Matson ship damaged by rogue wave

One of Matson Navigation Co.'s container ships, the S.S. Kauai, was damaged early Monday outside of Seattle when it was hit by a "rogue wave" during a heavy winter storm in the Northwest.

The 720-foot vessel, which was on its way to Oakland as part of its Seattle-Oakland-Honolulu route, was escorted by the rescue tug Gladiator into Port Angeles near Seattle.

Matson spokesman Jeff Hull said yesterday that the Kauai, built in 1980 and modified in 1993, sustained some broken windows on its bridge and damage to its steering system. Hull said the Kauai was expected to set sail again last night or early this morning after the repairs.

Hull said the ship would bypass the Oakland portion of its route and go directly to Honolulu, with the ship arriving in Hawaii "not that far off schedule."

He said the cargo due to be loaded in Oakland for Honolulu was being trucked to Southern California to be loaded on a Matson ship there. He said the cargo that was aboard the Kauai was "normal" cargo. Hull said Matson delivered the last Hawaii-bound Christmas trees by Dec. 1.