigrants bound for Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina. As well as their regular line voyages the two sisters were also used on cruises especially around Carnival time, Christmas and New Year.

The two ships also pioneered Antarctic and Falkland Island cruises from 1973. Indeed they started Spanish involvement in Antarctic tourism. The Antarctic cruises often started from Buenos Aires and sailed on to Montevideo, Ushuaia and then on to Antarctica via the Drake Channel. In Antarctica the cruise often visited the South Shetland Islands, Larrea Straits, Smith Island, Palmer Archipelago, Melchior Naval Detachment, Gerlache Straits, Paraiso Bay, Bismark Straits, Neumayer Channel, etc and also visited stations in the Palmer Peninsular especially the Argentinian stations. Then on the return journey the cruise called at Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands before returning onwards to Montevideo and Buenos Aires. The Capo San Vicente made three Antarctic cruises during her career and the final Antarctic cruises were made in the 1974/75 summer season. The Capo San Vicente was retired from service by Ybarra Line in 1976 and sold to the Shipping Corporation of India.

Shipping Corporation of India service (1976 – 1985):

 In 1976 the Capo San Vicente was sold to the Shipping Corporation of India and renamed Noor Jehan. She then served on pilgrim services from Bombay and Karachi to the Persian Gulf and Jeddah. After many years service she was retired and laid up in 1984. In 1985 she was sold for scrapping. A sad end to a fine ship.