Posted on: Tuesday, June 21, 2005

Third new Matson ship to arrive

By Lynda Arakawa
Advertiser Staff Writer

Matson Navigation Co., Hawai'i's largest cargo shipper, will welcome its third new container ship since 2003 next week, and plans to add a vehicle roll-on, roll-off feature to two older vessels.

Matson's new vessel, the MV Manulani, will arrive in Hawai'i on Sunday on its inaugural voyage from Long Beach, Calif. It's the third of four new diesel-powered container ships Matson has purchased from Kvaerner Philadelphia Shipyard Inc. to replace older vessels.

Matson bought the first two new ships, the MV Manukai and MV Maunawili, in 2002 from Kvaerner for $107 million each. They were put into service in 2003 and 2004, respectively.

Matson paid $315 million for the Manulani and a fourth container ship, which is scheduled to be delivered next year. The company said it is part of a $365 million investment to launch a new Guam and China service next February, when its 10-year agreement with American President Lines Ltd. expires.

The new five-ship service, which will include all four new ships and the MV R.J. Pfeiffer, will begin in Long Beach and stop in Hawai'i, Guam and two ports of China, Ningbo and Shanghai.

The current Matson and APL weekly shipping service to Guam uses a fleet that includes two APL ships and three Matson C-9 vessels. When the agreement ends next year, Matson will incorporate the diesel-run C-9s into its Hawai'i fleet and convert two of them into a combination container/vehicle roll-on, roll-off ship, Matson officials said.

Matson spokesman Jeff Hull said yesterday the conversions would increase Matson's roll-on, roll-off capacity from 52,000 to more than 80,000 vehicles and enable the company to offer twice weekly roll-on, roll-off service from the West Coast.

"In addition to it being a much more economical way to transport vehicles with a combination vessel, we will now be able to offer the frequency and the ro-ro capacity that our customers have told us that they prefer," Hull said.

The changes should not affect Matson competitor Pasha Hawai'i Transport Lines, which began its roll-on, roll-off service to Hawai'i in March, said Pasha managing director Brian Black.

"Pasha has wrapped up a number of contracts with some of the auto manufacturers, and we're building customer loyalty," Black said.

"I think at this point in time, until I know more of the details (about Matson's plans), I don't think that it's necessarily a bad thing. If anything, it's a good thing for the consumer in Hawai'i."

Reach Lynda Arakawa at larakawa@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2470.