Matson to ship direct to Marshall Islands

Matson Inc. plans to speed up its ocean cargo service to the Republic of the Marshall Islands early next year.

The Honolulu-based company announced Wednesday that it has agreed to buy a used containership from New York shipping company Sealift Inc. and will use the vessel on a new direct route between Honolulu and the ports of Kwajalein, Ebeye and Majuro.

Matson said the new service, scheduled to start by March, will shorten transit times for cargo from the mainland by as much as eight days.

Currently, Matson delivers cargo from the mainland to the Marshall Islands with a stop in Guam, where cargo is transferred to another ship before completing what is a total three-week or longer journey for the cargo. The new direct service from Hawaii will take about two weeks. Matson has served the Marshall Islands since 1972.

The Sealift ship, which will be renamed the Kamokuiki, can carry the equivalent of 707 20-foot containers. It was built in Germany in 2000. The ship was converted to a U.S. flag operation in 2013 and will be fitted with two 45-ton cranes for Matson.

Matson’s announcement follows the company’s move in June to improve its roughly year-old service to Samoa and American Samoa from the mainland via Hawaii by delivering cargo there every 14 days instead of every 28 days. That change was made by acquiring a faster and bigger ship than had been used for the service. Matson also has served the Samoas from New Zealand since 2013.