Hawaii Superferry

Infobox Company
company_name = Hawaii Superferry
company_
company_type = Transportation
foundation = 2003
location = Honolulu, Hawaii
key_people =
industry = Ferry
products =
revenue =
operating_income =
net_income =
num_employees =
parent =
subsid =
homepage = [http://www.hawaiisuperferry.com/ HawaiiSuperFerry.com]
footnotes =

The Hawaii Superferry is a Hawaiokinai-based transportation company providing daily passenger and vehicle transportation between Honolulu Harbor on the island of Ookinaahu and Kahului Harbor on Maui. [ [http://www.hawaiisuperferry.com/reservations/routes-schedules/default.html Hawaii Superferry - Routes & Schedules ] ] Legal issues over environmental impact statements and protests from residents of Maui and Kauai temporarily delayed the implementation of service, but service between Ookinaahu Maui started in December 2007. The company hopes to return service to Nawiliwili Harbor on Kauaokinai and add service to Kawaihe Harbor on the Big Island.

Vessels

The vessels used by Hawaii Superferry are state of the art catamaran with drive-on / drive-off vehicle capability or fast ferry service. They are designed and built by Austal USA, a division of Australia-based shipbuilder Austal. The company plans to add the second of its two convert|349|ft|m|sing=on ships in early 2009. The vessels are powered by MTU Friedrichshafen engines using waterjet propulsion which the company claims will minimize impact to marine mammals [ [http://www.hawaiisuperferry.com/the-experience/the-alakai/default.html Hawaii Superferry - The Alakai ] ] .

Each is capable of transporting up to 866 passengers and 282 subcompact cars. The ships feature floor-to-ceiling windows offering panoramic views, sofas and family seating, onboard dining, and flat-screen TVs and video games.

The first ship, the "Alakai", arrived in Honolulu Harbor on June 30, 2007. [cite news
title="Superferry!"
url=http://starbulletin.com/2007/07/01/news/story01.html
date=2007-07-01
accessdate=2007-07-01
work=Honolulu Star-Bulletin] The second ship is scheduled for completion in 2009.

History

Private steamships and ferries were the sole way of traveling between the islands between the 1800s until the 1950s and returned twice since statehood, once in 1966 between Oahu, Maui and Big Island,Fact|date=May 2008 and Seaflite which operated hydrofoils between the major islands in the mid-1970s. [cite news
last = Cataluna
first = Lee
title = Nothing Smooth On Seaflite
publisher = "The Honolulu Advertiser"
date = 2005-12-23
url = http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2005/Dec/23/ln/FP512230359.html
accessdate = ]

The concept of the Superferry was founded in 2001 and first announced by founders Timothy Dick, John Garibaldi, and Robert "Terry" White in September 2003 after more than two years of planning. Hawaii Superferry stated its plans to operate a daily service between the the newly built interisland ferry terminal at Pier 19 in Honolulu Harbor to Kahului on Maui and Nawiliwili on Kauai, with later expansion of service to Kawaihae near Kona on the Big Island. The company envisioned fares for a family trip to be similar to the equivalent airfare, car rental, and parking. [cite news
title=Next exit, Kahului
url=http://starbulletin.com/2003/09/21/business/story1.html
date=2003-09-21
accessdate=2007-11-02
work=Honolulu Star-Bulletin]

In January 2004, the company formed a partnership with Austal to build two high-speed catamarans. [cite news
title=Two ferries to be built for interisland service
url=http://web.archive.org/web/20040823032441/the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/Jan/13/ln/ln03a.html
date=2004-01-13
accessdate=2007-11-02
work=Honolulu Advertiser] Construction on the first ship began in June 2004. Meanwhile, the company secured its first investors, including Maui Land & Pineapple Company [cite news
title=Maui Land & Pine invests in ferry
url=http://web.archive.org/web/20040823035732/the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/May/20/bz/bz03a.html
date=2004-05-20
accessdate=2007-11-02
work=Honolulu Advertiser] and Grove Farm on Kauai. [cite news
title=Grove Farm gets stake in Hawaii Superferry
url=http://web.archive.org/web/20040921014816/starbulletin.com/2004/06/04/business/story3.html
date=2004-06-04
accessdate=2007-11-02
work=Honolulu Advertiser]

Controversy

Generally, the issues surrounding the Hawaii Superferry can be summarized as follows:
• Procedural concerns. Many people felt that legal and public process was not followed. [ [http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/508126.html?nav=18 Superferry, state not living up to promises to protect whales and Maui resources - News, Sports, Visitor's Information - The Maui News] ]
• Environmental concerns. These can generally be divided into concerns for marine life (primarily due to the speed of travel, which critics cited as unnecessarily high and dangerous to whales, dolphins, turtles and other animals) and concern for the environmental impacts threatened by the virtually unrestricted interisland transport of vehicles, particularly by O'ahu residents engaged in recreational activities. Interisland introduction of invasive species is a specific concern.
• Depletion of natural resources. This is a related concern particularly felt by Maui and Kaua'i residents who are concerned about people from O'ahu taking large quantities of rocks, [ [http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Sep/12/ln/hawaii709120411.html Hawaii Superferry riders took Maui rocks | The Honolulu Advertiser | Hawaii's Newspaper] ] 'opihi, and other natural resources for O'ahu use.
• Militarization. It is pointed out that the Superferry's CEO, John F. Lehrman, is a former U.S. Navy secretary whose expertise is in the acquisition of private endeavors with military applications, [ [http://southkonayouth.wordpress.com/2007/09/12/why-should-you-just-say-no-to-superferry/ Why Should You Just Say No! to SuperFerry? « South Kona Youth Big Island Hawaii] ] and that the Superferry is designed to be able to transport military equipment and vehicles, including Stryker tanks. [ [http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Aug/29/ln/hawaii708290426.html Hawaii Superferry halts Kauai route | The Honolulu Advertiser | Hawaii's Newspaper] ]

Inaugural voyage

The Hawaii Supreme Court ruled on August 23, 2007 that the state Department of Transportation had erred in not requiring an environmental impact assessment for harbor improvements at Kahului Harbor, reversing an earlier ruling in 2005 by Maui Circuit Court Judge Joseph Cardoza. [Setback For Superferry [http://starbulletin.com/2007/08/24/news/story01.html] ] Subsequently, Superferry announced that it would accelerate its launch to August 26, 2007, two days earlier than their originally scheduled launch date. [Superferry Races Legal Action [http://starbulletin.com/2007/08/25/news/story01.html] ]

Hawaii Superferry began service in August 2007 with inaugural $5 fares. The inaugural voyages were sold out. The voyage to Maui was smooth and uneventful with a few environmental protesters observing peacefully at Kahului Harbor. However, about a dozen protesters on surfboards blockaded the ferry at Nawiliwili Harbor on Kaua'i. The Coast Guard cleared the ferry's path after 90 minutes. [cite news
title=Superferry takes passengers by hundreds
url=http://starbulletin.com/2007/08/27/news/story01.html
date=2007-08-27
accessdate=2007-10-30
work=Honolulu Star-Bulletin] Upon docking, protesters confronted passengers, including Kaua'i residents, and some vandalized cars. Several protesters were arrested. [ [http://www.kauaiworld.com/articles/2007/09/02/opinion/edit01.txt Kauai Garden News] ] , [ [http://www.khnl.com/Global/story.asp?S=7329115 Kauai Silent Majority Weighs In] ] [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLB40rJysB8 YouTube - khon hawaii superferry news ] ] , [ [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JZMjY4wN5E YouTube - Superferry Passengers Lost in the Shuffle ] ]

uspension of service

On August 27, 2007, Justice Cardoza issued a temporary restraining order barring the Superferry from accessing Kahului Harbor, causing Maui service to be suspended. [cite news
title=Ferry blocked
url=http://starbulletin.com/2007/08/28/news/story01.html
date=2007-08-28
accessdate=2007-11-02
work=Honolulu Star-Bulletin] Meanwhile, the Superferry was forced to turn back from its second trip to Kaua'i after protestors again blockaded the Nawiliwili Harbor resulting in several more arrests. Superferry passengers were forced to remain onboard for 9 hours, while Kaua'i residents were denied the ability to board the ferry. The company subsequently suspended services to Kaua'i. [cite news
title=Protesters’ flotilla halts vessel off Nawiliwili
url=http://starbulletin.com/2007/08/28/news/story02.html
date=2007-08-28
accessdate=2007-11-02
work=Honolulu Star-Bulletin]

The protester's concerns were that a ferry of this size could, traveling at speeds of about convert|40|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on, strike and kill whales during its voyages. Other concerns include the potential to import invasive species between islands, and the potential to bring drugs and homeless people to Kauai. [Superferry Protestors Rally [http://www.kauaiworld.com/articles/2007/08/26/news/news02.txt] ]

In a meeting with State Senate President Colleen Hanabusa on September 14, 2007, the company stated that it may have to find another home for the ferry in order to pay operating expenses, repay debt, and provide return on the investments made. Describing their meeting, Hanabusa commented that they would have staying power for "a month—outside, a month and a half." Superferry officials, while declining to elaborate, did not dispute this. [cite news
title=Superferry considers pulling out of Hawaii
url=http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Sep/14/ln/hawaii709140376.html
date=2007-09-14
accessdate=2007-11-01
work=Honolulu Advertiser]

On October 9 2007 Maui Judge Joseph Cardoza ruled the ferry could not resume service while the state conducts an environmental impact assessment. Two days later Superferry CEO John Garibaldi announced that the company must lay off 249 employees. 59 workers remained on the job to handle administrative and operational duties. [cite web|url=http://gcaptain.com/maritime/blog/hawaii-superferry-down-for-the-count/|title=hawaii superferry - a ship captain’s perspective|accessdate=2008-04-27|date=2007-10-12|author=Konrad, John|publisher=gCaptain.com] . The maritime community was disturbed by the loss of jobs for U.S. mariners. [cite web|url=http://www.newsletterscience.com/marex/readmore.cgi?issue_id=153&article_id=2621&l=1&s=55724|title=Profiles in Stupidity: Hawaii Superferry Idled by Courts|publisher=The Maritime Executive|author=Keefe, Joseph|accessdate=2008-04-27]

pecial legislative session

In mid October 2007, Governor Linda Lingle met with the leaders of the Hawaii State Legislature to propose a special legislative session to allow the ferry to operate while the state completed an environmental impact assessment. Senate and House leaders agreed. Governor Lingle called the Legislature into special session on October 24, 2007. [ [http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2007/10/22/daily20.html Special Session Opens] ]

In preparation, members of the Legislature made trips to Kauai, Maui, and The Big Island to get reactions. On Kauai, the meeting was calm, however on Maui the meeting was more emotionally charged. [ [http://kgmb9.com/main/content/view/1083/40/ Maui Meeting Gets Heated] ]

On Monday October 29, 2007 the State Senate approved a bill to allow "large capacity ferry vessels" to operate between ports in the Hawaiian Islands while an environmental statement is prepared. [cite web|url=http://capitol.hawaii.gov/splsession2007b/bills/sb1_sd1_.pdf?bcsi_scan_B7648222B2223B81=1&bcsi_scan_449C1CA1845DF24D=0&bcsi_scan_filename=sb1_sd1_.pdf|format=PDF|publisher=Sate of Hawaii|title=Senate bill S.D.1]

The House passed the bill on October 31 on a vote of 39-11. [House gives final OK to Hawaii Superferry bill [http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071101/NEWS01/711010371] ] Governor Lingle signed the bill into law on November 6, 2007. [ [http://hawaii.gov/gov/news/releases/Folder.2007-01-31.1527/News_Item.2007-11-05.1150 Governor Signs Ferry Legislation] ]

Restarting service

On Wednesday November 14, 2007, Maui Court Judge Cardoza lifted the injunction banning the ferry from sailing to Kahului Harbor consistent with the new law. Hawaii Superferry's CEO John Garibaldi released this statement: "On behalf of Hawaii Superferry's family of employees, we are pleased with the judge's decision today. We are grateful for the support shown by the governor, legislature, and residents of Hawaii and look forward to commencing service soon." [cite news
title=Superferry Cleared To Sail
url=http://kgmb9.com/main/content/view/1751/76/
date=2007-11-14
accessdate=2007-11-14
work=KGMB-9 News] Superferry restarted service on December 14 beginning daily round trip voyages to Maui. [ [http://starbulletin.com/2007/12/14/news/story01.html starbulletin.com | News | /2007/12/14/ ] ]

Current service

As of May 2008, Hawaii Superferry operates a daily morning round-trip service between Oahu and Maui, with a second afternoon round-trip on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays with as many as 7,000 passengers a month. [http://www.hawaiireporter.com/story.aspx?ff36d20a-37c7-4957-939f-19b704217805 Hawaii Reporter 9/18/2008] The demise of Aloha Airlines and record oil prices have caused airfares to rise rapidly causing ferry ridership to increase significantly. [ [http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080528/NEWS01/805280401 Ferry Ridership Soaring] ]

New CEO Thomas Fargo announced in early May 2008 that Superferry would like to serve Kauai if Kauai residents want the service. [ [http://honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080507/NEWS09/805070418 Superferry Awaits Signal from Kauai] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.hawaiisuperferry.com/ Hawaii SuperFerry official website]
* [http://www.nokaoimagazine.com/article.aspx?issue=v.11n.4&article_name=Will_It_Float "Will It Float?"] Maui No Ka 'Oi Magazine, Vol. 11 No. 4 July 2007
* [http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2007-03-04-hawaii-superferry-protest_N.htm Hawaii Superferry opposition mounts, "USA Today"]
* [http://kgmb9.com/kgmb/display.cfm?storyID=11862&sid=1250 Hawaii Superferry Sails into Honolulu, "KGMB9 news"]
* [http://www.austal.com/ Austal website]