Spotted: Ottawa Express 1st Ship to Reach Montreal in 2018

By crossing the downstream limits of the Port of Montreal at Sorel on January 1, the Ottawa Express became the first ocean-going vessel to arrive at the port without a stopover in 2018.

The Ottawa Express, a containership operated by German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd, left the Port of Liverpool, England, on December 21.

The 245-meter-long boxship docked at Berth 77 at Cast Terminal operated by Montreal Gateway Terminals Partnership.

On January 3, Captain Rakesh Kumar will receive the Gold-Headed Cane, a trophy awarded each year to the Master of the first ocean-going vessel to reach the Port of Montreal without a stopover.

Operated by the Montreal Port Authority (MPA), the Port of Montreal is the second largest port in Canada. It handles containerized and non-containerized cargo, liquid bulk and dry bulk. The MPA also operates a cruise terminal and a port center.