The Vasco da Gama is 201.4 m long and 36.2 m wide. With a draft of 14.6 m, it has a deadweight of 59,000 tons. The loading space has a capacity of 33,000 m³. The ship is powered by two engines with 14,700 kW each. The suction pumps provide 2 × 4,500 kW. Extinguishing pumps with an output of 16,000 kW are installed to flush the cargo ashore. The maximum suction depth is 140 meters. The suction pipe has a diameter of 1.4 m. There is accommodation for 44 people on board.
There are three options for unloading:
Unloading by opening the bottom flaps
Unloading via a pipeline that is coupled to the ship
or direct flushing with the water cannon on the bow of the ship.
.svg){kind=small}