Port of Olympia strikes out again after layberth of 680-foot ship is canceled
The Port of Olympia has struck out again in its efforts to bring a large ship to the marine terminal, a spokeswoman for the port announced Wednesday.
The 680-foot Maunalei, owned by shipping company Matson, was expected to arrive at the marine terminal Tuesday morning and tie up here for at least six months. Now it isn’t coming at all.
“The lay berth was originally planned for approximately six months starting May 16,” spokeswoman Joy Johnston said. “However, late adjustments were made to the vessel’s schedule which will require the vessel to be in Matson’s rotation sooner than expected.”
A layberth is the term for a ship docking for an extended period before being put to use again.
Wednesday’s cancellation marks the third time that the port has missed out on a layberth agreement for the marine terminal. In spring 2021, the port first tried to bring the Maunalei to the area, and before that, it worked to bring two 600-foot ships to the marine terminal.
Why bother with such an agreement? They are revenue generators, according to the port. The port was set to collect about $1.2 million before the deal fell through.
This story was originally published May 17, 2023 at 10:16 AM.
