Port of Vancouver welcomes Filipino crew on maiden voyage

From left to right: Jennifer Brower and Julie Rawls for Port of Vancouver USA; Sandra Avila agent for Pacific Northwest Ship and Cargo; Capt. Arturo A. Lobigas; and Mike Schiller, general manager of operations, Sheetal Bali and Sheila Deng for Port of Vancouver USA. HANDOUT

The Port of Vancouver in Washington state welcomed M/V Alam Sinar commanded by Capt. Arturo A. Lobigas when the bulk carrier recently arrived in the United States on its maiden voyage to the Philippines.

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 Class NKK bulk carrier M/V Alam Sinar was built in Japan in 2014 and is owned by Grace Ocean Private Limited and operated by Malaysian Bulk Carrier. The vessel is 579 feet (176.5 meters) in length 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 approximately 6,000 metric tons of copper concentrate. The vessel will travel to Vancouver, B.C. and Campbell River, then to Akita and Nihama, Japan before its final stop at Isabela, in the Philippines.