Over thirty people representing the ship owners, agents, customers, and charterers came from Washington, Alaska, and as far away as Japan, to join port and terminal representatives in celebrating the maiden voyage at an on-board reception held December 10, 2004.

M.V. Belle Nautica arrived at Fraser Surrey Docks – a general cargo terminal at Fraser River Port - directly from the Shikoku Dockyard in Japan where it was built. The ship measures 170.7 metres in length with a beam of 27 metres, and a Gross Registered Tonnage of 17,979 metric tonnes. It has a crew complement of 20, and has four 30-tonne cranes and five holds.

Several gifts were presented to the vessel’s master, Captain Tao Wang, at a brief ceremony hosted by Mr. Shigeru Tamura, Executive Officer of Inui Steamship Co. Ltd.

Captain Tom Corsie, Vice-President of Property Development for the Fraser River Port Authority, presented the captain with a plaque to commemorate the ship making Fraser River Port it’s first stop. Other presentations were also made by Erich Billung-Meyer, Vice-President Agency Services for International Shipping Company; Jim Connor, President and CEO of Sealaska Timber Corporation; and Mike McLeod, of Fraser Surrey Docks.

After leaving Fraser River Port, M.V. Belle Nautica will travel to Heidelberg, Alaska in the United States, before returning to Japan. Inui Steamship Co. Ltd. of Japan, which manages the ship, does not run a liner service between British Columbia and Japan – but their ships are regular callers to Fraser River Port, averaging one or two visits per month to Fraser Surrey Docks. Sealaska Timber Corporation of Alaska has chartered M.V. Belle Nautica for two years.

Fraser River Port is Canada’s second-largest port by volume, located in the main arm of the Fraser River. The Port directly employs over 12,400 people. Total Gross Domestic Product exceeds $2.3 billion.