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Just was reading about the Superferry at
www.superferry.com
They say it's too long a trip to Hilo and the waters are too rough to be comfortable traveling.
About 1-1/2 years ago while on Kauai I was talking to a shop owner who actually dreaded the ferry going to Kauai...they said it will increase traffic and pollution on the island with the extra cars.
I could see where it would be a great deal for farmers and fishing trade but have to wonder if this is a blessing or a curse. What do YOU think?
Carrie
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Based on the prices I read in the paper and the information obtained at the HELCO britch meeting a couple of weeks ago, the "Superferry" is likely to be a superflop. The cost for my husband and I to go to Maui to surf and bring his truck would cost $440.00 round trip! Even with the extra charge for surfboards AND a car rental for the weekend it would still be cheaper to fly! I was all for it at first but now that the cost is a little clearer, not to mention the valuable space it will rob from the ports (ask the Young brothers what they think of what's going to happen in Maui), I just don't think it will be beneficial for the average person who just wants to make a little weekend getaway and bring their own car. Time will tell but I bet it will be a lot like the cruiseship fiasco we had on So. Padre Island years ago. The official name of the boat was moot as the local term for it soon became the "Barf barge." 'Nuff said! Aloha! Pam.....pj
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I agree, they said it will cost $44 to ship a car one way. With the new airline offering tickets @ $39 and getting a car for $15-$20/day on Priceline, I can't see the Superferry make it.
Aloha,
John S. Rabi, ABR,CM,CRB,FHS,PB,RB
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Aloha all. Has anyone done a study of the environmental damage differential of superferry vs. air? Is the amount of fuel projected to be used and the resultant carbon emission worth the possible cost differential? Some of us might be willing to pay a bit more if we were really convinced of the environmental benefit. On the other hand, all we hear from the environmental lobby is that the superferry opens up avenues for invasive species, harms whales, and increases harbor pollution. Although I am very sympathetic to the environmental lobby, I feel that occasionally the hard core guys tend to be obstructionists who don't like anything new. Anybody on the forum have any solid info on this?
Cheers,
Jerry
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They've tried an inter-island ferry several times before. Usually the ocean eats it. With this type of business venture there are other meanings to the question of "will it survive?" than meaning "will it be profitable?"
Long ago, there used to be the interisland passenger ferry, but that was a sailing ship. The Kiluea, wasn't it? I wonder if there would be room for a similar passenger ferry? Hmm, according to the reports of that "cruise line" most of the passengers lounged around on the deck cargo with their chickens and pigs with them and they slept out on deck as well. Today's interisland ferry passengers would probably prefer some updated amenities.
Did the ferry they were proposing for an alternate route between Ewa and downtown Honolulu or the ferry between Hawaii Kai and downtown Honolulu ever make it as a business venture?
Still with all this water we have around here, it does seem like we could use a few more boats and better facilities for the ones we do have.
A hui hou!
"I like yard sales," he said. "All true survivalists like yard sales."
Kurt Wilson
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Great stuff. Maybe the farmers and fishers would do good with this venture...don't know. It seems like it would be a good venture for someone to ferry people only and charge a really dirt cheap price! You can fit a lot more people than vehicles onboard. It's still about 3 hours each way from Oahu to Maui or Kauai...four to the Big Island. I think it would be cool for a business to offer a ferry/coastal tour just from Hilo/Kona/Hilo...either coastline is gorgeous and to do a roundtrip tour or two a day you could really make some bucks depending on the size of the vessel. Hmmmm...
I would also add that when my Mom and I were on Kauai last year I tried every place there was to find a boat that would take a wheelchair person out on it. THEY would like to see the Na Pali coast as well. But no one did that. It was all Zodiac type boats or cruisers with slides to snorkel, etc. Really a bummer that there is a whole section of the population that has no access to the beauty of either the Na Pali Coastline OR Waimea Canyon. We drove all the way to the top and there was no access ramp available to a wheelchair bound person. Sad.
Carrie
"The opportunities to reach into the lives of others in an inspiring way arise in countless ways every single day..." Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
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Edited by - carolann r on 07/12/2006 10:42:11
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it would be great for shoping trips
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Today airfares interisland are reasonable, last year they weren't. Competition has made them so. I for one would like to see the ferry make a go of it. A pleasent four hour cruise to HNL on a Friday and back on Sunday. Little shopping and maybe a concert thrown in on Saturday in the BIG city... The only thing that could make it better is no cell phone reception out on the ocean!
Sounds fairly pleasent to me!
-Cat
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As a former US Coast Guardsman I can tell you flat out an interisland ferry will never make it. The swells that run between islands are at times enormous and send chills up my spine just thinking about them. A shipping company that tries to keep a schedule in these waters is one that will often be disappointed. I personally have seen swells that appeared over twice the hight of our search and rescue boats that were 60 feet long and about 20 feet tall. I just can't imagine a happy time aboard a heaving, rolling, heavy ferry on days like that.
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Since I'm thinking of building, my thought about the Superferry was that it might be a lot cheaper to take a truck to Honolulu and shop there than buy everything on the Big Island. The competition might force some on the Big Island to lower their prices. But, Honolulu is always going to have more selection and the builder may get more control over delivery dates if he can go to Honolulu and pick things up himself.
If it is more expensive to fly and rent a car for most visits, then the Superferry will have to lower their prices or pull out of the market. The airlines are going to give it good price competition. I suspect that their projected rates will come down.
Aloha,
Rob L
Aloha,
Rob L
