Shipyard completes
new Matson vessel

The first of two new container ships Matson Navigation Co. Inc. is buying from Kvaerner Philadelphia Shipyard Inc. for $315 million, including add-on items and interest, was christened Saturday at a ceremony in Philadelphia by the first lady of Guam, Joann Camacho.

The 712-foot, 30,000-ton ship is called the MV Manulani, and is scheduled to go into service early next year on a West Coast-China route that includes stopovers in Hawaii and Guam.

It was finished on budget and ahead of schedule, the shipbuilder said yesterday

The second new ship will be added to service not long after that, to join two other ships built by Kvaerner: the MV Manukai and MV Maunawili, which were delivered to Matson in 2003 and 2004, respectively, in a deal worth $220 million.

A fifth ship, the 713-foot MV R.J. Pfeiffer, which Matson added to its fleet in 1992, also will be part of the service.

A Kvaerner spokesman said the MV Manulani is expected to leave Philadelphia by June 4 and make its way directly to Los Angeles.