GERMANY's Hapag-Lloyd won this year's Gold Headed Cane from the Port of Montreal as its Bermuda-flagged 2,298-TEU Valencia Express became the first ship of the year to enter the ice-bound harbour.
By crossing the Port of Montreal's downstream limits at Sorel at 12.06am January 5, having left Lisbon on December 22 the ship became the first ocean-going vessel to reach the harbour without a stopover in 2015.
The Valencia Express, under the command of Captain Anuj Kararia is represented in Montreal by agents Robert Reford.
This presentation of the cane marks the 176th anniversary of the tradition, which at one time was more meaningful before ice-strengthened hulls made Montreal a year-round port.
The no stopover clause is more recent after various ships, mostly Soviet vessels, would linger outside the limit and cross it at the right time to win the Gold-Headed Cane.
This resulted in an acrimonious diplomatic incident when a Russian ship, the Lena, mistook the pilotage boundary for the harbour's board limit - and went too fast to win the race - becoming the last ship in 1969 and not first ship in 1970.
WORLD SHIPPING
07 January 2015 - 10:21
Montreal greets first ocean ship of 2015 with Gold-Headed Cane
GERMANY's Hapag-Lloyd won this year's Gold Headed Cane from the Port of Montreal as its Bermuda-flagged 2,298-TEU Valencia Express became the first ship of the year to enter the ice-bound harbour.
WORLD SHIPPING
07 January 2015 - 10:21
Montreal greets first ocean ship of 2015 with Gold-Headed Cane
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