Thread: Hawaii ferry sails despite court cloud

Hawaii ferry sails despite court cloud
By JAYMES SONG, Associated Press Writer
52 minutes ago

KAHULUI, Hawaii - Loaded with people paying a discount fare of just $5, the $95 million Hawaii Superferry made its maiden run Sunday with a rushed launch for a three-hour voyage to Maui — the first passenger ferry service between the islands.

Legal problems threatened to beach the giant catamaran like one of the whales that environmentalists fear it will run over, so the company moved up the debut by two days.

More than 500 passengers and crew, and 150 cars, were aboard when the four-deck, blue-and-white vessel emblazoned with manta rays pulled away from the dock to a chorus of cheers.

"It's beautiful," exclaimed Stephen Imamoto of Honolulu, who was traveling with his wife and 6-year-old daughter. "I don't like to fly ... You can't beat the price."

Imamoto said he wanted to try the first voyage to see if he gets seasick. Choppy water and strong wind between the islands have scuttled previous attempts at interisland ferry services with much smaller ships.

Even in seemingly calm seas, the Alakai swayed at times Sunday, causing some passengers to become nauseous as the ferry passed the green, rugged mountains of Molokai and Lanai.

Inside the 349-foot Alakai built by Austal USA in Mobile, Ala., passengers browsed the gift shop, played cards and ordered breakfast while watching live NFL Sunday football games on high-definition TV screens as the ferry sailed past Aloha Tower.

Alan and Terry Kahanu, of Kailua, arrived to board the ferry at 4:20 a.m. They and their four children sat in the first-class cabin, eating doughnuts and sushi.

"It's spectacular," said Alan Kahanu. "It's so nice to be able to walk around instead of having to be buckled in."

Before Sunday, the only way to travel among the Hawaiian Islands was with highly competitive local airlines now engaged in a fare war.

Superferry sold out its first voyage in 30 minutes Saturday, offering $5 one-way fares for passengers and the same for cars. More than 400 of those aboard got right back on the Alakai for the voyage back to Honolulu.

Superferry Chief Executive John Garibaldi, who mingled among passengers, said one reason for the service was to avoid a repeat of the effect of the nation's grounded airplanes after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Then, island residents and tourists dependent on air travel were stranded for several days.

Garibaldi said the voyage "went very, very well and the response was phenomenal from passengers."

The launch, originally set for Tuesday with fares 10 times that much, was moved up after the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday that the state should have required an environmental review before the Superferry started service. Three environmental groups have sued, concerned that the vessel could collide with humpback whales, spread invasive species and create long traffic delays.

A dozen protesters greeted the hundreds of enthusiastic passengers after the ferry docked at Maui's port.

Among the protesters on Maui was Joyclynn Costa of Haiku, who held a sign, "Respect our home." She said the company didn't consult with Maui residents about the service, which she said will pollute island waters.

The environmentalists' attorney, Isaac Hall, said he will seek an injunction Monday to prevent the Superferry from doing business until environmental studies are completed. Environmental reviews are typically required of projects that use state money and land, such as harbors, and they can take months or even years to complete.

Superferry supporters say it is being treated unfairly because other harbor users like cruise ships didn't have to go through extensive environmental reviews.

"These standards should apply to all players, not just the newest, the smallest and the most popular," said David Cole, the chairman, president and CEO of Maui Land & Pineapple Co., which invested $1 million in the ferry.

Superferry officials also say the ship's water jet propulsion system means there are no exposed propellers to strike aquatic animals. State transportation officials had allowed the Superferry to start service, noting that the Supreme Court didn't explicitly say the ship couldn't run.

However, environmentalists pointed out that state law prohibits projects from operating during formal environmental studies.

Environmentalists said the company acted in bad faith by launching early and trying to build public support with steep discounts.

"This is really a slap in the face to the residents of Hawaii and to the state Supreme Court," said Jeff Mikulina, executive director of the Sierra Club Hawaii Chapter.

More than 19,000 people have signed up to take advantage of the $5 fare through Sept. 5. After that, round trips to Maui or Kauai, with taxes and a fuel surcharge, will cost more than $240 for one passenger and a car_ if the courts don't stop it. A second ferry being built in Mobile, Ala., is scheduled to serve the Big Island starting in 2009.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070827/...QV3a8aqm6s0NUE

Surfers stop Superferry in Hawaii
By DAVID BRISCOE, Associated Press Writer
Mon Aug 27, 9:40 AM ET

HONOLULU - The Coast Guard helped clear protesters who briefly disrupted the second voyage of Hawaii's first-ever passenger ferry service among the Hawaiian islands, but the fight over the ship's environmental impact is far from over.

The Hawaii Superferry made two packed trips Sunday — two days ahead of schedule — after the state Supreme Court ruled last week that the state should have required an environmental report before the ferry launched. State transportation officials, noting that the court didn't explicitly say the ship couldn't run, still allowed the service to start.

A dozen protesters on surfboards blocked the ship for more than an hour from docking at Kauai's Lihue harbor Sunday, but the Coast Guard cleared them away. Hundreds more protesters onshore beat drums and chanted in support of the surfers.

The protesters and environmentalists argue that the ferry's plan to ply 400 miles of Hawaii waters each day endangers whales, threatens to spread invasive species and will worsen traffic and pollution.

They planned to ask a judge on Monday for an injunction to halt the ferry service until the environmental study is conducted.

Hawaii Superferry Inc., in a statement late Sunday, said it was disappointed in the delay on Kauai.

"We are sorry to see that minority dissident groups have chosen to oppose a service that the people of Hawaii have overwhelmingly embraced," the statement said, noting it had sold 22,000 tickets.

Loaded with people attracted by a special $5 fare for the 100-mile voyage past scenic island shores, the Superferry completed its maiden run to Maui and arrived back in Honolulu on time Sunday, then began its trip to Kauai. Passengers lauded the air-conditioned ship, equipped with snack bars and high-definition TV screens, for its luxury and convenience.

On both trips, the $95 million ship was loaded with more than 500 people and 150 cars, the limit placed on initial voyages. It's built to carry more than 800 passengers and 200 cars.

After Sept. 5, the fares will go up significantly: Round trips from Honolulu to Maui or Kauai, with taxes and a fuel surcharge, will cost more than $240 for one passenger and a car.

The environmentalists' attorney, Isaac Hall, said he will seek an injunction to prevent the Superferry from doing business until environmental studies are completed. Such reviews typically are required for projects that use state money and land, such as harbors, and they can take months or years to complete.

Superferry supporters say the ferry is being treated unfairly because other harbor users such as cruise ships didn't have to go through extensive environmental reviews.

"These standards should apply to all players, not just the newest, the smallest and the most popular," said David Cole, the chairman, president and CEO of Maui Land & Pineapple Co., which invested $1 million in the ferry.

Superferry officials say the ship's water jet propulsion system means there are no exposed propellers to strike aquatic animals.

Before Sunday, the only way to travel among the islands where an estimated 1.2 million people live and tens of thousands of tourists arrive each day was by the local airlines.

Superferry Chief Executive John Garibaldi, who mingled with passengers, said one reason for the service was to avoid a repeat of the effect of the nation's grounded airplanes after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Then, island residents and tourists dependent on air travel were stranded for several days.

Austal USA, which built the ferry in Mobile, Ala., is also building a second scheduled to serve the Big Island starting in 2009.

___

Associated Press writer Jaymes Song contributed to this report.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070827/...aEFhiOxHxH2ocA


On the Net: Hawaii Superferry: http://hawaiisuperferry.com/