Matson christens its new containership

Matson Navigation Co Inc's new containership MV Maunawili was christened July 17 at Kvaerner Philadelphia Shipyard Inc (KPSI) by Maryanna G Shaw, great-granddaughter of Samuel T Alexander, one of the founders of Matson's parent company, Alexander and Baldwin Inc. The vessel is the second of a two-ship, $220 million contract with KPSI.

The Maunawili is the second new Matson ship of the 21st century. The first, the MV Manukai, was delivered to Matson by KPSI in September 2003. Along with its sistership Manukai, the Maunawili has been designed to meet Hawaii's market requirements. Foremost among those requirements is additional capacity for large container sizes such as 40-, 45-, and 53-foot boxes. The vessel is also equipped with enough generator capacity to support refrigerated container requirements of the Hawaii trade. Other features include a more fuel-efficient diesel engine, modern shipboard technology, and environmentally friendly design elements.

Scheduled to enter Matson's Hawaii service in the fall, the Maunawili will commence with sea trials later in July 2004. As a replacement vessel, the ship will be one of eight ships deployed in service between the West Coast and Hawaii.