Canada Steamship Lines welcomed CSL Welland, the latest addition to its Trillium Class fleet on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River, as she docked at the Port of Montreal on January 2 at 13:48 Eastern Time. The 36,100 tonnes in deadweight, Seawaymax gearless bulker’s arrival marked the end of a 57-day maiden voyage that took CSL Welland across the East China Sea and Pacific Ocean, through the Panama Canal and up the east coast of North America. Captain Andriy Bondarenko and Chief Engineer Nicolas Lavoie were in command of CSL Welland for the voyage. Rod Jones, CSL Group President and CEO, and Allister Paterson, President of Canada Steamship Lines, were on hand to welcome them and the CSL Welland crew to Canada. “Captain Bondarenko and his crew safely and skillfully navigated a vessel designed for the Lakes on a demanding transoceanic journey from Yangfan shipyard in China to the Port of Montreal,” said Allister Paterson. “This is a remarkable achievement by a very talented group of seafarers, and it is certainly an inspirational start to the New Year for CSL.” In preparation for the 2015 Great Lakes shipping season, CSL Welland will now undergo alterations to remove the temporary reinforcing structures that made her ocean passage possible. CSL Welland‘s sister ship, CSL St-Laurent, began her maiden voyage from China on December 13, 2014, and is expected in Canada at the end of January. Like all Trillium Class ships, CSL Welland and CSL St-Laurent are built according to the highest safety, environmental and operational standards, using the most advanced technologies available today.Trillium Class ships use less fuel, reduce emissions significantly, and provide overall operational efficiency to the benefit of customers and the environment alike. Follow the maiden voyage of CSL St-Laurent in real-time on our Trillium Tracker posted on CSL’s website at www.cslships.com.