Matson Navigation Company's new MV Manukai has commenced with its delivery voyage and is currently traveling from the U.S. East Coast to the West Coast, via the Panama Canal. The ship will then enter Matson's Hawaii Service, with the inaugural voyage scheduled for October 1 from Los Angeles to Honolulu. The ship is the first to be built by Kvaerner Philadelphia Shipyard, Inc. and the first new Matson ship of the 21st century.

Utilizing today's GPS technology, the ship's voyage can be tracked on Matson's “Birth of a Ship” Web site at www.matson.com/bos. By clicking on the “Track the Manukai” link below, you can access detailed info on the vessel's geographic position.

To learn more about the Panama Canal and how vessels such as the Manukai move through its locks, click on the “General Information about the Panama Canal” link.

To view a live Web cam of various points of interest along the Canal, click on the “Live Web Cam from the Panama Canal” link.

The “Birth of a Ship” site is designed as an educational public relations vehicle about ships and Matson's fleet, in particular. The site includes a number of interactive features that should make touring the area an enjoyable and interesting process. Matson also hopes that the site will also be of interest to schoolchildren who may not have an appreciation or understanding of ships.

The “Birth of a Ship” site features:

Virtual Tour: By clicking on various “hot spots,” visitors can access information about some of the key components of a vessel.

3-D helicopter Fly By: A short animated 3-D piece allows visitors get a sense of what the Manukai will look like when it's completed and at sea, fully loaded.

Scale of the Ship: Scale comparisons of the Manukai with 10 objects (football field, Empire State Building, etc.)

Construction Milestones: A brief overview of the construction process, from contract signing to delivery.

History of the Matson Fleet: An overview of Matson's fleet and how it has evolved over the past 120 years, beginning with Captain Matson's first vessel the Emma Claudina.

The site can be accessed by clicking on the “Birth of a Ship” icon located in the top left hand corner of the Matson homepage at www.matson.com. Matson provides ocean transportation, intermodal and logistics services in U.S. domestic trades. Matson is a wholly owned subsidiary of Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALEX).

CONTACT:
Jeff Hull, public relations
(415) 957-4534 or JHull@matson.com