Port of Vancouver Welcomes Maiden Voyage Car Carrier

The Port of Vancouver USA welcomes the 'Metis Leader' commanded by Capt. Nicanor V. Alcala of the Phillippines on her maiden voyage to the United States, informs Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS).

The vessel was built in July of this year and was launched July 23, 2013. The Metis Leader is owned by Cyprus Maritime S.A. of Panama and is one of approximately 100 vessels the NYK Line currently has in service. The vessel is 656 feet in length and has a deadweight capacity of 18,200 metric tons.

Before docking at the Port of Vancouver, the Metis Leader sailed from the Imabari dock in Kawasaki Japan, carrying Subarus to NewWestminster, Canada then to the Port of Vancouver USA where she unloaded 2,110 Subaru vehicles. The vessel will then travel to Richmond, Califronia before its final stop in Irago, Japan.

Capt. Alcala and his 21-member Filipino crew were welcomed to Vancouver by Gary Martinke, port manager for Inchcape Shipping Services; Ann Tetreault, operations manager for Subaru of America; Mark Miller, general manager for Ports America; Marlin Pulliam, site manager for Ports America; Mike Repman, operations manager for Auto Warehousing Company; Barry Kantor, area operations manager for NYK, and representatives from the Port of Vancouver USA.

Source: ISS Portland