The Port of Vancouver USA recently welcomed the 636-foot
long, 95-foot wide general cargo ship AAL
Hong Kong on her maiden voyage to the United States.
The AAL Hong Kong
is among a new generation multi-purpose vessels with a maximum lifting
capability of 700 metric tons. Singapore-based Austral Asia Line is the owner
and operator of the ship, which has a deadweight capacity of 31,123 metric
tons.
The Marshall Islands-flagged vessel, commanded by Capt.
Zeljko Presecan of Croatia, arrived at the Washington state port in mid-August
with a 22-member crew.
They were welcomed to Vancouver by AAL port captain Tommy
Hayes; Mike Titone from Columbia River Steamship Operators Association (CRSOA);
representatives from the Port of Vancouver USA; and Ion Badea, Jim Horne and Beth
Sanchez from vessel agent Norton Lilly International.
The vessel, which was built in China during the first half
of 2013, launched on June 25 of this year.
The AAL Hong Kong
sailed to the Port of Vancouver from Shanghai, China, where she unloaded 26 complete,
three-piece wind towers for Danish wind turbine company Vestas Wind Systems before
returning to Chinese ports.
