Evening Arrival of Cygnus Ocean at the Marine Terminal

The landscape was dotted with clouds of dense smoke as we approached Subic on a still Saturday afternoon in December. The rainy season was over, the main rice harvest was complete, and farmers were burning off the stubble (still allowed in the Philippines). A woody, smokey smell drifted into the car. 

Between the barren or burning fields, men were toiling shin-deep in the waters of newly-irrigated rice fields; planting a second crop for the coming dry season. The young shoots were a brilliant lime green that hurt the eye. The mirror-surface of the water reflected the verdant mountains as well as the massive blue sky dappled with cumulus clouds. 

After passing this broad patchwork of rice fields, the road climbs steeply to cross the last mountain before the long plunge down to into the Subic Bay area. Near the bottom of the winding, forested descent, there are glimpses of the port area.

On reaching the water's edge we were immediately treated to the sight of a bulk carrier coming gently in to dock. I took the photo below from the roadside, using my cellphone camera. 

Cygnus Ocean Arriving in Subic, Dec 2014

Source: Richard Stutely

As you can see, the ship was magnificently back lit by a stunning sunset. You can just about make out two tugs alongside and one astern, quietly pushing and guiding her into the East Bulkhead of the Marine Terminal. I am always impressed by the power of these little tug boats. Despite the calm we could barely hear the deep rumble of their engines. Thinking back, it is almost as if we could feel the engines rather than hear them. 

In just a couple of minutes after we arrived the carrier was docked with no fuss or noise. A peaceful end to the ship's sailing and to our journey. The sun slid down behind the mountains and its glow was replaced by twinkling lights around the bay. 

The vessel we saw dock was the Cygnus Ocean, launched in 2013 and owned by Diamond Star Shipping in Singapore (gross tonnage of 33,000, 197m overall, 32m beam, drawing 9.1m). She has a flush deck with a forecastle and five holds for transporting grains, coals, ores and steel products. The four 30-ton deck cranes allow cargo loading and unloading in ports without such facilities, such as Marine Terminal. 

According to marinetraffic.com the Cygnus Ocean left Istanbul on 13 November 2014, was at Suez on 18 November, then averaged over 10 knots and wasn't much more than 100km distant from Subic on 17 December. Presumably she had to stand off waiting for a berth. If we had arrived earlier in the day on 20 December we might have seen her predecessor leaving the same pier. 

I wonder if the delay caused demurrage (extra costs for the charter party/shipper). This was probably the least of their worries. I am guessing that the cargo was wheat flour. On 17 November, a few days after the carrier sailed from Turkey, the Philippine Department of Agriculture imposed anti-dumping duties of up to 16% on Turkish flour (see, eg, PhilStar), although Turkish exporters deny allegations of dumping (see, eg, Manila Bulletin).

The image below shows the port area, which is on the east side of Subic Bay. You can see the road running from the top right hand corner, diagonally towards the sea, and the Marine Terminal seemingly continuing the road into the semi-enclosed area of water top right.

Subic Bay Port Area

Source: Google Maps

We passed the Marine Terminal about a day later, and there were ships unloading at both bulkheads of the terminal and at the adjacent Sattler Pier. More on these in a later blog.

Footnote: Cygnus, by the way, is a constellation in the night sky near the Milky Way, but you probably knew that.

Welcome

Hey, welcome to my blog about Subic Bay. The bay is a spectacular natural harbour surrounded by mountains. It has a fascinating history and an excellent infrastructure (even though the population is just a few hundred thousand people). The ecosystem is unique and includes grasslands, mangrove swamps and the largest area of unspoiled rain forest remaining in the Philippines. Birds and other wildlife abound, and several dozen endangered species survive in Subic's protected habitats. 

Subic Bay 

Source: Google Maps

In most countries such an amazing location would be classified as a Heritage Site or an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. But the Philippines is so overloaded with natural beauty that when you are here it is easy to take nature's gifts for granted. Which is precisely what has happened to Subic. It is taken for granted.

Located on the west side of the Philippines, just 100km from Manila, Subic Bay is one of the world's largest natural harbours. It is almost 9 km sailing from the mouth of the bay to the shipyard near Subic town, and about 5 km across the widest point.  Yet the shipping channel at  the entrance is only 644 metres wide, and the surrounding mountains make the Bay a perfect deep water anchorage. 

In 1542, Spanish conquistador Juan de Salcedo sailed into Subic Bay . He probably thought "very nice, but there is nothing here for me." In those days, the bay had very little flat land and was probably home to just a few small fishing villages. Nearby Manila Bay, with endless acres of flat land and bustling commerce, made a much better naval base. When the British captured Manila in 1762, the Spanish revisited Subic Bay, and in the late 1800s it became a coaling station for the Spanish fleet. 

In the second year of the 1898-1901 American-Spanish War, the Americans took over the Subic Naval Base. It remained under US control until 1991 (except from 1942 to 1944, and a few days either side, when it was occupied by the Japanese). 

Under the US, the area was developed into a very significant naval reserve with roads, offices, accommodation for thousands, hospital facilities, etc. and an air and sea port that handled up to 44 warships at any one time, along with the supply chain and massive support operation that all this implies. 

In the 1950s, US Navy engineers went so far as to slice off the top of a mountain and dump it into the bay. The reclaimed land enabled them to create a naval airport with a 2.3 km runway, still capable today of handling the largest transport aircraft. This was the world's biggest earth moving operation since the Suez Canal was dug. Subic was, of course, a strategic base during the Vietnam War.

Subic Bay in 1990, showing the sea port (right and bottom), 

the airport (left) and the mouth of the bay (top left).

Source: US Navy, public domain

In 1991, the Americans closed their bases in the Philippines (I'll write about this one day). The Navy left behind the complete airport and seaport infrastructure in Subic Bay.

It is also relevant to note that under the Americans, huge areas of forest around the bay were not developed but were protected from outside interference or destruction - and the resulting pristine forest is a very important part of the US legacy. 

However, although the US left behind a golden opportunity for the Philippines (in the infrastructure and nature reserve) the local town of Ologapo lost a US $2 million a day cash injection from the US forces. Sadly, I am not sure that the town or the port have ever recovered their former glory.

Nevertheless, what we have today is a truly unique place. My photos and words cannot possibly do it justice. But in this modest blog I will describe some of the beauty I see in Subic and maybe make some humble suggestions about providing a viable and sustainable future for the area.  I hope my readers will contribute.

Acknowledgement: This blog came into existence because my good friend Nigel Hollyman forced me into it by setting up the systems. Nigel is multi-talented and creative. I strongly recommend his blog fishingnews.co.nz even if you are not into fishing, for its insights about life and nature.