Gabbard christens Matson containership

U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard christened Matson Inc.’s newest containership, the Kaimana Hila, at a ceremony at the Philly Shipyard in Pennsylvania on Saturday.

The Kaimana Hila and sister ship the Daniel K. Inouye are the two largest containerships ever built in the United States, according to Matson. The Daniel K. Inouye, which cost the shipping company about $210 million and can carry the equivalent of 3,600 20-foot containers, arrived in the isles in November after an initial voyage from Philadelphia to Cali­fornia via the Panama Canal.

The Kaimana Hila will deliver goods between the West Coast and Hawaii, and was named for Diamond Head, which is also known as Leahi and Kaimana Hila. “Kaimana Hila” was also reportedly a favorite song of the late U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye.

Also present for the christening ceremony were Philly Shipyard CEO Steiner Nerbovik, Matson Chairman and CEO Matt Cox and Hawaiian Electric Co. President and CEO Connie Lau.