Gotta start out of Manila, sure back then us Filipinos were only stewards, but hey, the more I can bring with me the better. And you're right you are closer to the action. Furthermore, even a few sunken transports in the Linguyan means that much more time that those
Bastards on Bataan could hold out. Every little bit helps. And remember the landings start on 22DEC41.
As for the boat type...