The Frisia VIII was sold to the Coontranamar shipping company in Costa Rica in 2003. The ship covered the approximately 5600 nautical miles long transfer journey from the North Sea across the Atlantic (via Gran Canaria ) in 28 days, including a two-day waiting time on the Panama Canal . The ship, which had been built with a shallow draft for shallow sea areas without high waves, was converted in Hamburg for this purpose. Additional fuel tanks were attached to the loading area and the portholes were welded shut above the waterline.
