Port of Vancouver USA welcomes Saga Pioneer on maiden voyage

VANCOUVER, Wash.-Port of Vancouver USA welcomed the Saga Pioneer, commanded by Capt. Kamalaksha V. Kamath of Mumbai, India, on its maiden voyage to the port on September 16, 2008.

Kamath and the 22-member crew were welcomed to Vancouver by Matt Cress, port manager  and Chris Kobus, marine operations manager for Merit Steamship Agency, Inc.;  Capt. Stanley Khoo, port captain for Saga Forest Carriers International A.S., Marlin Pulliam, superintendent for Ports America, Inc. , Gilles Langlais, president and CEO Merit Steamship Agency, Inc.; Sudhir K. Maheshwari, senior superintendent for Anglo-Eastern Ship Management along with port representatives Nick Haindl, Matt Graves, Kim Shaffer and Mary Mattix.

The Saga Pioneer was built in Japan and delivered in August 2008. It is nearly 654 feet in length, has deadweight of 46,559 tons, has 10 holds and hatches and two 42-ton gantry cranes. The crew for the vessel’s first visit to the Port of Vancouver USA, was from India.

The vessel discharged approximately 5,500 metric tons of steel from the Far East and Asian ports at Port of Vancouver’s Terminal 3, stevedored by Ports America.

The Saga Pioneer is owned by Saga Shipholding (Norway) S.A. and operated by Saga Forest Carriers. Saga Forest Carriers is represented locally by Merit Steamship Agency, Inc.

Saga continues to develop and expand its trading areas and customer base and is currently operating a fleet of 26 sophisticated open-hatch gantry craned vessels. Saga has fulfilled one of the most extensive new building programs in the industry. “The arrival of the Saga Pioneer marks the last of the nine ships under the new building program of the Saga Adventure class for Saga Forest Carriers.  With these nine ships, Saga’s total open hatch gantry crane fleet rests at 27 vessels further demonstrating Saga’s commitment to the break bulk market place,” said Saga’s Vice President/General Manager Paul Prefontaine. This completes the “Adventure Class” new ship builds for Saga in the period from 2005 to 2008 from Oshima Shipbuilding Ltd, Japan in 2008.  The vessels in the “Adventure Class” series are; Saga Adventure, Saga Discovery, Saga Explorer, Saga Enterprise, Saga Frontier, Saga Journey, Saga Navigator, Saga Odyssey and Saga Pioneer.

After leaving the Port of Vancouver USA, the vessel sailed to Vancouver, B.C., where it will discharge steel and load bulk products for Europe.

At A Glance

Who: Saga Pioneer
What: Maiden Voyage to Port of Vancouver USA
When: Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Quick Facts: Port of Vancouver USA welcomed the Saga
Pioneer on its maiden voyage.

Click here to see photo

PHOTO CAPTION: The welcoming party for Saga Pioneer on its maiden voyage to Vancouver USA (l-r) Marlin Pulliam (Ports America), Sudhir K. Maheshwari (Anglo-Eastern Ship Management), Gilles Langlais (Merit Steamship Agency, Inc.), Nick Haindl (Port of Vancouver), Saga Pioneer Capain Kamalaksha Kamath, Kim Shaffer (Port of Vancouver), Captain Stanley Khoo (Saga Forrest Carriers), Matt Graves and Mary Mattix (Port of Vancouver); Matt Cress and Chris Kobus (Merit Steamship Agency, Inc)

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About the Port of Vancouver USA

While working on some of the most important port development on the U.S. West Coast, the Port of Vancouver USA is cooperating with its tenants and customers to schedule and maximize business potential during construction. The end result will show why the port is “On Track to the Future,” as the completed developments will mean expansion of business and resulting new jobs for the community.

The Port of Vancouver, USA, created by Clark County taxpayers in 1912, is one of the major ports on the Pacific Coast. Its competitive strengths include available land, versatile cargo handling capabilities, vast transportation networks, a dependable labor force and an exceptional level of service to its customers and community.

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