metis_leaderVANCOUVER, Wash.—The Port of Vancouver USA welcomed the Metis Leader commanded by Capt. Nicanor V. Alcala of the Phillippines on her maiden voyage to the United States on August 14, 2013.

Alcala and his 21-member Filipino crew were welcomed to Vancouver by  Gary Martinke, port manager for Inchcape Shipping Serives; Ann Tetreault, operations manager for Subaru of America; Mark Miller, general manager for Ports America; Marline Pullman, 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.

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 Westminister, then to the Port of Vancouver where she unloaded 2,110 Subaru vehicles. The vessel will then travel to Richmond, Califronia before its final stop in Irago, Japan.

Photo from left to right: Mark Miller, general manager for Ports America; Marlin Pulliam, site manamer for Ports America; Jim ZaFonte, Port of Vancouver; Captain Nicanor V Alcala, vessel captain; Mike Repman, operations manager for Auto Warehousing Company; Mike Schiller, Port of Vancouver; Keith Strobel, Port of Vancouver; Ann Tetreault, port operations manager for Subaru of America; Ewald Larson, Port of Vancouver; Barry Kantor, NYK; Greg Spencer, Port of Vancouver; Gary Martinke, Inchcape Shipping Services; Victor Bilyeu, Port of Vancouver; Richard Beardsley, Port of Vancouver; Bruce Studdard, Port of Vancouver