By Mark Edward Nero
On Feb. 11, the Port of Vancouver USA welcomed the cargo ship M/V Alam Sinar, commanded by Capt. Arturo Lobigas of the Philippines, on her maiden voyage to the United States.
Lobigas and his 19-member Filipino crew were welcomed to Vancouver by representatives from Pacific Northwest Ship and Cargo and Port of Vancouver USA.
The M/V Alam Sinar, a Class NKK bulk carrier, was built in Japan in 2013, is owned by Grace Ocean Private Ltd. and operated by Malaysian Bulk Carrier. The Singapore-flagged vessel is 579 feet (176.5 meters) long and has a deadweight capacity of 36,320 tons.
Before docking at the Port of Vancouver, the M/V Alam Sinar sailed from Takamatsu, Japan, then to the Port of Vancouver USA where she loaded about 6,000 metric tons of copper concentrate.
The vessel next arrived in Vancouver, B.C. on Feb. 14 and then Campbell River, British Columbia. It is later expected to sail to Akita and Nihama, Japan before its final stop at Isabel, in the Philippines.